This morning i wasnt sure i wanted to get up and go run. After i brushed my teeth, i thought may be i should just climb back into bed and do this LSD on Sunday evening like the way i had done last week. Thank god i didnt. Today, was easily one of my best days at running, be it training or racing. I ran 24kms at an average 5:52 pace which by itself is not very special but for a couple of things unique to this run.
As usual, my running friends and i started together but within 2-3 kms i couldnt see any of them nearby, as they are all very fast compared to my speed. And to boot, I hadnt particularly got a good nutrition fix yesterday so the first 3-4kms were so laboured that i wanted to turn back after running only 4.5kms. But i decided to push it just a little more until it became uncomfortable enough for me to stop running and turn back.
Around the 6-7km mark, i suddenly found a rhythm that made it very easy to maintain a 5:45ish pace. It just happened, i didnt consciously do something to feel that way. So i kept the run up and thought i would go it until i reach the toilets at upper seletar reservoir which is where everyone stops for a water break. Once i reached the toilet, i figured since the gate (the u-turn point) is only 1.2 kms away, i would run till there, come back and then take a water break. And then it suddenly occurred to me that since i was running a good rhythm, i should try to keep it up and see just how long i can go without stopping. So on my way back from the gate, i skipped the toilet and just tried to keep a steady pace going.
And as it so happened, i ran the first 21.1 kms of my run today non-stop - no water break, no walking. And i ran it in 2:01.xx which is my new PR for a road HM. Learning to drink on the run is a good benefit in having done that. So this was my longest run ever to have been done non-stop. I took a couple of minutes off at this point to catch my breath and then restarted the run, reaching MR in about 2:23ish for the 24.2km distance.
From how the run shaped up, to how it finally played out, i am really pleased with this. 2011 has been off to a better start than 2010 and i only hope that this continues for the rest of the year. I think i have a legitimate hope now for running a 4:40-4:45ish at Tokyo - whether or not that happens is a different proposition altogether.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
LSD Nightmare
I was originally planning to run with my MR friends on 29th Jan, Sat morning for my longest LSD of 32km before tapering down to Tokyo. As it so happened, i just couldn't wake up and get myself to go - felt strangely tired from the tempo effort on Thursday evening. I therefore resolved that i would run my LSD the next day evening (couldn't do Sunday morning either due to a late night movie on Sat) and what better place to run it than at ECP .. plan was to hammer a 32km run...
Drove over to ECP, and parked at B2, and started my run at around 5:45pm. From B2 to Changi Ferry Terminal (CFT) washrooms is about 16.7kms. I was feeling quite ok and thought it would be an interesting few hours - i had never run this long in training before and the one time i did run 27km, it was with friends whereas this was going to be a solo effort.
The first few kms passed a little too quickly as i was averaging mid 5:50's for the first 5-6kms and i knew that this wasnt a pace i could hold. Mcmillan suggests a LSD pace 60-90 seconds slower than your marathon pace (in miles) so i should have ideally been running at a 6:45 /km pace. For some reason, my form suffers if i slow down too much or may be its the other way around - but whatever it was, i was knocking off the kms after that at a steady 6 to 6:15 pace. I also wanted to train drinking on the run so ran nonstop from the B2 carpark all the way to CFT in 1:41 which was a pace of 6:07 min/km. Took a break (later i found out that it was a 10 min break - much longer than i originally intended), had a powerbar gel and then started my way back remembering to slow down and maintain a 6:30 pace. My next mental goal was to reach the water fountain (at around the 25km mark) non-stop and then take a gel-break there. Managed to get there in about 2:35 and had my second power gel. For some reason that didnt go down too well with me and soon after, the wheels came off in no time whatsoever. I dont know what hit me but from there till 30km was the longest 5km stretch i have done in my life - having to sit down twice or thrice in that stretch and hobbling around for my left ankle was in pain, possibly due to a near-fall stumble on the bridge after kicking a lose tile.
At 30km i decided that to pursue 32km would be madness as i had been reduced to a walk-run strategy and was in enough pain to keep any thoughts about running at bay. To boot, from where i stopped running was another 3kms to my car which took me 40 mins almost to cover....
So i think any thoughts of a 4:40 finish at Tokyo is at best, a pipe dream. I think if i manage sub-5, that in itself would be a significant achievement.
Drove over to ECP, and parked at B2, and started my run at around 5:45pm. From B2 to Changi Ferry Terminal (CFT) washrooms is about 16.7kms. I was feeling quite ok and thought it would be an interesting few hours - i had never run this long in training before and the one time i did run 27km, it was with friends whereas this was going to be a solo effort.
The first few kms passed a little too quickly as i was averaging mid 5:50's for the first 5-6kms and i knew that this wasnt a pace i could hold. Mcmillan suggests a LSD pace 60-90 seconds slower than your marathon pace (in miles) so i should have ideally been running at a 6:45 /km pace. For some reason, my form suffers if i slow down too much or may be its the other way around - but whatever it was, i was knocking off the kms after that at a steady 6 to 6:15 pace. I also wanted to train drinking on the run so ran nonstop from the B2 carpark all the way to CFT in 1:41 which was a pace of 6:07 min/km. Took a break (later i found out that it was a 10 min break - much longer than i originally intended), had a powerbar gel and then started my way back remembering to slow down and maintain a 6:30 pace. My next mental goal was to reach the water fountain (at around the 25km mark) non-stop and then take a gel-break there. Managed to get there in about 2:35 and had my second power gel. For some reason that didnt go down too well with me and soon after, the wheels came off in no time whatsoever. I dont know what hit me but from there till 30km was the longest 5km stretch i have done in my life - having to sit down twice or thrice in that stretch and hobbling around for my left ankle was in pain, possibly due to a near-fall stumble on the bridge after kicking a lose tile.
At 30km i decided that to pursue 32km would be madness as i had been reduced to a walk-run strategy and was in enough pain to keep any thoughts about running at bay. To boot, from where i stopped running was another 3kms to my car which took me 40 mins almost to cover....
So i think any thoughts of a 4:40 finish at Tokyo is at best, a pipe dream. I think if i manage sub-5, that in itself would be a significant achievement.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Satisfying ....
I have surprised myself with an unbelievable / unexpected January 2011. As I had mentioned in my previous post, I was expecting to labor through January just trying to get a whiff of my earlier days of running when i was decidedly more fit than i was at the start of Jan this year, what with 3 weeks of vacationing and binge eating behind me. :)
So 155kms in Jan wasnt bad at all, especially considering the fact that about 105kms of that came in just 2 weeks alone. The month could have ended better though - i was in Jakarta on work, staying at the Shangri-La and i decided to run a quick 8-10km on the hotel treadmill before leaving for dinner. When i had come back to my room earlier, my lunch had sat terribly with me and so i knew i was taking a risk trying to run in that condition. So after 1 km at 6:00 pace, i was feeling far too much discomfort that could take it no more and had to get off the TM. But then again, with an average of only 40kms the previous 3 months, i will take Jan 2011 anytime! :)
I ran a 10km today in a shade over 53 minutes - gives me confidence that disciplined training can do a world of wonder to a talent-less wannabe-athlete like me. I hope to get faster this year, a whole lot faster. 3 more weekends to Tokyo !!
So 155kms in Jan wasnt bad at all, especially considering the fact that about 105kms of that came in just 2 weeks alone. The month could have ended better though - i was in Jakarta on work, staying at the Shangri-La and i decided to run a quick 8-10km on the hotel treadmill before leaving for dinner. When i had come back to my room earlier, my lunch had sat terribly with me and so i knew i was taking a risk trying to run in that condition. So after 1 km at 6:00 pace, i was feeling far too much discomfort that could take it no more and had to get off the TM. But then again, with an average of only 40kms the previous 3 months, i will take Jan 2011 anytime! :)
I ran a 10km today in a shade over 53 minutes - gives me confidence that disciplined training can do a world of wonder to a talent-less wannabe-athlete like me. I hope to get faster this year, a whole lot faster. 3 more weekends to Tokyo !!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Ramping it up ....
In Nov-2010, i ran a grand total of 38kms.
In Dec-2010, i ran/walk once, a grand total of 42kms (Dec 5th, no runs rest of the month).
Soon after that, i was on a 3 week vacation of constant binge eating and gawking at nature's nest. Significantly, my shape became smoother (aka well rounded). :)
So when i ran my first run in Jan-11, a couple of weeks back, i had accurately likened the experience to that of a pregnant pachyderm scorching the tracks. Nevertheless, my weekly mileage for the past 3 weeks has been, 13.5kms, 34kms and now 55kms !! I have completely violated all laws of gradual mileage increase and all that but still dont have (luckily enough) any ill effects to show for it. Of course, when i was running consistently a few months ago, i was hitting the 40km weekly mark often and that i guess, helped the ramp back faster than i would have targeted.
The last couple of saturdays, i have been doing a long run (16kms and 21kms) with some of my running friends (all insanely more accomplished runners than i am) from McRitchie reservoir (but not trail though). While i would not like to admit it, its an irrefutable fact that running with friends, and more so, with better runners does a lot of good to your own running. So a big thanks to you guys - you know who you are !! :)
Today is 24th. If i can make this a 45km week, i should be able to touch the 150km mark for this month. Now, wouldnt that be nice !!!! Especially with Tokyo looming large ....
In Dec-2010, i ran/walk once, a grand total of 42kms (Dec 5th, no runs rest of the month).
Soon after that, i was on a 3 week vacation of constant binge eating and gawking at nature's nest. Significantly, my shape became smoother (aka well rounded). :)
So when i ran my first run in Jan-11, a couple of weeks back, i had accurately likened the experience to that of a pregnant pachyderm scorching the tracks. Nevertheless, my weekly mileage for the past 3 weeks has been, 13.5kms, 34kms and now 55kms !! I have completely violated all laws of gradual mileage increase and all that but still dont have (luckily enough) any ill effects to show for it. Of course, when i was running consistently a few months ago, i was hitting the 40km weekly mark often and that i guess, helped the ramp back faster than i would have targeted.
The last couple of saturdays, i have been doing a long run (16kms and 21kms) with some of my running friends (all insanely more accomplished runners than i am) from McRitchie reservoir (but not trail though). While i would not like to admit it, its an irrefutable fact that running with friends, and more so, with better runners does a lot of good to your own running. So a big thanks to you guys - you know who you are !! :)
Today is 24th. If i can make this a 45km week, i should be able to touch the 150km mark for this month. Now, wouldnt that be nice !!!! Especially with Tokyo looming large ....
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
2011 - Where do i wanna be ...
Happy New Year folks.
The last few months have been dismal for my running and superb for everything else. Therefore there is no better time than now to set some firm goals for this year although i have flippantly mentioned wanting to do this and that ...
Some very basic objectives:-
0. Enjoy running. Feel the passion every day.
1. Run atleast 4 times a week, attempt a monthly mileage of 180kms every month
2. Have a systematic running plan preferably from one race to the next if that helps.
3. GoalSeek: Push for a 4:30 at the Tokyo Marathon on Feb 27th
4. GoalSeek: Push for a 4:15 at the Gold Coast Marathon on July 3rd.
5. 10k PR < 47m, HM PR < 1:50, FM PR < 4:00
Hopefully through proper training, i can get to a stage where i no longer worry about the statistics .. :)
The last few months have been dismal for my running and superb for everything else. Therefore there is no better time than now to set some firm goals for this year although i have flippantly mentioned wanting to do this and that ...
Some very basic objectives:-
0. Enjoy running. Feel the passion every day.
1. Run atleast 4 times a week, attempt a monthly mileage of 180kms every month
2. Have a systematic running plan preferably from one race to the next if that helps.
3. GoalSeek: Push for a 4:30 at the Tokyo Marathon on Feb 27th
4. GoalSeek: Push for a 4:15 at the Gold Coast Marathon on July 3rd.
5. 10k PR < 47m, HM PR < 1:50, FM PR < 4:00
Hopefully through proper training, i can get to a stage where i no longer worry about the statistics .. :)
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