3 loops round Bukit Timah Hill

This evening, we did our first 3-rounder up Bukit Timah Hill. We started early this evening as there was a mini birthday celebration for Chairman after the run.
Also, we were expecting to order some shoes from the ASICS distributor.

I was not feeling too well because of a recent flu I caught. Nonetheles, I pushed up Mount Faber and on the long first upslope, I was joined by Eric, the ASICS distributor. Eric only recently joined our weekly runs. As I pushed up the slope, I had overtaken most people except for the front runners of Derek and Paul.

I had a relatively fast run, and was toing/froing with Hock Soon most times. I reached the clubhouse at about 7.35pm. My wife Beverly later came, and together we tried the ASICS shoes. I ordered for myself a DS Trainer, which feels lighter than my GT2090. I also tried on a GEL Flash pair. It was very light and comfy, but Eric said it can only last for 5km-10km runs. I decided to go for a bit more durability and distance.

Distance Ran:8.5km___Time:40:40min___Pace:5:43min/km
Average HR:157bpm____Max HR:172bpm____KCal:650

11km slow run around Labrador Park & Telok Blangah Hill

We had a bigger group of about 15 runners this evening at SAFRA. We started off promptly at 7pm. I ran slowly at first, enjoying the slow pace and behind the main pack for some time. Once we got to the entrance towards Labrador Park, I went ahead and ran up the first hill. I noticed Adam folllowing closely behind.

I then proceeded to lap the Park of 800m/lap for 3 rounds. Thereafter, ran outwards and to the direction at Labrador Park. Met up with Yen and Chairman. Chairman then proceeded with me up Telok Blangah Hill. we pushed ourselves pretty hard up the steep slope, and then did a good sprint downslope to the finish at the ClubHouse. Overall, a good workout.

Distance Ran:11km___Time:1hr06min___Pace:6:02min/km
Average HR:151bpm____Max HR:174bpm____KCal:810

26km long run from MacRitchie To Bukit Timah

There were only 6 of us for this sunday's morning run. As Chairman didn't come last weekend, he probably felt like doing longer. The plan was for us to run at a comfortable pace to Bukit Timah visitor centre, via the MacRitchie Northern Route; and then back the same way.

Gula, our regular weekend runner suggested we try to take a different trail route from the one we normally take. I felt it was a good idea to try some new routes. We started off at 7am, and I was running at a slower pace this morning, behind Yen San and her husbacnd, as well as Hock Soon. It was really nice running easy along the Northern Route. When we reached the road, it was 22min. At this point, Derek went ahead, and I joined him along the series of steep slopes. Just before the turn into the trail again to Bukit Timah (now, I finally know where to turn in), we waited for Yen San, Hock Soon and the rest to catch up.

HR for Part 1 of run

We then went along the dirt track, and I was running strong (probably good reserves from the big Ivin's dinner I had with family last nite). Very soon, I ran ahead and hit the road, and I turned left towards along the main road towards Bukit Timah. When I was almost there, I suddenly remembered that Gula mentioned that we might take another new trail. I stopped, and walked back to meet Derek and then checked with Chairman. Thiam Huat asked us to run ahead and wait at the Guard Post. Once we all assembled at the Guard Post, we ran to the new trail. It was full of cyclists, and we were running carefully. We passed by Hindhede walk, The Quarry, and very soon, we realized the Hock Soon and the rest were behind. we waited and before long, they caught up. We then proceeded on, and after about 2km, we realized that we were off-trail (because of some construction blocking the entrances). We then hit the main road, and ran an extra 3km. It was hot and sunny, and Wong led the way. I followed closely behind, and after a slight struggle, I ran ahead to the Visitor Centre. Soon Wong, Derek came along, followed by Chairman, Gula and Eng Hwa about 5min later.

HR for Part 3 of run (Return Leg)

We took a good rest-stop, and decided to move ahead without Hock Soon, since he would have stopped his run by then (we did not see him after waiting for quite long). We took the same route we came from earlier, minus the extra km when we got lost. Most of us were a little drained by then, since we have covered about 14km in the first leg. I also accidentally stopped my HRM a few times, and didn't record some of the distances. We turned off into Tree-Top, then Jelutong Tower, then along the wooden planks, skirting the golf course, and finally the remaining 3km from the exercise area to the start point (Carpark A toilets). Derek confirmed we ran for about 2hr40min, minus some stoppage time. We estimated that to be about 26km. A very good run for me, as there was enough distance. Derek remarked that my form was good tday, since I was barely behind him all the way. Gula came back very cheery, as she too got the lond distnace she wanted. We washed up, and went to Shunfu market for our usual carbo-loading brunch.

Distance Ran:26km XC___Time:2hr40min___Pace:6:09min/km
Average HR:153bpm____Max HR:169bpm____KCal:2,000 est.

Weekly SAFRA Tue run at Canterbury Estate

It was yet another nice evening for a run. The crowd was bigger than that of Tuesday's, but still pretty small. We decided to run to Canterbury Estate, an then on to Telok Blangah Hill for a loop. It seems that recently we have been running up quite a number of hills, especially Telok Blangah Hill.

We set off at 7pm sharp. By the time we hit Canterbury Estate, Derek was in front with me following behind. Denis was trying to keep up, and soon dropped off, since the pace was getting a little fast. Very soon, I was feeling the strain trying to catch up with Derek. After one complete round, we met up with Chairman, Tong Lin and Wong. Chairman told Derek and myself to go another round, since we were still early. So, we went another round...by the time I got out of Canterbury Estate, I was pretty tired. I lost Derek while crossing the main road from PSA area, and I was thinking of just going back straight to the Clubhouse.

When I reached near the ClubHouse, I decided to go ahead up Telok Blangah Hill. I was feeling very tired by then, and my legs could hardly move me up the steep slopes. I was taking tiny, baby steps, and chugging up. When I reached the top, I saw Chairman and Eng Hwa, as well as Denis and Hock Soon on their way back. Apparently, they went up by the other side, and was ahead of me.

I finally finished the one loop round Telok Blangah Hill, and headed straight down back to ClubHouse for an estimated distance of 12km, in a time of 1hr6.5min.

Distance Ran:12km___Time:1hr06min___Pace:5:32min/km
Average HR:165bpm____Max HR:173bpm____KCal:920

Hillwork on 2 steep hills in the west

For my weekly run with the SAFRA Runners Club this evening, we did 2 loops of Mount Faber and 1 loop of Telok Blangah Hill. I remember doing this combination just a month ago, with Paul and a few others leading. It was only last Tuesday that I was up on Telok Blangah Hill doing 6 sets of speedwork on the slopes.

Anyway, this evening saw the smallest group of runners, about 10 of us. We started early, and ended in less than an hour. I felt strong all the way, and was mainly trailing Foo. From the HRM, I covered the first Mt Faber slope in 20min, Based on the heart rates, I wasn't really pushing hard all the way. My legs were feeling it a lot more than my lungs.

Overall, a good workout - short, but with hillwork, it helped to bring up the caloric numbers.

Distance Ran:9km____Time:51min_____Pace:5:40min/km
Average HR:156bpm___Max HR:160bpm___KCal:730KCal

Good sunday run from MacRitchie To Botanic Gardens

The group for this Sunday morning run was a lot smaller, about 10 people. Both Toa Payoh and Bukit Merah groups decided to run together as a group towards Botanic Gardens and back. This is the usual route that the Toa Payoh runners take, and for us from the Telok Blangah side, this was pretty new.

The heart rate for most part of the run

We set off well at 7.05am, led by Teh and Wong. I was running a little behind at a slower pace, chatting with Donald, a veteran runner from Toa Payoh. Donald was telling me his adventures with Trialthons, Vertical Marathons, and how he came from the background of a speed runner to take up marathon and long distance running. I was totally immersed in the conversation, and didn't at all feel any strain in the running. Midway, Botanic Gardens, Wong was asking half-in-jest was I ate for dinner the previous night, as I was so full of energy,yakking away. Adam also commented that they were so tired, yet both me and Donald sounded very fresh and relaxed. I guess thats what makes running easy and fun, if you have good company and conversations.

The part out from MacRitchie

The route was nice, and I got to run in Botanic Gardens in its Sunday morning granduer. There were many Tai-Chi and Qi-Gong groups around, and the scenery and air by day is a lot more refreshing that that in the nights (when we usually run). Halfway coming out from the Botanic Gardens, I stopped my HRM accidentally, and had to do a second set timing. Moreover, the whole timing was not so accurate today, since I didn't pay too much attention to it. According to most of the group members, we ran 1.5hrs and approximately 18km. Not bad at all, since I felt like I ran only about 12km or so.

Back at MacRitchie, I bumped into Sukaimi (The Lonely Runner), and he just about started off for his morning run. I also bumped into a Dover Road acquaintance, Mr. Wong, who was on his way to the Treetop walk with a friend. He was pleasantly surprised to see me in such an atheletic form, since the last time he met me was at least 1 year ago, when I was a cigarette-smoking, 82kg-fat, tired-looking guy. I also got a few good tips this time from the SAFRA runners, namely: it is better/acceptable to swim breast-stroke for trialthlons from Donald, and also the Mizuno shoes are a lot more cushiony from Cecilia...hmmm, makes me want to try a Mizuno pair next. Why not?

Distance Ran:18km___Time:1hr30min___Pace:5:20min/km
Average HR:149bpm____Max HR:161bpm____KCal:1,500 est.

Conditioning: Runing in hot sun

In preparation for my marathon, I am looking to start conditioning myself to run longer (more than 30km) as well as run under hot weather. The second part is important, since I will be expected to come in at least 4.5-5hrs if I do complete a local marathon. That means coming back at least from 11pm onwards, if it starts at 6am. That will be when the midday sun will be at its hottest.

Today I had a chance to run part of my 10km under hot sun, I started off at the MacRitchie zig-zag bridge (the start point of the Swift Northern Route) and planned to run at a slow pace. I set my HRM to a 10k set, and reached the 3.5km exercise area marker 12:27. This is reasonable, since I normally reach here at anout 11min in my 5km time trials. The grounds were a little wet and soggy, and that might have been due to the earlier rain. I was being extra careful, since I was not wearing my trail shoe, by my normal road-runner (ASICS GT2090). I came out from the tree-trunk-root-undulating area in 15:40min, not too slow.

This is where I hit the golf course, and there was no cover from the 3pm sun. I could feel the heat belting down on me, and immediately my pace was a lot slower. I carried on slowly, and noticed there were fresh signs along the road to warn runners/walkers of golfers stray balls. There must have been some incidents already of passerby being hot by golf balls. I always thought it was dangerous to be running so near an 'active' golf course.

I ran along, and got some reprieve from the sun after the wooden bridge area (6km marker). I continued at a cautious pace along Sime Track today, since I wanted to conserve energy. I reached 5km in about 26min. The rest of the way was relatively incident free, and as I hit the SICC road, the sun was gone, and the skies were threatening to rain heavy. I hurried along back into the trail, and finished off the last 3,5km of very hilly terrain at relatively stronger pace. I finished the whole 10km run in 56min, the slowest on record for this route. Considering that I was running in hot weather, and I was deliberately slowing my pace, this was acceptable. Looking at the average HR of 160bpm, it seems that my HR was high becaise of the warmer weather in the first 5km. I am looking forward to my early morning Sunday run tomorrow, at this location again...only it will be much longer.

Distance Ran:10km XC___Time:56min____Pace:5:37min/km
Average HR:160bpm___Max HR:171bpm___KCal:770KCal

12km run to Botanic Gardens

For our Thursday run this evening, the SAFRA Running Club decided to take a 12km to/fro from Telok Blangah thru Ridley Park, to Botanic Gardens, and taking a loop back from the fountain area within the gardens.

We started off at 7pm. The group this evening was slightly smaller, with most of the usual runners in attendance. I don my Nike wear, and decided to run at a slower pace at the start, since I was still feeling the muscle strain from Tuesday's speedwork. Ran a good part of the first part with Adam towards Botanic Gardens, before I lost him when he went to the gents. I then joined the group of Sam and Kumaran on the return trip back. Towards the final part, met up with Hock Soon and we made a final speed dash back to Clubhouse. Overall, an easy and good run.

Distance Ran:12km___Time:1hr7min35s___Pace:5:38min/km
Average HR:153bpm____Max HR:173bpm____KCal:910

Speedwork @ Telok Blangah Hill

This evening's training with SAFRA Running Club was special. I did my first speedwork since joining the Club last December. We started promptly at 7pm with a sizeable group of 15 people. We ran 1.5km to the carpark at Telok Blangah Hill as a warm up.

Here we started our first set of running up/down hilly 1km run as fast as we could. I came in second behind Ong, in a fast time of 3:47min. Subsequently, we ran 4 sets of 600m upslope each and I returned with times of 2:08, 2:13, 2:18 and 2:30.

Heart Rate For a 1km set

As my legs grew tired, the times deteriorated slightly, but I still returned within the top 5 in all the various sets. We finally closed the run with a 1km set, and I returned in 4:30min. Not too bad, considering that i was near exhaustion. We closed off with another 1.5km jog back to Clubhouse. Total distance covered added to about 6km.

Distance Ran:7.5km___Time:30min___Pace:4:30min/km Average
Average HR:160bpm_____Max HR:171bpm_____KCal:600 est.

10km easy run with Beverly

My usual weekly run with Beverly around my estate, and usually 10km. This evening, the rain stopped at about 5.30pm and Beverly rushed back just in time for our run. I was already ready by 6.45pm with my gear, and HRM strapped on.

At about 7.15pm, Beverly was ready. We went out with very minimal warm-up and proceeded to cover the fitst 500m in Tai Keng Gardens first. We then moved on our usual route along Braddel Road, Upper Serangoon Road, then to Lorong Ah Soo, and back...10km in 1hr5min30s. About the same time as last monday, but Beverly seemed a lot better. At this pace, my average pace of 123 bpm (67% Max HR) is low. compared with about 2 months back, when it was 133 when running at this pace. It means I either got fitter/stronger, or our pace has slowed down (but the time does not show that this is the case).

Distance Ran:10km___Time:1hr5min30s___Pace:6:33min/km
Average HR:123bpm____Max HR:147bpm____KCal:590

22km Sunday run @ MacRitchie-Seletar Reservoir Loop

I have missed the last 2 Sunday runs with the SAFRA Running Club. I finally made it today. Woke up bright and early at 6.15am, took a banana, 2 cups of coffee, put on my Mizuno apparel, and off I went. I reached MacRitchie at 6.50am, and the usual carpark was full. There was a large group of Toa Payoh members today, probably training for the upcoming GoldCoast Marathon in July.

I did a very rushed warm-up, and off we went. I had to stop to re-tighten my shoelaces, and soon I caught up with the main group. Because some members are still suffering from small injuries, we decided to run on roads, as opposed to starting off at the usual Northern trail route. We ran along Upper Thomson Road, then turned off into Pierce Reservoir Road. We made our first stop after 22min at the toilet at Pierce, and soon Thiam Huat and the rest caught up. From there, we moved on, and soon Derek was up ahead. I decided to follow closely behind him.

After running a good stretch of it along Old Upper Thomson Road, we met Hock Soon. He joined us from that point, and soon Derek and myself hit the first toilet along Mandai/Seletar. We saw Jimmy running back on his return. Derek showed me the way (another 2km to/fro) to the second toilet along Seletar Reservoir. This stretch was pretty quiet and nice to run, with some slight slopes. We hit the second toilet after about 1hr.

We took a quick drink and made our return trip along the same way we came. I was feeling strong to this point, and the banana must have helped. Derek remarked that is I can keep at that pace for longer distances, I will do well for Marathons. Anyway, we were enjoying each other’s company, with conversation revolving about our likely participation at the upcoming Ipoh Marathon in July. I will probably drive up there again with Adam and Chua. As we hit the 1st toilet, we saw Hock Soon and Eng Hwa arriving. They will turn back from there, and since we didn’t see the rest along the way, most of them would have turned back at the end of Old Upper Thomson Road (making their run about 18km). As we hot back along Old Upper Thomson Road, my legs were feeling tired. Derek moved ahead, about 100m in front of me.

I next met Derek at Pierce toilet, and he was surprised to see me catch up with him. He went ahead after his drink, and I followed about 100m behind. As we hit Thomson Road, with about 4km back to MacRitchie, I was feeling pretty drained. The sun was hot, and it was weathering on me. From my high heart rates of 180+, and max heart rate of 186bpm recorded here, it could be seen that I was burning up. Even my legs were burning up. I plodded on, running slowly, and I felt that Derek too slowed down, since my distance from him remained. As I reached MacRitchie, on the wooden bridge, I ran past Adam who was soaked with perspiration. I was too tired to say hello. I went on, and reached the end in exactly 2hrs. A very satisfying, but tired run. After their wash up, I joined the group for brunch at nearby Shunfu estate.

Distance Ran:22km_____Time:2hr_____Pace:5:27min/km
Average HR:154bpm_____Max HR:186bpm_____KCal:1500

14km run around Portsdown/Buona Vista

The weather today was dry, after about 2 weeks of rain. However, it was hot and humid too. I was at the SAFRA Club again for my Thursday run, and this evening, we ran along Depot Road, then to Queensway, into Jln Hang Jebat, moving along the stretch of Portsdown Road, then turning into Buona Vista Road. I was running alongside Derek, and both of us made a halfway stop at the Buona Vista MRT.

We took a quick water and pee break, and we turned back and ran all the way back along the same route. I felt strong tonite, since I took 2 bananas 1 hour prior to the run. This banana thing is definite working for me. We reached the clubhouse in 1hr18min. Derek commented that I ran well. There is an upcoming Ipoh Marathon, which I am thinking of preparing for. However, I will need to do a few 30km+ runs to prepare for that. I will take some time over the weekend to check that out.

Distance Ran:14km_____Time:1hr18min_____Pace:5:34min/km
Average HR:157bpm_____Max HR:169bpm_____KCal:1020

KLIM05 & MR25 Certificates

Recently I received some running certificates, significant for my recent achievements.

MR25 Membership Certificate

One was the long awaited MR25 Certificate for the 5km Time Trial I did in February 2005, in which I achieved 23min26s to qualify for MR25 membership (Tortoise category). I waited for about 2 months before I received this precious certificate of membership.

About a week earlier, I received in the post the certificate for the KL Interntional Marathon 2005 event, in which I accomplished 21km in 1hr50min. It was a month later that I received this certificate. Nonetheless, it was much anticipated and this will serve as useful memories in the future of my beginning races.

21km Cert for Kl International Marathon 2005

Weekly Tue Run at SAFRA (5 Apr 2005)

Today was yet another rainy day, with the skies still pouring till 6pm. I made my way to SAFRA Mount Faber at Telok Blangah as usual, suspecting that the rain will stop by 7pm.

I put on my new Nike gear to try out the size, and it fit me to the tee. We covered 1 loop around the Canterbury estate, and then proceeded to Labrador Park. By midway through Canterbury, I was the second runner in front, as I have picked up speed along the way. I shared some good conversations with Teen and also Chua, who mentioned he came in fourth at the Trenganu 100km run. And there he was running again, after a day of rest only.

I entered Labrador Park after about 40min of run. I took the steep slope today as I was feeling OK. Thereafter I lapped the Park of 800m twice, before meeting up with the main group of runners. On the exit of the Park, I ran ahead to meet up with Akira, and we ran together mostly towards the Clubhouse. The total distance is estimated to be 14km to 15km, based on the time and pace I took. The weather was very good, though I was still careful with the wet and slippery ground.

Distance Ran:14km_____Time:1hr21min35s_____Pace:5:49min/km
Average HR:156bpm_____Max HR:169bpm_____KCal:1060

Easy 10km Recovery In Cool Weather

The rains continued unabated the whole of today. I was just wondering why it was so rainy this period, when someonementioned it was due to 'Ching Ming'...I went like 'Huh?'.

Anyways, the rain stopped at about 5pm. My significant other running partner wanted to sweat it out, as she had not run for almost 10 days now. I obliged, taking the run as a slow, recovery run as well as a chance to train my form.

We started off at 7pm, before dinner. I just slapped on my normal stop-watch (no HRM today), and off we went. Beverly started to complain of leg pains after 500m into the run. I started to guide Beverly to use the Chi Running style to see if her condition improved. After a while, she got the hang of it. Not only did her pain go away, she was running very well and at a higher pace hence. I reminded her not to over-stride, have a slight lean, focus on her abdominal muscles, lifting her legs and pushing back. She got the hang of it, and soon was running very smoothly.

After 8km, I checked the time, and was surprised we were ahead by at least 5min of normal time. Then I realized that we missed out the earlier 500m loop we always did to make up 10km. Upon hearing that, Beverly's morale went down a bit. She did manage to pick herself up, focus on maintaining the Chi Running form, and hit home in 1hr5min. A personal best for her on this route, improving by at least 1.5min. It could have been the cool weather, plus a combination of a new running style.

As for me, I had a very relaxed recovery run, which I try to do once a week. It still burnt the same amount of calories, and I still had a good cardio workout.

Distance Ran:10km_____Time:1hr5min7s_____Pace:6:31min/km
Average HR:NR_______Max HR:NR_______KCal:650 est.

My New 5Km PB @ MR25 5km Time Trial

I was looking forward to today’s 5km time trial. I take this 5km run as a chance to clock my short distance timing, and also my maximum heart rates and feel during very short, intense runs.

It started to rain heavily at 2pm, and I was thinking of giving it a miss. Then the rains stopped at 4pm. I activated my kids and dog, and we packed ourselves quickly, and arrived at MacRitchie zig-zag bridge at 4.35pm. I went to do a quick registration, got my bib number, put on my HRM and did some light warm-up. Soon I worked up a slight perspiration. My wife, kids and dog went on their own for a stroll around the reservoir. There was a big crowd of runners today, about 60, and the Nike dealer was in full force to let some of the runners try the latest Nike models for their x-country 5km run. A lot of the new models looked good. I didn’t have time to try, and instead trusted on my cushioned, Nike Air Storm Moto Trail Runner. I always wear this pair at MacRitchie because of the x-country terrain.

At 5pm sharp, a short brief by the starter, and off we went. I started off quite slowly. About 1km into the run, I bumped into my kids around the bridge, and they expressed that I was one of the last runners in the group. One must understand that most of these MR25 runners are very fast runners, and run their 5km sub-20min. I picked up the speed a little after that, and overtook about 5 front-runners. I hit the first open in 5min+, very good timing. I went on to the second opening in 8min flat. The grounds were soggy and muddy, and I had to take extra care not to get stuck in mud, as well as not to get injured. I was hopping and running around water puddles a lot. I reached the 3.5km mark (golf course) in 10min+, pretty fast, and on track. Then ran up the slopes toward Lornie Road, and on the way down, overtook 3 more familiar faces.

At this point, the timing was 12.30min and the pulse was 167bpm. That is 91% of my Max Heart Rate...Whooh. I was feeling good and strong (since I took lunch, and a banana 1hr just before the run). I blasted ahead, and overtook 2 familiar lady runners. I moved on and with 2km to go, I ran past 2 other earlier front runners on the 2 steep slopes. They were showing signs of fatigue for pushing too hard earlier. As I run past them, I could hear very heavy breathing. I then took a few deep breaths, and headed for the finish. I could see an ang moh in front, and I just trailed him all the way. I stopped my watch some while after I hit the finish line, to loud cheers. I looked strong, and felt good. I moved around a bit, and shortly, heard someone calling me. It was Hock Soon, one of the SAFRA runners who had intended to join in the run, but he came a bit late. He remarked that the runners were very fast, and I did not too bad. I explained the system of how we were grouped into animals, and he was surprised to learn that my time of 23min6sec only put me as a ‘tortoise’. I told him my next goal will be to run this course in time trial under 23min, and that would at least make me a ‘deer’. Anyway, I was very satisfied with this run today. As I reflected on the good timing, I guess it might have to do with my lighter weight, the cooling weather, and my new style of Chi Running.

Distance Ran:5km XC___Time:23m6s____Pace:4:38min/km
Average HR:167bpm___Max HR:172bpm___KCal:372KCal

Training Tip of The Month: Training Smart

Training Tip Of The Month - April 2005, From Running Times

With the spring racing season approaching or upon us, we are often tempted to hammer our weekly or twice-a-week speed workouts to ensure that we are racing fit. While training hard has its place, training too hard is detrimental to your running success. Even elites will point this out, as they did at the recent Rocky Mountain Distance Summit. Presenter after presenter, from Steve Slattery to Kevin Sullivan to Tim Broe, all said that the real key to success in distance running is consistency: getting in a good run every day for months and years. That is the hardest work, and the most important. No single workout, no matter how intense, can replace days of consistent running. Shalane Flanagan may have summed it up best when she stressed, "train smarter, not harder," so that you can train the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that. Learn the appropriate pace for each workout and run that pace. Running too hard will, at worst, put you on the injured reserve list, and, at best, make you too tired to do the other key workouts in the week. As races approach, trust your training, and save the eyeballs-out, ears-pinned-back, tunnel-vision running for the race.

Training Tip Of The Month - April 2005, From Running Times

With the spring racing season approaching or upon us, we are often tempted to hammer our weekly or twice-a-week speed workouts to ensure that we are racing fit. While training hard has its place, training too hard is detrimental to your running success. Even elites will point this out, as they did at the recent Rocky Mountain Distance Summit. Presenter after presenter, from Steve Slattery to Kevin Sullivan to Tim Broe, all said that the real key to success in distance running is consistency: getting in a good run every day for months and years. That is the hardest work, and the most important. No single workout, no matter how intense, can replace days of consistent running. Shalane Flanagan may have summed it up best when she stressed, "train smarter, not harder," so that you can train the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that. Learn the appropriate pace for each workout and run that pace. Running too hard will, at worst, put you on the injured reserve list, and, at best, make you too tired to do the other key workouts in the week. As races approach, trust your training, and save the eyeballs-out, ears-pinned-back, tunnel-vision running for the race.

20km Kelichap Run on 2 April 2005

After resting for a full day on Friday, I decided to do a long run today. I normally plan for my long runs on Sundays at MacRitchie, but tomorrow I am going for the MR25 5km Time Trial and having a picnic with the family after that. So, I will miss the early morning long run tomorrow.

It rained heavily almost the whole day. I decided not to be too adventurous, and just wanted to run 2 loops of the usual Kelichap 10km route. I completed the first 10km loop in 51min+, and felt very good along the way. I stopped at the mid-point at my house for a quick drink, and wipe down (taking 1min). I lapped my HRM watch, and checked that it was 51min+. That meant that I covered the first 10km in about 50min+.

I went in reverse for the second 10km loop, and it was already dark at this point. I wanted to go faster for the second loop, but somehow, I was interrupted by the heavy traffic (7pm+ in the night) quite a fait bit. I felt faster, but still returned back in 50min+. All in all, very consistent 10km laps, for a 1hr40min 20km run. Not bad, considering the pace was relatively OK. I felt strong, since I had 2 bowls of green bean soup for carbo-loading at 4pm.

Distance Ran:20km_____Time:1hr41min_____Pace:5:04min/km
Average HR:154bpm_____Max HR:168bpm_____KCal:1260