SD marathon runpix update

Runpix provides an interesting breakdown of the race.

So I ended in 319th out of the entire field. With 62 runners behind, that made up only 381 finishers. Does this mean that the rest of the 600+ field (200+ runners) dropped out?

Anyways, glad to be 16th in my division (M50-54).

Sundown ultra race report

What's the toughest part of completing the Sundown ultramarathon? It's doing the mental math "how long more would it take to make the cutoff time" at 3 - 4 am in the morning.

There's a 15-hour cutoff and from 1 am onwards, I felt sleepy and had to keep splashing water on myself to stay cool and awake. By then, I was walking most of the way and kept looking at my pace to ensure that I complete within 15 hours. The good news was that I got my finisher medal and tee.

From the top.

WD picked me up and we made a beeline for the ultra tent where we left the transition bags. Hooked up with PK and enjoyed the atmosphere. Seemed quite different this year. Guess it was the time. Some introductions and speeches and at 6 pm, 600 participants flagged off.

Crossed off DNS from the famous equation (FDL>DNF>>DNS).

There was a backwards runner from Taiwan and a one-arm runner. Running backwards for 84 km... that's tough.

The three of us used a run-walk system, but all different ratios. We deliberately kept at the back of the pack (just like TNF) and we kept leap frogging as we targeted the same 8 min pace.

By 7:30 pm, the sun had set. The slogan for the race was: race the night and beat the sunrise. I didn't think so, not with a 6 pm start and 9 am cutoff.

Kinda not used to the empty water stations as they were usually swamped with runners. Met Sam at one of the volunteer support station and he offered me some grapes that I happily accepted. At the turnaround, it was almost 3 hours. Right on target.

The way back I was bothered by the stench from the oil spill. It was actually the bags left by the side and as PK pointed out - the smell of dead animals. On my second lap, the stench was so bad that I almost vomited.

The cool evening breeze was a nice welcome, and there were the usual merry makers along East Coast. The pace dropped after 25km. I attributed this to fatigue.

Coming into the CCR stretch, I was surprised to see the 21km runners on the road, but we were on the PCN. The sight of so many runners (6,000 I was told) energized me. I looked to see if I could spot MBH but to no avail. About 5 km from the finish, I stopped for a quick deepheat rub down.

Twas a good thing, coz PK overtook me after that and blazed away! I did my best to keep up, and by then we had merged with the half marathoners. Heard a call - it was WD heading out for his second loop. Boy was he fast!

We came in just before 6 hours.

At the pit stop, I was surprised to see many runners there taking breaks, chatting away and chowing. A quick change of shoes, hydration belt and running top, and then headed out. I was told previously that the most difficult part was to get out of transition, and hence grabbed my drink and sandwich to eat on the way out. 10 min tops.

However, my stomach was bloated with so much water that I didn't have the appetite to eat more than two bites. The SIS drink came in handy though.

About 2 km out, I spotted MBH coming back and was really glad that she managed to complete her first 21 km. I opened my arm and shouted. Another runner in front of her was mistaken and beamed a broad smile. Sorry!

The legs felt tight and heavy in the first few km and my pace had dropped to more than 9:30. That's not much difference from power walking. In fact, PK and J were about the same pace, and we kept leap frogging all the way till the 35 km mark.

Zico - an experienced ultra runner - was a good companion most of the second loop. He had PF and the effects were showing. Else he would be way ahead. We chatted to make it more bearable. Thanks, Zico!

The first 10 km of the second loop was mentally most challenging. Should I go on or call it quits? DNF didn't sound so bad at 1 am in the morning.
The recreation goers were now replaced by the 5,000 marathoners. I had the good fortune of the companionship of a chatty couple - actually the lady was the cheerful one and it was good to eavesdrop just to pass time.

By then, most stations had run out of 100plus and some stations had called it a night. Good thing I had my own hydration. The routine was to grab two cups of water to drench my head, neck and arms. A small sip to keep being over-hydrated.

Just after the lagoon hawker center, met Jordan taking a breather. Good to see you, bro!

Moh was rounding up the rear with some friends and he had his honker to keep spirits up. Another guy was riding his bike to keep his wife/gf (antenna girl) company. These were the ultras. Moh would talk and encourage runners who have stopped to rest, "Keep moving, don't rest too long!"

Good advice. I would probably throw in the towel if I stopped to rest for a minute. As Zico said, we asked ourselves "why are we doing this?" especially during the second loop. DNF, DNF... like some sirens out of greek mythology. But once we reached the 72km mark (30km of the second loop), the sirens fell silent. Around that time, Zico powered past me, never to be seen after that.

The morning broke about 7 am, and I could then take a proper look at my companions. There's a lady with headphones whom I thought was a 42-er. But no, she's a 84-er. Heard another call from a car heading home. It was WD! I later found out that he completed in 12+ hours. Outstanding, my friend.

Picked up the pace with 3 km to go. By then it was clear that I would be getting my medal and finisher tee, and timing was not an issue. Just to put up a good finish, blister and all!

13:45. Beyond my target of 13 hours, but at least with more than 1 hour to spare before the cutoff time.

Congratulated PK and J after the race - they finished 5 minutes earlier! PK must have set a new world record for the shortest training time - only 6 weeks - from injury to 84km! Truly amazing.

How did it feel after the race? Relief, really. Just glad that it's over. My first and last 84km.

Appreciate the well wishes from friends before and after the race, as well as the cheering from volunteers along the way. Especially the support from MBH and kids. Couldn't have done this without your support and understanding.

Last but not least, the family's really proud of MBH for completing her first half marathon, even though plagued by ITB.

Sundown marathon 2010

13:45:52
Rank: 120/183 (mens masters)

MBH's maiden 21km:
03:45:59
Rank: 1276/1944 (womens open)

D-day minus 2

Went for a 10km run at race pace, with a 10km fartlek earlier in the week. Ave 7.36 pace at ave HR 137 with the usual walk breaks. Just where I wanted to be. So it's all systems go.

Venturing into uncharted territory is always an adventure, with the accompanying anticipation and dread. Plan your race and race your plan, was what a friend said. Yes, I have a plan. In fact several plans, as usual. I keep reminding myself that t-shirt slogan I saw at WDW marathon:

FDL > DNF >> DNS

I figured FDL is finish dead last. That's going to be my mantra this Sat/Sunday.

Bet it's going to be a humbling experience. We'll see...

week t-2

Two weeks before the race. Time for taper. This is the period that is most difficult for me. On the one hand, I am relieved that the tough training is over, but on the other, there's always this lingering doubt - have I trained enough? am I ready?

With the longest run at 30km, my training would appear insufficient. But hopefully the back-to-back long runs, and back-to-back-to-back runs over 24 hours would have worked their desired effects. The test, as they say, is in the pudding.

It's simply a tradeoff. Very long runs would require longer rest periods. Break up the long runs but execute over say 24 hours, instead. At least for this set of old bones.

Completed my last long run, a 20km affair, this evening, to cap off a 50km week. Surprisingly, ave HR was under 150 with reasonable pace of 7:09 to 7:54.

The other thing that kept me busy this week was counting calories. Planning what to eat for the 13 to 15 hours ordeal is not a trivial matter. A plan is a plan, after all. 3,000 calories in the form of infinit, SIS go, clif shot bloks and cereal bars, SIS gel, bananas, 100plus and possibly a sandwich. Keeping all that down is the trick, eh?

Last but not least, it's vitamins and antioxidants time. The family's down with flu over the past two weeks. Touch wood.

Ready or not ...

Runs interrupted

This was not a good week - training-wise.

It would be the highest mileage week before taper with 3 challenging runs covering 66km over 24 hours. The first 21km run went as scheduled on Friday 8 pm. The second 30km run was scheduled for 2 am, but the weather had other plans. It stormed.

I came up with what I thought was a brilliant alternative. Reschedule another three runs on Sunday - 15km, 30km and 10km. The weather didn't cooperate again, but clever me was not to be outdone. I ran on the treadmill. When the rain stopped about 9 pm, I was pleased as punch.

At 12 midnight I set out. All went well until the 20km mark and the mild drizzle became another heavy downpour. Darn! After waiting for 10 minutes, with no signs of the rain relenting, I caught a cab home. So much for my clever plans. :(

The only upside is that I now know:
Carl Jr at Big Splash is open 24 hours, so is the MacDonald's at EC. But the 7 eleven at Big Splash was closed. The 7 eleven next to MacDonald's is open.

Nutrition and 咸鱼炒饭

Salted fish fried rice. I had that for dinner after the last 6 runs. Systematically sampling the quality of this dish in my neighborhood, I have now determined that my favorite is that at Big Eater. Generous slices of salted fish, well fried and fragrant. The lowest on my list? That at Simpang Bedok 24-hour coffee shop. Miniscule pieces of salted fish and down-sized dish.

Why the craving for 咸鱼炒饭? The long runs made me crave for carbohydrates, which the fried rice provided. I also lose a lot of sodium through sweat, hence the salted fish is a good replacement, not least with some protein. I would usually down a cup of yogurt with nuts later on to supplement my diet.

On to more serious stuff - nutrition. That issue has weighed on my mind for some time now. How much to ingest for the 12- to 15-hour double marathon?

I did a small empirical study (I have in mind a more rigorous study - but that will be coming out shortly). With past events as datapoints, I burn about 500 calories per hour. This did not cater for variations such as HR, terrain, temperature, etc. With an anticipated 12 to 15 hours, the total calories used would be 6,000 to 7,500 (probably less, since walking burns less calories). The question is: should I attempt to replace all of the calories lost and if not, what proportion?

After consulting with coach, I am working on replacing 60%. 300 calories for every hour. That works out to 3,600 calories for 12 hours, which is still a high figure. That would be almost 180% of our normal daily calorie intake. It would also mean that 2,400 calories would have to come from internal glycogen stores. That's a sizable amount.

The next challenge is to formulate a nutrition plan.

24 hours, 3 runs, 50+km

Another double run session. 18 km followed by 23 km within 6 hours. It was my wise idea to do this at night, so as to get accustomed to night running. So I scheduled the 18 km run when MBH was engaged with her alpha LG Friday evening. Did it real easy and had dinner around 10:30 pm.

Felt tired and sleepy - it was a long day after all. So I decided to take a short nap. Which turned out to be a long sleep. Finally stumbled out of bed at 6 am, feeling guilty for over-resting. The good news was that the 23 km run turned out pretty well, and I managed to hit my target pace for the last 5 km.

Rain disrupted my plan for a recovery swim, but it stopped in time for an easy 10 km jog at the stadium. That made up a total of 86 km this week so far. Another 10 km run to reach the bare minimum mileage for the double marathon.

One thing that bother me of late is that with all the training and long runs, I am becoming what I vowed not to be - an absentee dad. :(

Inexplicable

Runners know well how it is. Struggling with an easy run one day, and cruising through a fartlek workout the next.

That was how I felt. Struggled with yesterday's easy 10km run, found the heat and humidity hard work. Then this evening, with a cool breeze and lower temperatures, I was surprised at how relatively enjoyable the 4x1 km fartlek (target 6:40 pace) workout went.

Pace and HR
6:38@148
6:35@149 6:23@156 6:26@150

1km recovery jog in between.

"D" for double run day

Sunday was a double run day. 15 km in the morning and within 12 hours, another 18 km run. The first would be at 7:20 and the second at 7:10, with the last 5 km at 7:00.

Set off at 7:45 am, later than intended. Ran the normal route to Changi Village, and then to Changi Ferry Terminal. When I reached the north end of the wooded path, many marshals for TriBob sprint event were there, but no runners. I asked and was told that the first three runners have gone past. So the run leg had just started.

At the entrance to CFT, I became a spectator, looking on as the triathletes started and completed their bike leg. I was hoping to see the gang - IN, JN, SC and JT - some of whom were doing the first mini triathlon. An ambulance pulled into the bike section - must be some accident.

Just as I was about to leave, I saw IN coming back.  Thought he would be using his wilier, but he was riding his orbea. Couldn't stay to cheer on the others as the family was waiting. I found out later that all completed their events safely.

Completed the 15km run faster than planned, at 7:08 HR 155.

In the evening, I met up with DW, BP and DA at PMC for the second run of the day. The rest were doing 25 to 29 km, but I stuck to my modest 18km. The first segment was at easy pace, and the final 5 km was at 7:00 pace. Ave HR over the 5km was 153.

The good news was that I didn't get any cramps, and completed the two runs without too much struggle.

I expect tougher runs in the ensuing weeks.