The crescent moon hung low, almost hugging the roof tops and its outline blurred by the humidity. The air was dead still, and the east coast was unusually quiet. Hardly anyone all the way until the UDMC seafood center, where a few occasional cyclists and strollers were out and about. Most of the seafood restaurants were empty. Not surprising, given this was 10 pm on a Wed night.
Wishing for rain - it has been a long time since I ran in the rain - but my wish was not to be. It felt kinda nice to be out at night. Couldn't remember the last night run. Would have been months ago.
But let's start from the top.
After slacking off for a week, it's back to higher intensity training this week.
Yesterday, 40 laps swim, with 20x50 m fast swim and 1 min recovery.
This was how it went:
1.02, 0.58, 1.02, 1.10, 1.06, 1.06, 1.06, 1.09, 1.07, 1.08 (30s recovery),
1.01, 1.03, 1.03, 1.04, 1.01, 1.05, 1.05, 1.06, 1.07, 1.09 (60s recovery)
ave: 1.054 (first 10 laps), 1.044 (second 10 laps); 1.049 overall. First time below 1 min on 50 m. But not sustainable.
Swimming beside me was an elderly man. No goggles, with a tummy but boy could he swim. Arms recovered low above water, not much kicking, but perfectly horizontal. He powered himself across the pool like a 20 year old. And he would recover, with a finger on his wrist to monitor his HR. Maybe 45 sec for a lap?
Today, stationary bike session in the morning: 10x4 min fast spinning (HR~155-170) with 3 min recovery. Found it harder than I thought, and managed only 8 reps. Was sweating buckets all the way. Phew.
Evening, an aerobic run. Was ambitious and wanted to do a long run. But could only manage 12 km. HR below 140 most of the time. Slow pace about 8 min/km. Was too preoccupied with various issues to concentrate. But enough to compose the short passage above. :)
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Garmin Forerunner 310XT
Scheduled for launch in 2Q this year, the Garmin Forerunner 310XT is designed for the triathlete. It is a prettier version of the Garmin Forerunner 350 and most importantly of all, it is water proof to 50m. In addition, the battery life is supposedly 20 hours, double that of the FR 350. Enough for an IM!
Size and weight: slightly smaller than the FR350, and slightly lighter as well. But nicer design:
Price USD349 (USD399 with HRM)
Size and weight: slightly smaller than the FR350, and slightly lighter as well. But nicer design:
Price USD349 (USD399 with HRM)
Thursday, April 23, 2009
TriBob Bintan Pre-Race Talk
TriBob organized a talk this evening to brief participants on the race course as well as how to train the remaining 4 weeks. Held at Brewersk Riverside Point by the race director and head coach, I found the talk very informative.
The swim route is a two-lap U-shape course, with a turnaround at the beach. Wide starting line of 15m, and only two waves: Women and Men, 20 minutes apart. Should be calm until the first turn where waters open up to the sea. So it'll be 2 left turns, U-turn at the beach, and then 2 right turns.
The transition will be carpeted with ample space between rows. As with the sprint tri transition, the swim in entrance will be the run out exit. And the bike out and bike in point is the same to equalize transition distance.
Two interesting tips I learnt on transition (the fourth discipline): Sprinkle talcum powder in shoes to help dry feet. Wipe feet on small towel on ground while securing helmet. Do two things at the same time. Also use helium balloon (Brent gave me the same tip last week) or brightly colored objects to identify bike.
Bike route will be one lap through undulating hills. Tip: strength train at Mt Faber or South Bouna Vista. Watch out for speed bumps. Go straight through if road is wet to avoid skidding. Some roundabouts and cobbestone stretches to watch out for. Take along two water bottles. Pace for negative split. Hydrate even if it rains.
The one point I am not sure about is to go aero.
Run route will be two laps around Nirvana Gardens. Couple of slopes and partly shaded. Sand path - but should be packed down. Water points every 1.5 km. Ice sponges will be provided. :) Use sponges to cool hands, neck, head.
Credos to TriBob for such thoughtfulness.
The swim route is a two-lap U-shape course, with a turnaround at the beach. Wide starting line of 15m, and only two waves: Women and Men, 20 minutes apart. Should be calm until the first turn where waters open up to the sea. So it'll be 2 left turns, U-turn at the beach, and then 2 right turns.
The transition will be carpeted with ample space between rows. As with the sprint tri transition, the swim in entrance will be the run out exit. And the bike out and bike in point is the same to equalize transition distance.
Two interesting tips I learnt on transition (the fourth discipline): Sprinkle talcum powder in shoes to help dry feet. Wipe feet on small towel on ground while securing helmet. Do two things at the same time. Also use helium balloon (Brent gave me the same tip last week) or brightly colored objects to identify bike.
Bike route will be one lap through undulating hills. Tip: strength train at Mt Faber or South Bouna Vista. Watch out for speed bumps. Go straight through if road is wet to avoid skidding. Some roundabouts and cobbestone stretches to watch out for. Take along two water bottles. Pace for negative split. Hydrate even if it rains.
The one point I am not sure about is to go aero.
Run route will be two laps around Nirvana Gardens. Couple of slopes and partly shaded. Sand path - but should be packed down. Water points every 1.5 km. Ice sponges will be provided. :) Use sponges to cool hands, neck, head.
Credos to TriBob for such thoughtfulness.
TLog: Recovery week - familiar friend
Three rest days this week! I feel like a real slacker.
Tue: 10x100m swim. Instead of thinking fast, I tried thinking smooth.
Here're the lap times: 2.13, 2.13, 2.17, 2.17, 2.19, 2.18, 2.19, 2.21, 2.25, 2.20; ave: 2.18
Compared to the same workout last week, the average this week is only 1 sec slower. But I didn't feel as breathless and tired after each lap. Faster recovery. Total distance: 1.7km
Wed: Slow jog. Went out at 9 am, and the temp went from 30 deg to 34 deg. Heat training in preparation for hot run in Bintan.
The first three km were like being reacquainted with a familiar friend ... Zone 3 (HR 130 - 145). Had been some time since I ran in this zone and, well, it felt good. Especially after weeks of speedwork, I miss those Z3 runs. Completed 12 km.
Tue: 10x100m swim. Instead of thinking fast, I tried thinking smooth.
Here're the lap times: 2.13, 2.13, 2.17, 2.17, 2.19, 2.18, 2.19, 2.21, 2.25, 2.20; ave: 2.18
Compared to the same workout last week, the average this week is only 1 sec slower. But I didn't feel as breathless and tired after each lap. Faster recovery. Total distance: 1.7km
Wed: Slow jog. Went out at 9 am, and the temp went from 30 deg to 34 deg. Heat training in preparation for hot run in Bintan.
The first three km were like being reacquainted with a familiar friend ... Zone 3 (HR 130 - 145). Had been some time since I ran in this zone and, well, it felt good. Especially after weeks of speedwork, I miss those Z3 runs. Completed 12 km.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
My First 100 Years: A Look Back from the Finish Line
With a title like that, how can I resist picking up this book?
R Waldo McBurney was 102 years old when he published his book in 2004. A quick internet check showed that Waldo is still alive!
What's even more remarkable is that Waldo started distance running at the youthful age of 65. He set the world record at the World Masters in 1995 in triple jump, shot put and high jump, and in 1999, the world record in discus, 200m and 500m race walk. New records were set by Waldo in 2003 in shot put, 100m and 5000m.
This was Waldo's account of his participation in the master's mile at Fort Hayes State College track meet at the age of 75:
Two years ago, I went to a track meet of small colleges in the new coliseum at Hays, ready to suit up for a masters mile run. I knew I would be lapped three times by the young runners and I would be running three laps after the race was over. That would be too embarrassing, and besides that, the spectators would know the winners and would have no interest in the slowest runner to appear all evening. They would no doubt head for the door rather than wait around for my finish. Under these circumstances I decided to leave my running gear in the car and go to the balcony to enjoy the meet with Vernice, my wife and date. I met the other master milers, all new acquaintances.
This year, I decided to swallow my pride and run even at my slow pace. I would ask the others how I could best keep out of their way as they passed me. The building atmosphere was dry and warmer than my near zero practice trails had been through my winter runs. Running was hard, and my mouth got dry. After the others finished, the crowd made so much noise I couldn't hear Fred Irwin, my pace advisor, call out the time. Two younger runners joined me in my second solo lap out of respect, hope, sympathy, support or encouragement. Whatever the motive, I appreciated this fellowship. I wound up the run with a kick, which was accompanied by cheers from all over the place. I didn't know until afterwards, but the spectators had come to their feet. It was as if someone had revealed how to retain the fountain of youth under the generally accepted handicap of old age.
The reaction of the crowd was a surprise to me. I would prefer that this praise would be directed to the One who created us all in such a fearful and wonderful way.
...
I trust that this experience will be instrumental in helping people become aware of the marvelous potential of the human body and help motivate each one to care for it with all diligence and thankfulness.
The book is a first (living) person account of life in the early 20th century, where there's no running water, except from the well, bath once a week on Saturdays and laundry wash the next Monday, using the same bath water. A work week was 60 hours, 6 days a week. School was 2 miles walk/run each way, and that was after doing farm chores such as milking the cow, feeding the chicken, etc. That was before the days of the automobile, toothbrush, birth certificates and penincillin. Such perspective!
Waldo also shared his views on nutrition, exercise, and of course, his journey from jogging to running to race walking. Throughout the book, one may use adjectives such as phenomenal, great, and incredible. But as Waldo himself put it right in the introduction:
But these achievements are not the greatest things in life. The following quote helps my humility and discourages my pride:
"In strength of horse or speed of man
The Lord takes no delight;
But those that fear and trust His love
Are pleasing in His sight."
Ps 147:10,11
Read more.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Tribob Sprint Triathlon 2009: A first of more to come?
Have you ever worked on a jigsaw puzzle? Initially, the pieces appear so random, but persevere long enough, you'll find that the pieces fit together to form a cohesive picture. There's usually the eureka moment, when you start to see the big picture and at that moment, all the frustration and hours appear insignificant to the joy of accomplishment.
That's how I felt this morning after completing the TriBob sprint triathlon at Changi. The few followers of this blog would realize that about 8 months ago, I decided that I wanted to go into triathloning. The initial months of frustration in learning how to swim, the steep learning curve in two new sports, and the money spent on equipment, bike, shoes, goggles, etc and not to forget MRK that continues to plague me.... they seemed trivial as I left the festivities. In its place, I was basking in the afterglow of stringing together a 750m swim, a 20 km bike and a 5 km run.
No, my work is not quite done yet. For in 5 weeks' time, I have to be ready to take on the Olympic distance triathlon event - double the distance and without doubt, more than double the pain. But before I embark on the next phase of training, here's my brief race report.
Coach called me last night to brief me on pre-race routine. Great tips - such as checking out the entry and exit points, transition rehearsal, etc. All that I did faithfully. Got to the site early (a short bike from Changi Village hotel), surveyed how the other participants set up their helmets, shoes, etc. Mentally rehearsed the order of equipment change, and then went out to check the points of entry/exit. Then went to the water and leisurely swam out 50 m or so towards the first buoy and then back. Water was not choppy, and I decided to do another short warm up swim, at the finishing end. Unlike Sentosa, I felt comfortable in the water.
As in the aquathlon, we self-seeded and again, I chose the last wave - men friendly. At the pen, coach found me and offered words of encouragement. Then it was off into the water.
I took my time getting in, staying to the rear and far side. Even so, a lot of bumping and bodies to negotiate. I was just glad to avoid the first danger zone without incident - not getting kicked in the face or man handled. Some one tried to swim across my legs - that was about it. It was a triangular course, two left turns (lines on the left, which was why I had to switch to bilateral breathing). The first turn was tight and crowded and lots of bumping there. There was a slight left to right current, which helped a bit. The second turn was less crowded and before too long, could see the beach bottom. Good thing I went out earlier to check it out, so I knew that the water was shallow and there was still quite a distance to go.
When I exited the water, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the swim leg took less than 18 minutes. I took 22 minutes in the aquathlon.
Long way to the transition area, but that is another danger zone. The transition area was covered with large sheets, but there was a smooth sheet and with water, it became a nice slide for me. Just a bruised ego. No harm done physically.
The T1 transition went smoothly, and off through the exit to the road. Here's another danger zone. Just as I mounted, two cyclist crashed behind me. I didn't see what happened, and didn't stay to find out. Took some time to get cadence up and then shifted in to race gear.
It was probably all the speedwork sessions, but I found myself pulling in excess of 32 km/hour in the first 2 to 3 km. Overtook many others, some of whom were on mountain bikes. Reminded me of me last year. Surprisingly, I overtook a few tri bikes as well. Hhhmm...
The return leg was a little easier as I wanted to keep some reserve in those legs. I tried to pick up the pace on the last 5 km. Passed many female competitors, who had a 5 min head start. At the dismounting zone, another cyclist crashed. Probably not familiar with the cycling shoes and cleats. Another danger zone.
Time check. Almost one hour, so took 40 min on the bike segment. Later I found out that the average speed was almost 30 kph.
Silly me missed my bike row, and wasted a few seconds reversing track. Out of T2 for the run. Lots of spectators and supporters cheering.
Having been through the Changi Beach Park many times, both on runs and on the bike, this segment was not very eventful. Except that I couldn't bring my pace up. Perhaps I went out too hard on the bike leg. Many others were ambling along, and I passed a number here.
No danger zones during the run leg. I passed the father-son team (ala team Hoyt) and clapped and gave them thumbs up. After the first 2.5 lap, I reached for my favorite Peet's chocolate covered expresso beans only to discover that the hot sun had melted and fused them all together. So settled for the Accelerade gel pack.
Unlike the aquathlon, I was quite the unfriendly competitor this time. Spoke to no one (coz I recognized no one). I was also glad for the shade as the temp was starting to soar.
The finish line - about 1:32 by my Timex watch.
A pretty lady offered me a red bull, and of course, I gratefully accepted. The sun was out in force by then, so it was a hot ride back to the hotel.
Coach thought it was a solid first effort, and was pretty pleased.
So am I. :)
Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera along, so here's what I have.
Here's the provisional result:
swim: 18:30
T1: 1:54
bike: 39:20
T2: 2:02
run: 30:08
total: 1:31:54
position: 338/746 (45.3%)
swim: 372/746 (49.5%)
bike: 321/746 (43.0%)
run: 259/746 (34.7%)
That's how I felt this morning after completing the TriBob sprint triathlon at Changi. The few followers of this blog would realize that about 8 months ago, I decided that I wanted to go into triathloning. The initial months of frustration in learning how to swim, the steep learning curve in two new sports, and the money spent on equipment, bike, shoes, goggles, etc and not to forget MRK that continues to plague me.... they seemed trivial as I left the festivities. In its place, I was basking in the afterglow of stringing together a 750m swim, a 20 km bike and a 5 km run.
No, my work is not quite done yet. For in 5 weeks' time, I have to be ready to take on the Olympic distance triathlon event - double the distance and without doubt, more than double the pain. But before I embark on the next phase of training, here's my brief race report.
Coach called me last night to brief me on pre-race routine. Great tips - such as checking out the entry and exit points, transition rehearsal, etc. All that I did faithfully. Got to the site early (a short bike from Changi Village hotel), surveyed how the other participants set up their helmets, shoes, etc. Mentally rehearsed the order of equipment change, and then went out to check the points of entry/exit. Then went to the water and leisurely swam out 50 m or so towards the first buoy and then back. Water was not choppy, and I decided to do another short warm up swim, at the finishing end. Unlike Sentosa, I felt comfortable in the water.
As in the aquathlon, we self-seeded and again, I chose the last wave - men friendly. At the pen, coach found me and offered words of encouragement. Then it was off into the water.
I took my time getting in, staying to the rear and far side. Even so, a lot of bumping and bodies to negotiate. I was just glad to avoid the first danger zone without incident - not getting kicked in the face or man handled. Some one tried to swim across my legs - that was about it. It was a triangular course, two left turns (lines on the left, which was why I had to switch to bilateral breathing). The first turn was tight and crowded and lots of bumping there. There was a slight left to right current, which helped a bit. The second turn was less crowded and before too long, could see the beach bottom. Good thing I went out earlier to check it out, so I knew that the water was shallow and there was still quite a distance to go.
When I exited the water, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the swim leg took less than 18 minutes. I took 22 minutes in the aquathlon.
Long way to the transition area, but that is another danger zone. The transition area was covered with large sheets, but there was a smooth sheet and with water, it became a nice slide for me. Just a bruised ego. No harm done physically.
The T1 transition went smoothly, and off through the exit to the road. Here's another danger zone. Just as I mounted, two cyclist crashed behind me. I didn't see what happened, and didn't stay to find out. Took some time to get cadence up and then shifted in to race gear.
It was probably all the speedwork sessions, but I found myself pulling in excess of 32 km/hour in the first 2 to 3 km. Overtook many others, some of whom were on mountain bikes. Reminded me of me last year. Surprisingly, I overtook a few tri bikes as well. Hhhmm...
The return leg was a little easier as I wanted to keep some reserve in those legs. I tried to pick up the pace on the last 5 km. Passed many female competitors, who had a 5 min head start. At the dismounting zone, another cyclist crashed. Probably not familiar with the cycling shoes and cleats. Another danger zone.
Time check. Almost one hour, so took 40 min on the bike segment. Later I found out that the average speed was almost 30 kph.
Silly me missed my bike row, and wasted a few seconds reversing track. Out of T2 for the run. Lots of spectators and supporters cheering.
Having been through the Changi Beach Park many times, both on runs and on the bike, this segment was not very eventful. Except that I couldn't bring my pace up. Perhaps I went out too hard on the bike leg. Many others were ambling along, and I passed a number here.
No danger zones during the run leg. I passed the father-son team (ala team Hoyt) and clapped and gave them thumbs up. After the first 2.5 lap, I reached for my favorite Peet's chocolate covered expresso beans only to discover that the hot sun had melted and fused them all together. So settled for the Accelerade gel pack.
Unlike the aquathlon, I was quite the unfriendly competitor this time. Spoke to no one (coz I recognized no one). I was also glad for the shade as the temp was starting to soar.
The finish line - about 1:32 by my Timex watch.
A pretty lady offered me a red bull, and of course, I gratefully accepted. The sun was out in force by then, so it was a hot ride back to the hotel.
Coach thought it was a solid first effort, and was pretty pleased.
So am I. :)
Unfortunately, I didn't bring my camera along, so here's what I have.
Here's the provisional result:
swim: 18:30
T1: 1:54
bike: 39:20
T2: 2:02
run: 30:08
total: 1:31:54
position: 338/746 (45.3%)
swim: 372/746 (49.5%)
bike: 321/746 (43.0%)
run: 259/746 (34.7%)
Honor roll: Cannondale six13, Lake CX 210, Saucony Type A2, 2XU endurance tri suit
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
TLog: Run till I puke
In my friend tekko's blog about counting pace, he associated interval running as vomit run. That's how I felt when I completed the 6th and last interval this morning. I felt like puking. But barely stopped short of just that.
This morning's session called for a 6x400m intervals with 200m recovery. "Try to average 1.35" was what coach advocated.
1.35? Average? I was highly skeptical. The fastest I ever did was 1.31, way back in Sept last year. My last 400m best time was 1.41. Anyway, just do it! was what I said to myself as I went out this morning. BTW, MRK gave me the stiffs again last night and this morning. Bad news.
After 1 km of warm up, my very first 400m surprised me - 1.31. Aha! It must be the Saucony Type A2 racer. Light and fast.
Second lap - I struggled. But when I looked at the time - 1.28! My fastest time ever. (This works out to a 3.41 pace or 18.8 km/h). I was a happy camper.
The other laps, I went way above 1.35 - 1.40, 1.37, 1.41, 1.40, for an average of 1.36.
ave HR per lap: 159, 173, 170, 170, 167, 171
max HR per lap: 183, 190, 188, 188, 185, 187
Bad knee or not, I am happy.
This morning's session called for a 6x400m intervals with 200m recovery. "Try to average 1.35" was what coach advocated.
1.35? Average? I was highly skeptical. The fastest I ever did was 1.31, way back in Sept last year. My last 400m best time was 1.41. Anyway, just do it! was what I said to myself as I went out this morning. BTW, MRK gave me the stiffs again last night and this morning. Bad news.
After 1 km of warm up, my very first 400m surprised me - 1.31. Aha! It must be the Saucony Type A2 racer. Light and fast.
Second lap - I struggled. But when I looked at the time - 1.28! My fastest time ever. (This works out to a 3.41 pace or 18.8 km/h). I was a happy camper.
The other laps, I went way above 1.35 - 1.40, 1.37, 1.41, 1.40, for an average of 1.36.
ave HR per lap: 159, 173, 170, 170, 167, 171
max HR per lap: 183, 190, 188, 188, 185, 187
Bad knee or not, I am happy.
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