Tuesday, March 22, 2011

RAN OUT OF FUEL

Sunday, 20 March 2011


Literally ran out of fuel in a 30km run. Started late at 8.15 a.m. and suffered the consequence. Half an hour into the run, it became apparent that it was going to be a hot and sunny morning.


Started from home in Puchong. Ran to Lim Kok Wing University in Cyberjaya via Bandar Bukit Puchong 2/ Kampung Meranti and back - one of my favourite routes for a long run.


With Energizer Nite Marathon in less than a month away, I desperately needed the mileage. I thot I had enough water with me - 1.2 litres in four 300ml flasks on my Fuel Belt. Also, had 4 packets of Power Gels with me. Coupled with a near zero training since last Sunday's Bareno Run, a 30km at easy pace would have been routine.


However, things started to fall apart after 20km. Energy level dipped and the Power Gels couldn't turn things around. The heat started to get to me and my flasks were running dry pretty quickly. I was reduced to a slow jog, then walk - jog - walk - jog. My tank was empty by km25 and I ended up walking the last 5km.


I was both mentally and physically defeated by the heat and the distance. Mental defeat because for the 1st time ever in training, I took a short cut home. The last that it has ever felt this bad in training must have been the 40km run back in Janury 2007, while training for Ironman Langkawi that year.



Am seriously considering giving the Energizer Nite Marathon a miss.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

SWIMMING AT MID-DAY

Thursday, 17 March 2011

Took half-day leave from work to accompany wife to somewhere later in the afternoon. Went for short swim at Celebrity Fitness, Mid Valley, before I was due to pick wife up from home. Have been and will be skipping regular training sessions for various reasons, hence had to make the most of what ever spare time I have to log in some mileage.
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Not much though but better than zero - swam 1x400m front crawl + 1x800m kickboard + 1x800 paddles with pull buoy, total 2000m, at one-something in the afternoon of a working day.

BARENO RUN 2011

Photo thanks to Tey - You Are The Man!!!
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Ranked 27th out of 245 in Veteran Category (40-49) and 126th out of 1500 overall.
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Last few km - rushing to the loo!!!

Sunday, March 13, 2011

BARENO RUN 2011

Sunday, 13 March 2011


Woke up at 3.00 a.m. Had breakfast & left the house at 4.15 a.m. Destination - National Stadium @ Bukit Jalil for the Bareno 21km run.
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Race started at 5.30 a.m. Was hilly, quite dark at certain sections and plenty of twist & turns along the race course. The cool air of the early morning was most pleasant. Had a good run, except for some stomach problems in last 4km. Felt a little weak due to that.
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Finished 27th in the Junior Veteran category and posted 1:48:18, probably a new personal best in a half marathon.
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First Medal For 2011

Saturday, March 12, 2011

DRILLS AT THE POOL

Wednesday, 2 March 2011

Beginning to enjoy swimming again. Menu prescribed by coach a 100m EZ + 800m paddles with fin + 10x25m with pull buoy + 500m front crawl (9:41) + 400m one-armed pulling + 300m front crawl (5:42) + 200m catch-up pull + 100m front crawl (1:39) + 50m front crawl (43 seconds) + 100m EZ.
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Never any good in swimming, so very pleased with my front crawls today. Felt so fresh after the swim despite a long day at the office.

Wednesday, March 02, 2011

SPEED WORK

Tuesday, 1 March 2011

Back to work at Kampung Pandan track. I could resume training mainly thanks to the massage from my wife over the weekend. Missed out on such training at the track for a month due to various reasons (rain, work, family etc.)
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The day's workout was somewhat different than usual. Main set 10 x 600m @ 3:20 (read as 10 times 600 meters on 3 minutes 20 seconds).
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Coach was cheeky as usual and did not reveal the number of 600m reps at the start of the set (we were told not to ask). But there were murmurs amongst the runners that we might be going for 10 times.
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Unfamiliar with running 600m, I started the set easy and ran 2:42. Hence, I had a good 40 seconds rest before the next rep. The pace felt easy and 38 seconds rest interval felt long enough. But experience told me that things will turn around drastically deeper into the set. So I made a conscious attempt to maintain my pace at around 2:40 per 600m.
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It was only after 5 reps that coach announced that we had another 5 more to go. The stronger runners got promoted to run the balance of the 600m @ 3:00. I was only good enough to continue with the other runners @ 3:20.
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Indeed, 2:40 pace began to feel quite painful to maintain and rest interval seemed to fly pass without a trace as we piled up the reps. I was reduced to 2:47 in the 9th rep, partly feeling the pain and partly to reserve for the last rep.
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In the 2nd half of the last rep, I think experienced what they called a runner's high. I was half-dead & seeing stars but somehow found the strenght to go a little faster. I finished the last 600m in 2:33.
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Rep 1 - 2:42
Rep 2 - 2:40
Rep 3 - 2:39
Rep 4 - 2:40
Rep 5 - 2:38
Rep 6 - 2:42
Rep 7 - 2:43
Rep 8 - 2:43
Rep 9 - 2:47
Rep 10 - 2:33
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Typically, coach made us run another 2x400m to end the day. So much for my "runner's high", I was completely drained by then. I ran the last 2x400 almost at warm up pace.
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One of the younger runners ran too hard and puked in the last 2x400, that's how tough the day's work was but that was the fun part.

DOWN TIME

26 - 27 February 2011 (Sat/ Sunday)

An old back injury returned to haunt me. Been out of action for 3 days prior to the weekend. Rested over the weekend as walking straight was a problem. Massage by wife really helped to loosen things up.
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So, it was a lazy weekend for me....sleep, eat, sleep & watched some DVDs with wife (plus the massage, lucky me!!).