A good hour before the first light. Even so, the streets and park connectors are not as deserted as one would thought. People were about with their dogs, for walks, to bike and of course, for some, to work.
It has been some time since I did a dawn-breaking run. Kinda missed the quiet of the morning, where footsteps of fellow runners could be heard 10 m away. 6:05 am. Passed some fishermen along the canal, on a whole night camping expedition. Wonder how many fish they caught. Along the PCN toward east coast, there were a good number of runners/joggers heading towards the coast. A few were returning back, and I wondered what time they started!
6:30 am. Saw G, Laguna fitness instructor, passing on his mountain bike, too fast to notice me.
Maintained HR at 145, although only at a 7:20 to 7:30 pace. Passed A, who was also too fast to notice me. The usual old folks with their tai-chi stance and music. Before too long, I'd be joining them.
Had a "wonderful" inspiration to introduce a progressive marathon award for the PMC running community. Also pondered about how coincidental it was that two good old friends had brought up the matter of a hospitality institute in Siam Reap. Note to myself to email LD about this.
Picked up the pace a little to 7 between 10 and 11 km before the toilet break at B2 car park before Fort Road. 7:25 am.
The return leg was a little more brisk, about 7 pace. But HR went up to above 150. By 7:30 am, there were quite a good crowd along the east cost, even for a weekday.
8:30 am. The sun is now up with its cheerful disposition. The schedule was for a 21 km aerobic run, but I put in another slow 5 km to increase mileage in the run-up to Tokyo.
Post run note: The 2XU compression pants worked really well. Only the second time out with the 2XU, the first being a short run in Maastricht in Dec. No soreness or tightness in hamstrings and calves during and after the run. Only issue was the usual right knee that acted up after the run.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
TLog: Gearing up for Tokyo
With just 4 weeks to go before Tokyo, coach cut down on the swim and bike sessions to focus on running.
Tue: 17k aerobic run at 6 to 7 pace
Wed: stationary bike super-spinning 20k
Thu: 26k LSD with 145 target HR
The aerobic run tested my anaerobic threshold once again. Maintained a steady pace under 7, mainly in the range of 6:30. HR was steady at 145 initially, but drifted up to 150+ after 10k or so.
More about the LSD run later...
Tue: 17k aerobic run at 6 to 7 pace
Wed: stationary bike super-spinning 20k
Thu: 26k LSD with 145 target HR
The aerobic run tested my anaerobic threshold once again. Maintained a steady pace under 7, mainly in the range of 6:30. HR was steady at 145 initially, but drifted up to 150+ after 10k or so.
More about the LSD run later...
Monday, February 23, 2009
Shimano R300 road test
Felt restless this morning and decided to go for an easy spin... with my new Shimano R300 shoes. Yulp. Last two bike sessions were on the Minoura M80-DW Magnetic Indoor Bike Trainer (that shaved off so much rubber from the rear tire!), and enough already of trainers. Off on to the tracks/PCN!
All fine for the first 5 km, until just before the ECP tunnel. Unclipped the right leg first. But all along I unclipped the left first. Not sure what happened, but the next thing I knew, I was falling to the left. Good thing there was a chain linked fence and narrow strip of grass there. All that hurt was my pride. :)
Further along NSRCC, I met up with another cyclist on a mountain bike. Chatted some - about biking, bike tours, children, etc, before A turned back at the exhibition road. Made it to Changi village and rode back without incident.
And how did cycling shoes help? A significant difference, to say the least. Pedaling at just 70 rpm, I was able to reach 30 kph (albeit on the large gear). And with headwind.
At the outdoor camp near to NSRCC were many school children learning to skate. Almost fell! Luckily I managed to unclip the right shoe in time to keep my pride intact. Third time not so lucky, so I took it easy all the way back. A little saddle sore, since I haven't been doing long rides for some time (2 hours).
In the afternoon, I went down to Rodalink Jurong East to get the shoes custom-fitted. Two stage process - oven heat the insoles. then stand and walk with the shoes for shaping. Next heat up the shoes, and after donning the shoes, a plastic bag is used to cover the shoes. Vacuumed to fit. All done in 30 min.
Rodalink JE is a big store - with friendly staff. Took the opportunity to look at some racing wheels, tires, gears, etc. Durace carbon wheels and Fulcrum racing zero wheels are ... nice!
All fine for the first 5 km, until just before the ECP tunnel. Unclipped the right leg first. But all along I unclipped the left first. Not sure what happened, but the next thing I knew, I was falling to the left. Good thing there was a chain linked fence and narrow strip of grass there. All that hurt was my pride. :)
Further along NSRCC, I met up with another cyclist on a mountain bike. Chatted some - about biking, bike tours, children, etc, before A turned back at the exhibition road. Made it to Changi village and rode back without incident.
And how did cycling shoes help? A significant difference, to say the least. Pedaling at just 70 rpm, I was able to reach 30 kph (albeit on the large gear). And with headwind.
At the outdoor camp near to NSRCC were many school children learning to skate. Almost fell! Luckily I managed to unclip the right shoe in time to keep my pride intact. Third time not so lucky, so I took it easy all the way back. A little saddle sore, since I haven't been doing long rides for some time (2 hours).
In the afternoon, I went down to Rodalink Jurong East to get the shoes custom-fitted. Two stage process - oven heat the insoles. then stand and walk with the shoes for shaping. Next heat up the shoes, and after donning the shoes, a plastic bag is used to cover the shoes. Vacuumed to fit. All done in 30 min.
Rodalink JE is a big store - with friendly staff. Took the opportunity to look at some racing wheels, tires, gears, etc. Durace carbon wheels and Fulcrum racing zero wheels are ... nice!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
TriBob Sprint Aquathlon 2009
Well, all the months of swim drills and training have a focal point - the sprint aquathlon event organized by TriBob. 750 m swim and 5 km run in the idyllic isle of Sentosa.
Upon reaching Tanjong Beach before 7 am (to avoid road closure along ECP due to OCBC cycle), I anxiously looked at the swim course. It appeared longer than I remembered. And the turn-in point is closer to the start point than what was indicated in the map. My heart sank for a few minutes and doubts started to creep in. Talking with some other early birds - one of whom is a seasoned triathlete - helped.
Next, set up my stuff in the transition area. The designated area is smallish. My concern was the limited space between rows for changing. Especially with my big butt and limited flexibility.
As I was early, I sat down and tried to relax. The beautiful morning and sunrise helped. With the arrival of more participants and supporters (bf, gf, children, etc), and with the MC and music, an aura of excitement and anticipation permeated the atmosphere. There were about 1,000 participants who registered for this event.
The men friendly wave was scheduled for 9:10 am, which meant that I had lots of time. So I went into the water to warm up. Swam some, practiced sighting and then walked over to the start point to witness the start of the mini wave.
Met up with a friendly first-timer, WK, who is an avid trekker. We both lined up at the rear of the crowd. To our surprise, there's a fair size crowd for the men friendly wave. So there are many beginners after all.
So the swim. Good news is that I still have my full set of teeth, no bruised eyes and no scratches. Bumped into a number of other swimmers, even though I kept a wary eye out for breast strokers. Not unexpectedly, my direction was off, and had to make many adjustments. I had to break into breast stroke a couple of times due to the congestion. The crowd and frequent sighting also made it difficult to get into my usual rhythm. I did manage to get into some rhythm midway through the lagoon.
The U-turn point at the beach was about 400m, and I took my time to walk. Noticed that there were not many swimmers behind me. Although on the way back, I passed a few female swimmers (they started 10 min before the men friendly wave). The return leg was not as crowded, since I was one of the laggards. I stayed too close to the right markers, so a friendly lifeguard pointed me to turn left. I didn't drink that much water, but was woozy only a couple of times. That's good.
It was good to see the finishing point for the swim. My guess is that I was one of the last few to exit the water. Anyway, no hurry and I took my time. I glanced at my watch and was rather surprised that it read 21+ min. I thought I would be slower than that, with the disruptions and all.
On to the transition. My bib tore free of the safety pin and I had to re-pin. Kinda regretted not using my race belt, but never mind. Exchanged a few words with another competitor beside me, and what I said was that the swim was terrible. I didn't really meant it.
The run. Started off fast and with HR racing, I decided to slow down. Many other racers were returning, but hey, I am an old guy. Nothing very eventful, except that the marshals and supporter manning the water points were really encouraging. Appreciated that. So much so that I stopped at all the water points to drink a cup of isotonic and a cup of water. Just not used to having that saltish taste in the mouth.
The sun was out in full blaze, but the run route was in the shade. And flat! No wonder they say this is a friendly course.
Caught up with WK after the turnaround. Chatted some. Then saw a familiar lady who attended the Trizen swim session in Jan. Chatted some more. When I saw the lagoon, I speeded up. But where's the end point? My bad. This is the Palawan beach, not the Tanjong beach. Mistake. I was panting hard. Entering the last 200 m, with the many supporters cheering, I managed to end strong.
Glanced at the watch again, and it read 30 min. A second surprise of the morning. I thought I took longer, what with the chats and everything. Overall, 53:53 (my unofficial time). Better than my anticipated 60 min. And surprise, surprise, I wasn't the last finisher.
The official results:
swim 21:40
T1 02:17
run 29:48
overall 53:46
Finished 96/143 in 40-49 category, 373/475 in all men category.
I suspect that the course is shorter than stipulated. But it did not matter. I completed my first aquathlon.
What's the feeling like after the race? Interestingly, the main feeling on the drive home was that this was a short event. Before I realized it, the race was over. And after all the months of swimming! Perhaps it is because I am used to longer event such as the marathon, but an hour seems very short.
Could I have swam a few hundred metres more and ran a few km more? Probably. I guess that's good news. I am now looking forward to the Bintan OD event in May. But before that, a sprint triathlon in April to go through the paces.
PS: trekking in Nepal sounds like fun.
Upon reaching Tanjong Beach before 7 am (to avoid road closure along ECP due to OCBC cycle), I anxiously looked at the swim course. It appeared longer than I remembered. And the turn-in point is closer to the start point than what was indicated in the map. My heart sank for a few minutes and doubts started to creep in. Talking with some other early birds - one of whom is a seasoned triathlete - helped.
Next, set up my stuff in the transition area. The designated area is smallish. My concern was the limited space between rows for changing. Especially with my big butt and limited flexibility.
As I was early, I sat down and tried to relax. The beautiful morning and sunrise helped. With the arrival of more participants and supporters (bf, gf, children, etc), and with the MC and music, an aura of excitement and anticipation permeated the atmosphere. There were about 1,000 participants who registered for this event.
The men friendly wave was scheduled for 9:10 am, which meant that I had lots of time. So I went into the water to warm up. Swam some, practiced sighting and then walked over to the start point to witness the start of the mini wave.
Met up with a friendly first-timer, WK, who is an avid trekker. We both lined up at the rear of the crowd. To our surprise, there's a fair size crowd for the men friendly wave. So there are many beginners after all.
So the swim. Good news is that I still have my full set of teeth, no bruised eyes and no scratches. Bumped into a number of other swimmers, even though I kept a wary eye out for breast strokers. Not unexpectedly, my direction was off, and had to make many adjustments. I had to break into breast stroke a couple of times due to the congestion. The crowd and frequent sighting also made it difficult to get into my usual rhythm. I did manage to get into some rhythm midway through the lagoon.
The U-turn point at the beach was about 400m, and I took my time to walk. Noticed that there were not many swimmers behind me. Although on the way back, I passed a few female swimmers (they started 10 min before the men friendly wave). The return leg was not as crowded, since I was one of the laggards. I stayed too close to the right markers, so a friendly lifeguard pointed me to turn left. I didn't drink that much water, but was woozy only a couple of times. That's good.
It was good to see the finishing point for the swim. My guess is that I was one of the last few to exit the water. Anyway, no hurry and I took my time. I glanced at my watch and was rather surprised that it read 21+ min. I thought I would be slower than that, with the disruptions and all.
On to the transition. My bib tore free of the safety pin and I had to re-pin. Kinda regretted not using my race belt, but never mind. Exchanged a few words with another competitor beside me, and what I said was that the swim was terrible. I didn't really meant it.
The run. Started off fast and with HR racing, I decided to slow down. Many other racers were returning, but hey, I am an old guy. Nothing very eventful, except that the marshals and supporter manning the water points were really encouraging. Appreciated that. So much so that I stopped at all the water points to drink a cup of isotonic and a cup of water. Just not used to having that saltish taste in the mouth.
The sun was out in full blaze, but the run route was in the shade. And flat! No wonder they say this is a friendly course.
Caught up with WK after the turnaround. Chatted some. Then saw a familiar lady who attended the Trizen swim session in Jan. Chatted some more. When I saw the lagoon, I speeded up. But where's the end point? My bad. This is the Palawan beach, not the Tanjong beach. Mistake. I was panting hard. Entering the last 200 m, with the many supporters cheering, I managed to end strong.
Glanced at the watch again, and it read 30 min. A second surprise of the morning. I thought I took longer, what with the chats and everything. Overall, 53:53 (my unofficial time). Better than my anticipated 60 min. And surprise, surprise, I wasn't the last finisher.
The official results:
swim 21:40
T1 02:17
run 29:48
overall 53:46
Finished 96/143 in 40-49 category, 373/475 in all men category.
I suspect that the course is shorter than stipulated. But it did not matter. I completed my first aquathlon.
What's the feeling like after the race? Interestingly, the main feeling on the drive home was that this was a short event. Before I realized it, the race was over. And after all the months of swimming! Perhaps it is because I am used to longer event such as the marathon, but an hour seems very short.
Could I have swam a few hundred metres more and ran a few km more? Probably. I guess that's good news. I am now looking forward to the Bintan OD event in May. But before that, a sprint triathlon in April to go through the paces.
PS: trekking in Nepal sounds like fun.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
TLog: brick session
The inevitable brick session: jogged 2.5k to the pool, swam 34 laps (24 non-stop), then jogged back.
Things went smoothly. Just a little wobbly for the first 50 m out of water. For the actual race, must get a loose shirt, otherwise may get tangled up. May get a few bottles of water to rinse off some of the salt water and to hydrate before the run segment. Weather will be about the same - so have to bring along sunglasses and visor. Just need to worry about getting the sand off the feet.
Things went smoothly. Just a little wobbly for the first 50 m out of water. For the actual race, must get a loose shirt, otherwise may get tangled up. May get a few bottles of water to rinse off some of the salt water and to hydrate before the run segment. Weather will be about the same - so have to bring along sunglasses and visor. Just need to worry about getting the sand off the feet.
Controlled pace runs
Here're the splits on two controlled pace runs this week (3 km warm up, 2 km cool down):
Feb 15:
km/pace/ave HR
1/5.59/165
2/6.20/165
3/6.59/167
4/6.29/164
5/6.16/169
Feb 18:
km/pace/ave HR
1/6.17/163
2/6.13/169
3/6.28/165
4/6.21/169
5/6.37/170
Both were on the day following a two-session training day (swim and bike), so some fatigue is present.
Feb 15:
km/pace/ave HR
1/5.59/165
2/6.20/165
3/6.59/167
4/6.29/164
5/6.16/169
Feb 18:
km/pace/ave HR
1/6.17/163
2/6.13/169
3/6.28/165
4/6.21/169
5/6.37/170
Both were on the day following a two-session training day (swim and bike), so some fatigue is present.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
E-brief TriBob sprint aquathlon
Received the briefing for Sunday's aquathlon through email yesterday. There will be both the mini and sprint swim-run.
What's new is the wave starts, categorized by ability. There's the men competitive group, men fit group and men friendly group. The criteria is swim time, being 15 min, 20 min and more than 20 min. By my last swim today, 15 laps (750m) took me 21 min. So I am firmly in the men friendly wave, for slow swimmers and breast strokers.
The men friendly wave starts off after the women's wave. For some strange reason, there's only one women wave. Either they are all pretty good, or there are very few of them. We'll see.
I also don't understand why there's no men veteran group. But it makes no difference, since either way, I'm in the last group! :)
What's new is the wave starts, categorized by ability. There's the men competitive group, men fit group and men friendly group. The criteria is swim time, being 15 min, 20 min and more than 20 min. By my last swim today, 15 laps (750m) took me 21 min. So I am firmly in the men friendly wave, for slow swimmers and breast strokers.
The men friendly wave starts off after the women's wave. For some strange reason, there's only one women wave. Either they are all pretty good, or there are very few of them. We'll see.
I also don't understand why there's no men veteran group. But it makes no difference, since either way, I'm in the last group! :)
New cycling shoes and bike trainer
The bike trainer has been on my shopping list for a long time. So having bought MBH her heart's desire this past Valentine day, it was a good time to add to my armoury. But what's the use of a trainer without cycling shoes? After all, there's the one leg pedal drills that require either a stationary bike or a trainer.
So after a good swim session in the morning (yelp, managed to swim 1000 m non-stop), I found myself with the enticing offer of a 40% discount of the Shimano R300 shoes. It is the top of the line moldable cycling shoes, on clearance as the replacement R310 came out last year. For SGD260, I thought it was a good buy.
Here's a review:
The Shimano R300 road shoe is designed for elite-level competition. It represents a ten-year engineering quest for the most efficient power transfer ever and a quantum leap in shoe technology. The heat moldable Thermo-form plastic infused upper panels enable the shoe to conform to the foot. A vacuum forming process is used to custom fit the shoe and insole conforming the shoe to the foot like a luxury sock. The new last better conforms to the structure of the foot giving a perfect anatomic interface.
Features
618 grams
SPD-SL and three-hole cleat compatible
Moldable insole forms to foot for a precise fit
Amazing anti-slip heel lining prevents heel lift
Thermo-form® moldable upper forms to foot for a custom fit
New anatomical curved last improves fit and increases shoe-pedal stability
Ultra rigid, lightweight Nanotec sole transfers your energy straight to the pedals
Micro-adjust buckle and dual offset straps securely stabilizes foot and allows subtle adjustments
There were many good reviews on the R300. One feature is that the shoes are heat moldable to custom fit. That should work well for my unequal-sized feet. Next stop, an appointment for shoe custom fitting.
So after a good swim session in the morning (yelp, managed to swim 1000 m non-stop), I found myself with the enticing offer of a 40% discount of the Shimano R300 shoes. It is the top of the line moldable cycling shoes, on clearance as the replacement R310 came out last year. For SGD260, I thought it was a good buy.
Here's a review:
The Shimano R300 road shoe is designed for elite-level competition. It represents a ten-year engineering quest for the most efficient power transfer ever and a quantum leap in shoe technology. The heat moldable Thermo-form plastic infused upper panels enable the shoe to conform to the foot. A vacuum forming process is used to custom fit the shoe and insole conforming the shoe to the foot like a luxury sock. The new last better conforms to the structure of the foot giving a perfect anatomic interface.
Features
618 grams
SPD-SL and three-hole cleat compatible
Moldable insole forms to foot for a precise fit
Amazing anti-slip heel lining prevents heel lift
Thermo-form® moldable upper forms to foot for a custom fit
New anatomical curved last improves fit and increases shoe-pedal stability
Ultra rigid, lightweight Nanotec sole transfers your energy straight to the pedals
Micro-adjust buckle and dual offset straps securely stabilizes foot and allows subtle adjustments
There were many good reviews on the R300. One feature is that the shoes are heat moldable to custom fit. That should work well for my unequal-sized feet. Next stop, an appointment for shoe custom fitting.
Monday, February 16, 2009
SubUrban Run@NE and other forthcoming events
Signed up for the SubUrban Run@NE on March 15, as another prior engagement is cancelled. There is a 2-km parent-kid team event, which is something of a novelty. Most other kids runs are just for kids, but this run is for both parents and kids.
Decided to do this as a family in two teams - DIVAD BFG and NAHTE MBH. The registration fee is $35 per team, but we get a passion card 15% discount. This is a new event, organized by hivelocity, the same folks that bring us Sundown marathon and Aviva 70.3.
The Cold Storage Kids Run will be on May 24, but we will be in Bintan then. The whole entourage will be going, together with PK and his family. Other events worth noting are: GE woman 10km run (Nov 1) and Streetwise run - formerly MILK run (July 5).
PS: MILK run used to be Streetwise run, and now it is back to the former name. Something about sponsorship, but that's too complicated for a simpleton like me.
Decided to do this as a family in two teams - DIVAD BFG and NAHTE MBH. The registration fee is $35 per team, but we get a passion card 15% discount. This is a new event, organized by hivelocity, the same folks that bring us Sundown marathon and Aviva 70.3.
The Cold Storage Kids Run will be on May 24, but we will be in Bintan then. The whole entourage will be going, together with PK and his family. Other events worth noting are: GE woman 10km run (Nov 1) and Streetwise run - formerly MILK run (July 5).
PS: MILK run used to be Streetwise run, and now it is back to the former name. Something about sponsorship, but that's too complicated for a simpleton like me.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
TLog: Bike, swim, run
Fri: 22 km aerobic run
Sat: 25 km bike; 2 km swim
Sun: 10 km controlled pace run
Sat: 25 km bike; 2 km swim
Sun: 10 km controlled pace run
Riding, cycling clubs and helmuts
Did a 25 km ride with JN yesterday, mainly to show him the park connectors through Tampines and Pasir Ris. That took us to Changi village and we took the Loyang route back to Simei. Along the way, we passed many cyclists. In particular, there was a large group at the junction with Pasir Ris. I believe it was the ANZA cycling group.
The same day, there was a feature on cycling clubs in Singapore. Daniel Loy of Passione Bike was quoted.
Then there was this article about helmut:
Put a lid on it: Jeanette Wang recounts how a helmut saves her life. Read more
The same day, there was a feature on cycling clubs in Singapore. Daniel Loy of Passione Bike was quoted.
Then there was this article about helmut:
Put a lid on it: Jeanette Wang recounts how a helmut saves her life. Read more
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
TLog: 2000m; 800m non-stop
Never thought I would be able to log in a 40-lap 2,000 m swim session. More importantly, 800m were non-stop.
Sighting practice is coming along, although I did tend to dip when sighting. Timing-wise, each lap is now about 1:20 to 1:25, better by 10 sec or so. Still need to keep the strokes smooth and relaxed.
With three more sessions of non-stop 750m swims, I think I should be ready to take on the TriBob sprint aquathlon on Feb 22. Getting there...
And what of the road test for the new Garmin cadence sensor? No problem whatsoever with the device. Only that my cadence is low about 80 (with an easy gear ratio). Yesterday's session was for an easy bike session, so didn't try to rev it up to 100 rpm. Next time.
Sighting practice is coming along, although I did tend to dip when sighting. Timing-wise, each lap is now about 1:20 to 1:25, better by 10 sec or so. Still need to keep the strokes smooth and relaxed.
With three more sessions of non-stop 750m swims, I think I should be ready to take on the TriBob sprint aquathlon on Feb 22. Getting there...
And what of the road test for the new Garmin cadence sensor? No problem whatsoever with the device. Only that my cadence is low about 80 (with an easy gear ratio). Yesterday's session was for an easy bike session, so didn't try to rev it up to 100 rpm. Next time.
Monday, February 9, 2009
me spam? no thanks!
Some of my friends who have been following this blog have noticed that it was removed for a couple of days, and emailed me about it. What happened was that google removed my blog due to spam activity. I guess it must be a virus coz I don't even know how to do spam. The good news is that my request for a review came through this morning, and BFG is up and running (no pun intended!).
So what do I have to report? Just an update on the last few training sessions (yawn!):
Feb 6: 90 min bike
Feb 7: 30 lap swim
Feb 8: 10 km aerobic run
Feb 10: 4x400m intervals
And oh yes... finally bought my Garmin cadence sensor yesterday at Sim Lim Square. Fitted it up and all set for a road test! Now what I need is a trainer. :)
So what do I have to report? Just an update on the last few training sessions (yawn!):
Feb 6: 90 min bike
Feb 7: 30 lap swim
Feb 8: 10 km aerobic run
Feb 10: 4x400m intervals
And oh yes... finally bought my Garmin cadence sensor yesterday at Sim Lim Square. Fitted it up and all set for a road test! Now what I need is a trainer. :)
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Marathon-Themed Table Topics Questions
Here's an interesting post by Gary Guwe, a toastmaster who is wise beyond his years:
Marathon-Themed Table Topics Questions
Marathon-Themed Table Topics Questions
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Drink according to thirst
The conventional wisdom is to drink regularly even when not thirsty. Two recent studies (U of Cape Town study on cyclists; Sports Science Institute of South Africa study on runners) appear to dispute that viewpoint.
These two studies show that performance was no better when the athletes drink at a rate sufficient to completely prevent sweat-induced weigh loss than when they drank according to their thirst.
My POV: These subjects are trained athletes who understand their bodies. So they are likely to be more cognizant of the need to drink. Recreational runners may be better off to drink regularly in small amounts, and to stop when the stomach is swishing with liquid!
These two studies show that performance was no better when the athletes drink at a rate sufficient to completely prevent sweat-induced weigh loss than when they drank according to their thirst.
My POV: These subjects are trained athletes who understand their bodies. So they are likely to be more cognizant of the need to drink. Recreational runners may be better off to drink regularly in small amounts, and to stop when the stomach is swishing with liquid!
Quants and play
Triathlete Jan 2009 carried an interesting article on how quantitative models may be used to optimize training. What caught my attention was the impulse response models used by Eric Banister at Simon Fraser University to mathematically model athletic performance.
Two models exist - RaceDay and Performance Management Chart (PMC). Two examples are given of how the PMC model was used to enhance performance for a 70.3 and a full ironman competitor.
The idea is to reach a target TSB (training stress balance), which is a measure of freshness. TSB is the difference between CTL (chronic training load, a measure of fitness) and ATL (acute training load, a measure of fatigue).
To quote:
Interesting stuff.
In contrast, Scott Tinley, a regular columnist for Triathlete, noted in the same issue how uplifting it is to watch children play. They don't worry about "correct" distances, aerobars, aerodynamism, etc. They simply have fun.
Well put indeed.
Two models exist - RaceDay and Performance Management Chart (PMC). Two examples are given of how the PMC model was used to enhance performance for a 70.3 and a full ironman competitor.
The idea is to reach a target TSB (training stress balance), which is a measure of freshness. TSB is the difference between CTL (chronic training load, a measure of fitness) and ATL (acute training load, a measure of fatigue).
To quote:
Recent progress in the science of modeling training and performance, motivated largely by technological advances, is spurring a revolution in triathlon coaching and training planning.
Interesting stuff.
In contrast, Scott Tinley, a regular columnist for Triathlete, noted in the same issue how uplifting it is to watch children play. They don't worry about "correct" distances, aerobars, aerodynamism, etc. They simply have fun.
Well put indeed.
Saul Raisin: from severe head injury to triathlete
April 2006. Saul Raisin was on in full sprint in the final stretch of the first stage in Circuit de la Sarthe in northern France when he crashed his bike. Suffered severe head trauma and went into coma. His family was advised to expect the worst. 6 days later, Saul woke up paralyzed on his left side and with no memory of what happened.
Neurologists were surprised that someone with his brain damage could survive. Yet survived Saul did. Not only that, he was riding a stationary bike 3 months after that. He trained himself to cycle and run. In 2007, he competed in the US Professional time Trial championship. He finished last, but was triumphant!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Recovery week
Not sure if others experience the same thing, but during the third week of training, I'd start looking forward to the recovery week (4th week). However, before the recovery week is up, I'd start doing more than I'd supposed to. Hhmm.. maybe add another short run here, another bike session there.
So I found myself in a similar position today ... toying with the idea of doing something. Kinda have to remind myself that rest and recovery are also part and parcel of training. Essential aspect, in fact, as the body needs periods of rest to become stronger. Also, recovery prevents the ills associated with over-training. Better to be slightly undertrained than overtrained, is a good mantra to follow, especially when we plan to engage in this sport for a long time.
So now I have to learn the discipline of rest. Active rest ... with lots of stretching throughout the day, particularly for these old bones. :)
Did I mention that MBH has signed up for the woman's 10 km run during the Sundown marathon? We went for another 5 km run yesterday, and she remarked that she's increasingly surprised that 5 km runs weren't so bad after all. The first km or two is a struggle, but once the momentum is there, it gets easier. I fully agree. Guess that's how adaptable God made our bodies to be!
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