It was my first visit to macritchie trails since about two months ago. The feeling’s really great to be out there in the trails. It’s hard to describe, but it seems that one self is able to run freely in it even though with all those ascents and descents. However, I think that is the factor why so many want to run over there. The thick canopy provides shelter against a light shower thankfully so I can continue my run. All those steep hills really made my legs feel alive again. Of course, I’m at a slower pace compared to running on the road. I may feel a bit tired, but I really feel the joy that keeps me continue running in the trail. I’m looking forward to my next trail run again, hopefully soon.
After a week of recovery training, I’m starting to build up my mileage in my base training phase. I will name it Project Lydiard, of course which comes from the famous coach, Arthur Lydiard. This training is follow his marathon-conditioning phase, to improve my aerobic state with high mileage to prepare for all the peak work after that. I’m not thinking too much about it, but I just have to remind myself to be disciplined to run at least six days a week. No more lazing around, I just have to execute my plan.
After 3 consecutive days of running in the gym, it feels super good to be running on the track today. It also felt really cooling since it just rained, and I felt strong running 3.5 miles at near 8:00 pace with my fivefingers. Normally, I felt quite hard while running in the gym, don’t seem to breathe easily. Maybe due to the cold air or something. It feels good to be outside again.
Okay, to be honest, I’m under-trained. Still, I was hoping to still do a personal best under 1:40. It has been 2 years since I have raced a half-marathon. My fitness is definitely better than what it was two years ago. The result, I finished in 1:48 which’s super disappointing. I know my race is over when cramps started to act up at 15km. From then on, all hopes are gone.
I started the race, about the third or fourth row from the start line, so as to avoid congestion with the slower crowd. I reminded myself to hold back pace and just try to hit consistent pace of about 7:30 mile which I did very well all the way till 15km. I thought everything is going well, then approaching the 15km mark, my left calf showed signs of the cramp. I prayed for it to go well, but it only got worse. My right calf started to act up also, along with my abductors. I felt so disappointed with myself. I was trying to salvage all I can, maybe hitting below 1:45 which’s my personal best. It’s really agonizing to see the 1:45 pacers caught up with me and slowly went ahead of me. All I can do is just seeing them go by, as my legs refused to listen to me. I feel I still have a lot in my tank, but my legs failed me. I reached 15km in 1:10 and yet finished in 1:48. The last half an hour or so, sigh.
Probably the reason behind the cramps are that my legs are not well conditioned to last the 21km. I haven’t been doing long runs, and that probably killed me. Also, I may hit the downslope too fast. On the good side, I’m impressed with myself that I can maintain a 7:30 mile pace for almost 10 miles and still feel quite comfortable. This is quite contrary to what I felt during training. I also handled the hills well. I’m very sure with more long runs, and more strengthening of legs through hill work, I will be on the way to smash my personal best. I’m very confident of doing about 1:38 or 1:39 with some more effort at training. This race also motivated me to train harder again.
This race will round up 2010, and for now, I will head back to base training phrase, with very high mileage. I will be back next year again for my personal best.
” When I’m taking sips..from your tasty lips
Seems the honey fairly drips
You’re confection…goodness knows
Honeysuckle rose “
Taken from the famous jazz standard and dedicated to my beautiful girlfriend.
You’re my honeysuckle rose.
Filed under: Daily lives
pedro shoes!
ipod shuffle – my new buddy on the run (:
Arthur lydiard, the best running coach in the world!
Iphone 4!
How exciting!
Tuesday: 2.4km 9:25
Wednesday: fartlek 2km, 1.6km wu, 2.5 miles at 12.8km/hr w 1.0 incline, 1.6km cd
Sunday: 1.6km wu 7:48, 5 miles 36:36, 1.6km cd
You may say I’m pretty slacking off, but I’m also trying to experiment with my training methods. After dealing with 30-40 miles weeks for most of the time this year, I’m cutting back my mileage to a mediocre volume. Don’t get me wrong, intensity is still maintained. I’m just trying to put priority on quality over quantity and see how it works out. I’m pretty much doing race-specific training. Even though it’s wrong to judge one’s training on its weekly mileage, I’m still feeling guilty of running so little miles. I guess my race result will speak for itself.
Today, I put myself to my first test workout, 5 miles at my half-marathon pace. It ended with a few questions in my head which I will note and find out more myself. One worry is that I’m not very evenly paced and without mile markers I can easily go way off and ruin my own race. The first mile, I went about 7:12 when I intended to do around 7:30. I started to feel a bit uneasy by the third mile which shouldn’t be the case. I told myself this workout should feel easy otherwise how the hell I’m going to attempt to race well. Was it because I went too fast in the first mile or something else? Nevertheless, I finished within the target time and 54seconds ahead in fact. It feels good to finish a workout. This training feels like a project/experiment and I’m looking forward to its results!
Intended to go for my tempo run, but ended up in front of my desktop with a cup of tea and an egg sandwich. Swinging to Jools Holland’s tuxedo junction!
P.s: It’s raining heavily now so I can’t head out for a run too!
6 weeks towards standard chartered half marathon. Last week was a recovery week from the north face ultra, and I was also down with a cough and flu. I ended up in the reserves for the cross-country race but still happy that both team 1 and 2 won medals and clinched second overall. After a week’s break, I was feeling lazy to head back to my runs.
On Tuesday, I headed out for an easy 5km and it felt like crap, perhaps due to the hot weather. I did my speed workout on Thursday on the thread. I did two miles at 7:30 followed by 2 x 800m at 5k pace sandwiched between a mile warm-up and a mile cool-down. The two miles felt easy which’s my intended half-marathon pace. The next day, I headed out for another 3 mile tempo run. 7:33,7:12,7:05 are the mile splits. Yes, they aren’t very even. I just let myself run freely and it just felt right, comfortably hard. Saturday was an 11.8km run which I did in 1:00:55.
End off the week with a Tommy Emmanuel’s Concert! Exciting!
This’s the fourth day after TNF 50km, my legs are still feeling tight. On Monday, I returned to cross-country training, and the muscles are so tight and I only can manage to jog 7 rounds around the track, and another 5km in the afternoon. I’m going really slow and I can feel the tightness whenever I’m running downslope. The feeling is as if cramps are going to set in anytime. I’m feeling much better now, I can do leg raises without feeling the ache. Later in the noon, I will be doing another easy run and more stretching. Hopefully, I can make it for the race on Friday. It felt good to make it to the team so I hope I can recover in time for that!
And preparation for standard chartered half marathon will start next week!
Alone, in the clear air and searching sunlight, we are afoot with the quiet gods, and men can know each other and themselves for what they are. – A.F. Mummery
There’s fear and uncertainty in the anticipation of this race. The obvious reason is the lack of good training in preparation for this ultra-marathon. Not that I haven’t been running, just that I’m occupied with cross-country hence couldn’t find the time to get in my long runs. I guess my base foundation is good from all the mileage throughout the months and the cross-country training conditioned me into running fast in trails.
The result is really unexpected and also really satisfying. I finished the race in 07:01:30, slightly short of the qualifying time I targeted to finish within. I was strong almost throughout the race, despite all the steep hills and the sun. I learn to race smart, and a good planned strategy was the best reason why me and Alvin finished well. We run on flats and walk through ascents and that’s the simple strategy. We do not want to get our quads thrashed so early into the race and left with nothing in the tank by maybe 20-30km. We hydrate ourselves well, and be really patient at the start of the race. Entering Lorong Asrama, which we had to run a killer loop of around 10-11km of hills without any water stations in it, we approached it very well. There are many killer ascents that probably will exhaust you out quickly if you’re going to tackle it the hard way. Many people were seen walking throughout, and cramps start to set in even walking up the hills. Fortunately, I brought tiger balm with me, knowing very well I will encounter cramps and I will have to remedy myself. Exiting Lorong Asrama which’s about 32km, we can see many were really thrashed out already, and most people would walk the remaining 18km regardless of flats or hills. The weather gets hotter and is not in our favor at all. Alvin also started to feel the fatigue and so he told me to carry on myself. I continued to do the same thing. The hardest part is conquered and the returning route is much easier. Once, I saw rifle range road, I was really happy because the end-point is just 6-7km away. The last 4-5km was really bad, because I can feel my energy running out and I started to walk more often. I can’t believe I finished it rather strongly despite not training very well for it at all!
I really enjoyed the race, tackling the challenging terrain. It feels rather adventurous and I loved the experience. Some say talking while running is expanding more energy. Alvin and I were talking throughout 30 over kilometers and I think that’s the reason we’re not feeling too shagged from it. We took it easy, one step at a time, and completed my first ultra. Congratulations to all the finishers, your effort and courage already deserves applause.
My legs ache real bad now, but quietly, I’m already thinking of doing this again next year. Cheers!
Hill 265!
