My friend Dave and I recently entered the Powerman Malaysia Duathlon in Lumut in Perak. In a word, it was Awesome.
From what I understand from others, we were lucky with the weather as it had rained in the night and it kept the temperature down, meaning the whole course was cool with a light breeze.
We got down the night before, and thanks to Lauren thinking that we would be in the boonies, we had enough water, 100 plus and snacks to feed the entire field. We checked into our (fairly gross) hotel, assembled and checked our bikes and then headed out to drive the bike course and find some dinner. We drove most of the route and realized it was basically completely flat, with a couple of small bridges and good road surface. Feeling happy with the outlook we went off, found a local restaurant for some food and then went home early to bed.
The next morning, having eaten PBJ's from the picnic box, we went to the transition. It was still drizzling a little and transition was a bit muddy, with quite a lot of confusion as to who was to be where, but it turned out really just to be some last minute reorganisation to try to move things like body marking under cover.
We racked our bikes, found the loo for a last minute leak and then it was time to line up. For some reason, Dave and I had decided only to do the sprint so we had a 5.5km run followed by a 30km ride followed by a 5km run. My overall level of fitness doesn't seem to be what it was, so i had no real expectation of time.
At the starting horn, i set off, middle of the pack and settled into a fairly steady, but not particularly fast pace. It was a very flat, open, one loop run around a big neighbourhood. It was perfect conditions. I did 30 minutes flat which is about a 27 minutes 5k. Not my fastest, but still happy enough with that.
The bike loop was one out and back, fifteen km out, easy turn and 15 km back. The road was excellent, the marshaling was great and the pace seemed... a bit sloweer than I would have expected, but it was not something i dwelt on too much as i picked off riders one by one. I was trundling along feeling pretty good, thinking that I was glad I didn't go all out on the run and kept lots in the tank. We passed the area where I made the u-turn in the car the evening before and then came around a bend and saw a bridge. Not just another little bridge, but a big bridge, over a big wide river. A bridge that I was not expecting; a bridge that just enough incline required me to get up out of my saddle! Nice.
It turned out to be ok in the end, although 2km later when I went over it again, it was a little harder on the quads. Bike was 59 minutes.
The second run started well. Like all of my races, it seemed to take my legs a little longer to warm up to a run after the bike, (which I put down to not enough bric training) but I got a steady pace within about a km and a half. Looking at the results, this is where I lost the most places in the race. On a race this short, you don't have the time or the luxury of giving your legs that long to warm up. It is definitely where Dave excelled and picked up minutes on me. We were pretty even until the start of the second run. His run was 60-90 seconds faster than me, he transition was just a pip faster and his bike was about even, but his second run was awesome and he annihilated me. I finally settled into a run pace that was not too shoddy and finished my second run in just shy of 30 minutes.
All in all, this race was very very well organized, it was a good course and it was in a great location. The Roti Canai (local Malaysian breakfast) across the street afterwards was a double bonus. Will I do it again? Absolutely. Do I reccomend it to others? Definetly. Do the organisers deserve a round of applause? Here Here. Was I happy with my time, not really, but not every race is about time. Some are just meant to be enjoyed!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
London be-damned
I am very sad to report that I recieved an email this morning to say that my ballot entry for the London Marathon 2011 was not successful! I am keenly watching the calendar for the Chicago and New York entries to open so as to get my space on the ballot and hopefully get one profile marathon next year.
Upcoming Events
The last few months have been great for me. We have travelled loads, we got married!, we drove from LA to San Fransisco in a Mustang, and I have been running again!
In fact, my legs are so strong that I have started to up-the-training and again and have no fear of a reoccurance of my shin splints/stress fracture. I am still taking it easy, but it feels really good to be able to go out and run 10k without any pain.
To celebrate, I have signed up for a couple of races here in Malaysia. The first is the 12k Mizuno road race on Sunday 17th October and the other is the sprint Duathlon at Powerman Malaysia which is a 5k-32k-5k run-bike-run on the 14th November.
It feels good to have some good goals again!
In fact, my legs are so strong that I have started to up-the-training and again and have no fear of a reoccurance of my shin splints/stress fracture. I am still taking it easy, but it feels really good to be able to go out and run 10k without any pain.
To celebrate, I have signed up for a couple of races here in Malaysia. The first is the 12k Mizuno road race on Sunday 17th October and the other is the sprint Duathlon at Powerman Malaysia which is a 5k-32k-5k run-bike-run on the 14th November.
It feels good to have some good goals again!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
City to Surf in Sydney
We recently came back from our trip down under to visit our friends Tim, Jude and Scarlet. When planning it, it worked out that it was going to be the same weekend as the Sydney City to Surf, 14km road race. I persuaded Lauren that we should sign up and so we did. The race, which starts up in the city above the harbour bridge and ends at the famous Bondi Beach was filled with 75,000 men, women and children. What a great site.
This run was never going to be any more than a fun run and that it was. For several miles, I pushed the stroller, albeit without Scarlet inside. At one point, I get sperated from Tim and Lauren and I ended up looking like a weirdo, running along with a full size pram, complete with [almost] life size scary looking doll. Weird.
Nice to run on another continent and in fantastic warm and dry conditions. I will put this down as a race to do a little more competitively again in the future. Hilly though - will need some serious mountain training.
thanks to the Jarvises for their great hospitatilty.
This run was never going to be any more than a fun run and that it was. For several miles, I pushed the stroller, albeit without Scarlet inside. At one point, I get sperated from Tim and Lauren and I ended up looking like a weirdo, running along with a full size pram, complete with [almost] life size scary looking doll. Weird.
Nice to run on another continent and in fantastic warm and dry conditions. I will put this down as a race to do a little more competitively again in the future. Hilly though - will need some serious mountain training.
thanks to the Jarvises for their great hospitatilty.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Balancing Act
It has been some time since I posted. And it has been some time since I ran anywhere.
I have had to work hard to rest my shins and resist the temptation to go running, but I have managed it. Not a day goes by without me longing to hit the roads. I am so focussed on running at least three halfs and three full marathons in the next 18 months, that I know that this is the right thing for me to do. And it seems to be working. There were occassions over the last couple of months that i would feel my left shin twinge as i walked across the office. But (and I am touching wood) i have not noticed it for quite a while.
My enforced break was made a little easier with a weeks holiday to the UK in the middle for a wedding. I just need to remember to stop eating like I am still burning all of those calories every day.
I have two weeks to go until my first gentle jog... that is two weeks of less food and less booze. Wish me luck.
I have had to work hard to rest my shins and resist the temptation to go running, but I have managed it. Not a day goes by without me longing to hit the roads. I am so focussed on running at least three halfs and three full marathons in the next 18 months, that I know that this is the right thing for me to do. And it seems to be working. There were occassions over the last couple of months that i would feel my left shin twinge as i walked across the office. But (and I am touching wood) i have not noticed it for quite a while.
My enforced break was made a little easier with a weeks holiday to the UK in the middle for a wedding. I just need to remember to stop eating like I am still burning all of those calories every day.
I have two weeks to go until my first gentle jog... that is two weeks of less food and less booze. Wish me luck.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Results are in
It is Tuesday afternoon and whilst on hold for a conference call, I had a quick look to see of the results from Sundays race were in.
I am real happy with my time. I finished in 1:30:37. This was 180/711 for my category and 342/1502 overall. I am not sure what the distance for the split was (a bit arbitrary?) but my time seems fairly consistent with the runners around me. All in all a good results for the first race in over 10 months.
I found another blog when i was looking for some pictures of the race and my heart goes out to the poor guy who had his car broken into whilst he was out on the course. Some people have no shame!
All the same, he got a great graphic from his Garmin of the elevation which I have shamelessly stolen to prove that I was not making it up about the hills. The pace is his, and he did a great time of 1:20, but the hills were shared! You can view his blog here
Monday, May 17, 2010
New Balance Pacesetters 15km
My first race report of the year! It has been months since I last did any kind of race. I have been having some challenges with my shins, I have been travelling a lot for work and I have been a little bit lazy. But all of that is behind me. It is early Monday morning as I write this and 24 hours since the race.
Pre-Race
I have not been training very much over the last month as I have been trying to rest my shins. Previous posts indicate that I still seem to have a fairly good level of residual fitness, but my legs are not that strong. Definitely something to work on for my big "A" race this year (Singapore marathon -December). I decided not to run at all this week and let my shin rest completely so I had a couple of 45 minute evening walks but no running.
The night before the race was a catalogue of things you shouldn't do. Beer (three or four!!?!?), margaritas (just the one), spicy fajitas and not enough water. I was in bed by eleven. I set the alarm and crept between the sheets feeling slightly anxious about the fact that I finished the night with two pints of water on top of the beers and with all that liquid hadn't needed to pee for about 5 hours. I did have the sense to get my race bag ready and pin my number to my top which helped me to mentally check off a bunch of what-could-go-wrongs-in-the morning.
The alarm went at 5:45 and I got up immediately. Lauren never stirred. I had been in a deep dream about something work-related which i continued to think about whilst I made a PB&J and guzzled a litre of water. After liberally applying Vaseline to the chafing bits, i was dressed and out the door with another PB&J in hand, Polar strapped to wrist and cap on head.
I was pretty sure I knew where the race site was and where to get some parking, but little did I expect to have to go from car-lot to car-lot in the park trying to find a space. Mental note for next time. Malaysians like to get there early! All in all, it wasn't that far from where we live and by the time I found a space and walked down to the start tents, it was about 6:30.
The race started at 7:15 and I used the 45 minutes I had to warm up and stretch and stretch and stretch. I was psychologically beating myself up at the potential damage i was about to do to my shins if they weren't quite ready and I was determined to do everything that i could to prepare them for the day. There was a great water station in the tent and I slowly supped on water for the 45 minutes. By 7:10, after a quick pee in the bushes I was on my way to the start line with legs that couldn't be any warmer. On route, I met, SC, a colleague from work, who told me that this was going to be hot and hilly, really hilly.
The Race
This was always going to be a gentle training run so I had no expectations about time and I was in no hurry to get to the front of the crowd. I just found a space somewhere around two-thirds of the way from the front of starting chute. I checked my laces, checked my watch and said good luck to SC*. The horn went and we were off. It was fully light by then and starting to get warm.
The first couple of kilometers were un-eventful, some long but not too steep uphills and downhills and wide streets with plenty of space. Then, things changed. The gradients got steeper, and the hills got longer. By the time the first water station appeared at around 4.2km I was really feeling the effects of beer and fajitas and was hot and thirsty. I hit the water station in 23 minutes and felt good, believing momentarily that I was on for somewhere around a 1:20 race.
By the time the 5.5km point hit us, we were on an unshaded steep ascent. I looked at the temperature on my Polar (which is never 100% accurate but is normally a good ball-park) and it read 31 degrees (that is 88F in American money). The hill in front of me was enough to immediately switch to a run-walk strategy. In my head I thought three things: I am burning too much energy trying to run this monster. I tend to train on the flat or small hills and am just not good at hills. Walking with a powerful long stride will get me up this hill faster than most of the people around me will get up it "running".
So, my strategy, walk the steeps, shuffle run the moderates and 'run' the downhills to make up the time. All in all, a few people passed me on the uphills, but most people were so burned out by the time they hit the top that they had nothing left, even for the downhill so I was taking out dozens and dozens on each of the downs and the (minimal) flats.
At the 10K mark, I was at 1.01 and hot, but feeling quite strong. At 10k-12k there was what I remember as the only decent flat bit of the course and i extended my stride and increased my pace to something nearer to 5 minutes km's than 6, but it was hard to tell as I had never seen the route before and the distance-signs were not always easy to spot.
With 3km to go, I was starting to feel the lack of training in my legs, and started to notice the hills again. This slowed me right down and I was back into the walk-run. I noticed that many other people had also decided to adopt this strategy, but I am not too sure how many of them planned for it and how many of them were just feeling beaten by the ever increasing temperature and the killer undulation.
With 1K to go, I really had to dig deep and find some mental strength to keep going. It was really hard as I would normally have picked out a pacer at this point and stuck to their shoulder to get me through but I was obviously far enough back in the pack that most of the stronger runners had finished.
I crossed the line feeling hot and dehydrated, but really really happy to have finished without any sign of a pain in my shin and in a time of 1.31 . I spent so much time stressing about my shins that I forgot how much I love to run (even when it is TOUGH running) and I love the atmosphere of race-day.
I read lots of running blogs these days and I love the way different runners describe the high of crossing a finish line. To me, it is like nothing else. It is emotion and pride and joy and relief and exhilaration and pain and punch-the-sky happiness all rolled into one.
By the time I de-briefed with SC, drank about a litre of fluid and gorged on a big juicy watermelon, I made my way back to the car where I changed, stretched for 20 minutes, ate the spare PB&J and set off with a grin on my face. I was back. My shins held up and I felt great. The pain and suffering from an hour before on a particularly gruesome hill had faded into a distant memory and I had another medal around my neck. The temperature control in the car read 36 outside (97F).
By the time I got home, Lauren (unusually for her) has just got up and had a fresh pot of coffe on the go and a big loaf of Sourdough on the board. I could tell it was going to be a good day!
*SC is not a pet-Blog name I have for my work colleague. His name really is SC.
Pre-Race
I have not been training very much over the last month as I have been trying to rest my shins. Previous posts indicate that I still seem to have a fairly good level of residual fitness, but my legs are not that strong. Definitely something to work on for my big "A" race this year (Singapore marathon -December). I decided not to run at all this week and let my shin rest completely so I had a couple of 45 minute evening walks but no running.
The night before the race was a catalogue of things you shouldn't do. Beer (three or four!!?!?), margaritas (just the one), spicy fajitas and not enough water. I was in bed by eleven. I set the alarm and crept between the sheets feeling slightly anxious about the fact that I finished the night with two pints of water on top of the beers and with all that liquid hadn't needed to pee for about 5 hours. I did have the sense to get my race bag ready and pin my number to my top which helped me to mentally check off a bunch of what-could-go-wrongs-in-the morning.
The alarm went at 5:45 and I got up immediately. Lauren never stirred. I had been in a deep dream about something work-related which i continued to think about whilst I made a PB&J and guzzled a litre of water. After liberally applying Vaseline to the chafing bits, i was dressed and out the door with another PB&J in hand, Polar strapped to wrist and cap on head.
I was pretty sure I knew where the race site was and where to get some parking, but little did I expect to have to go from car-lot to car-lot in the park trying to find a space. Mental note for next time. Malaysians like to get there early! All in all, it wasn't that far from where we live and by the time I found a space and walked down to the start tents, it was about 6:30.
The race started at 7:15 and I used the 45 minutes I had to warm up and stretch and stretch and stretch. I was psychologically beating myself up at the potential damage i was about to do to my shins if they weren't quite ready and I was determined to do everything that i could to prepare them for the day. There was a great water station in the tent and I slowly supped on water for the 45 minutes. By 7:10, after a quick pee in the bushes I was on my way to the start line with legs that couldn't be any warmer. On route, I met, SC, a colleague from work, who told me that this was going to be hot and hilly, really hilly.
The Race
This was always going to be a gentle training run so I had no expectations about time and I was in no hurry to get to the front of the crowd. I just found a space somewhere around two-thirds of the way from the front of starting chute. I checked my laces, checked my watch and said good luck to SC*. The horn went and we were off. It was fully light by then and starting to get warm.
The first couple of kilometers were un-eventful, some long but not too steep uphills and downhills and wide streets with plenty of space. Then, things changed. The gradients got steeper, and the hills got longer. By the time the first water station appeared at around 4.2km I was really feeling the effects of beer and fajitas and was hot and thirsty. I hit the water station in 23 minutes and felt good, believing momentarily that I was on for somewhere around a 1:20 race.
By the time the 5.5km point hit us, we were on an unshaded steep ascent. I looked at the temperature on my Polar (which is never 100% accurate but is normally a good ball-park) and it read 31 degrees (that is 88F in American money). The hill in front of me was enough to immediately switch to a run-walk strategy. In my head I thought three things: I am burning too much energy trying to run this monster. I tend to train on the flat or small hills and am just not good at hills. Walking with a powerful long stride will get me up this hill faster than most of the people around me will get up it "running".
So, my strategy, walk the steeps, shuffle run the moderates and 'run' the downhills to make up the time. All in all, a few people passed me on the uphills, but most people were so burned out by the time they hit the top that they had nothing left, even for the downhill so I was taking out dozens and dozens on each of the downs and the (minimal) flats.
At the 10K mark, I was at 1.01 and hot, but feeling quite strong. At 10k-12k there was what I remember as the only decent flat bit of the course and i extended my stride and increased my pace to something nearer to 5 minutes km's than 6, but it was hard to tell as I had never seen the route before and the distance-signs were not always easy to spot.
With 3km to go, I was starting to feel the lack of training in my legs, and started to notice the hills again. This slowed me right down and I was back into the walk-run. I noticed that many other people had also decided to adopt this strategy, but I am not too sure how many of them planned for it and how many of them were just feeling beaten by the ever increasing temperature and the killer undulation.
With 1K to go, I really had to dig deep and find some mental strength to keep going. It was really hard as I would normally have picked out a pacer at this point and stuck to their shoulder to get me through but I was obviously far enough back in the pack that most of the stronger runners had finished.
I crossed the line feeling hot and dehydrated, but really really happy to have finished without any sign of a pain in my shin and in a time of 1.31 . I spent so much time stressing about my shins that I forgot how much I love to run (even when it is TOUGH running) and I love the atmosphere of race-day.
I read lots of running blogs these days and I love the way different runners describe the high of crossing a finish line. To me, it is like nothing else. It is emotion and pride and joy and relief and exhilaration and pain and punch-the-sky happiness all rolled into one.
By the time I de-briefed with SC, drank about a litre of fluid and gorged on a big juicy watermelon, I made my way back to the car where I changed, stretched for 20 minutes, ate the spare PB&J and set off with a grin on my face. I was back. My shins held up and I felt great. The pain and suffering from an hour before on a particularly gruesome hill had faded into a distant memory and I had another medal around my neck. The temperature control in the car read 36 outside (97F).
By the time I got home, Lauren (unusually for her) has just got up and had a fresh pot of coffe on the go and a big loaf of Sourdough on the board. I could tell it was going to be a good day!
*SC is not a pet-Blog name I have for my work colleague. His name really is SC.
Monday, May 10, 2010
When does it end?
I have spent much of the last couple of weeks reading others people's blogs about running and have got very high hopes for my season ahead. I have written on this blog before about wanting to change it up and a a long term plan to qualify for Boston. Like many of the great bloggers out there, I love to run. I like the feeling of achievement, I like the exileration of running in different types of weather and I love the felling of fintness and health that you have after a particularly challengin run.
For people who dont run, it is actually really hard o put it into words, there is something so 'exciting' about lacing up your trainers and heading out the door. As I did this very thing yesterday in my new (old) Mizunos' I felt strong, I felt motivated, I was hydrated and I was chomping at the bit to get to the park. Here I am, (courtesy of Lauren), about to head out of the door...
I set off and although it was hot (about 30 degrees) I felt strong. I jogged very slowly down to the park (about 1k) and then I stretched out well and really workd on loosening my ankles. Once I felt good and stretched, I set off on the rubber track to comlete my first 1300m loop.
As soon as I set off, I knew that it was not going to be good. I was starting to get a cramp in my calf and my shin really hurt AGAIN. Was it yesterdays walk? Was it poor shoes? Whatever is effecting my shin (left side) is also causing me to now over-compensate and is therefor putting undue stress on my calf muscle. My new shoes are definetly a stronger more stable fit for me and they really feel like they are supporting me where I need support.
Runners who cannot run will be able to relate to how I am feeling right now. Frustration is the closest word to describe it, but i dont even think that this does it justice. I am starting to think that I need to stay off it for a solid month, but even that seems like a lifetime. I completed 2 laps of the park yesterday and knew I just had to give it a rest. I really dont know what i can do next???Physio? RICER? lay about?
I am soooo wound up right now. The running gods are not with me and I have to stay off my feet for a month, which is about three and a half weeks longer than I have to and three weeks longer than I proably will.
For people who dont run, it is actually really hard o put it into words, there is something so 'exciting' about lacing up your trainers and heading out the door. As I did this very thing yesterday in my new (old) Mizunos' I felt strong, I felt motivated, I was hydrated and I was chomping at the bit to get to the park. Here I am, (courtesy of Lauren), about to head out of the door...
I set off and although it was hot (about 30 degrees) I felt strong. I jogged very slowly down to the park (about 1k) and then I stretched out well and really workd on loosening my ankles. Once I felt good and stretched, I set off on the rubber track to comlete my first 1300m loop.
As soon as I set off, I knew that it was not going to be good. I was starting to get a cramp in my calf and my shin really hurt AGAIN. Was it yesterdays walk? Was it poor shoes? Whatever is effecting my shin (left side) is also causing me to now over-compensate and is therefor putting undue stress on my calf muscle. My new shoes are definetly a stronger more stable fit for me and they really feel like they are supporting me where I need support.
Runners who cannot run will be able to relate to how I am feeling right now. Frustration is the closest word to describe it, but i dont even think that this does it justice. I am starting to think that I need to stay off it for a solid month, but even that seems like a lifetime. I completed 2 laps of the park yesterday and knew I just had to give it a rest. I really dont know what i can do next???Physio? RICER? lay about?
I am soooo wound up right now. The running gods are not with me and I have to stay off my feet for a month, which is about three and a half weeks longer than I have to and three weeks longer than I proably will.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
London Baby
The online registration for the entry ballot to the London Marathon 2011 is now open! and I am in. As a foreign entry, i have a **slightly** higher chance of getting a space than the 150,000 people from the UK who put their names in the hat.
London is where i set my PB... and having missed the four hour mark by a matter of seconds in 2009, I really want to get back there; where the weather wont be against me; and see what I can do.
London 2011 (if i get a space) is going to be a crucial step on my 24 month quest to qualify for Boston. I really want to take 15-18 minutes off my time by the time this race comes along. I better get training...
London is where i set my PB... and having missed the four hour mark by a matter of seconds in 2009, I really want to get back there; where the weather wont be against me; and see what I can do.
London 2011 (if i get a space) is going to be a crucial step on my 24 month quest to qualify for Boston. I really want to take 15-18 minutes off my time by the time this race comes along. I better get training...
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Challenges
Lauren tells me that i shouldn't buy something when I first walk into a shop, I should walk away and if I am still thinking about it later then it is a sign that I really want it. In a similar vein, I have been thinking about writing this post for a while. I didnt want to write it straight away as committing it to paper [read: blog] is like commiting to it in blood.
I have run three marathons and am in training for my fourth. This will be my fourth in four years, if i can get over the shins splints. I have never broken 4 hours, even in London when the elements were with me. I could list a whole variety of excuses, but in reality, I have never broken four hours because i have not trained well. In the beginning, for the first two, I didnt know any better. For the third I was cross training a lot as it came four weeks after a half-ironman, and my body was tired.
I started running when I was 29. Before that I could not run for the bus. I was overweight, I had a terrible diet and was lazy. I did not have a particularly active childhood. I played in the garden and mucked about with my brother, but i was not a big footballer, never really played rugby and i never made any 'teams' at school (except for badminton because i was quite good and it didnt involve running around!). So running, at 29, was new.
I have done a bunch of 5k, 10k and half marathons, I have also completed sprint and olympic triathlons, two half-ironmans and as stated, three full marathons. I am no contender, but i finish. I dont think that I have the build or abilities of a "natural" athlete, but i like to run and i love being in good shape.
So the question is, can I qualify for the most prestigious Marathon in the world?
I have run three marathons and am in training for my fourth. This will be my fourth in four years, if i can get over the shins splints. I have never broken 4 hours, even in London when the elements were with me. I could list a whole variety of excuses, but in reality, I have never broken four hours because i have not trained well. In the beginning, for the first two, I didnt know any better. For the third I was cross training a lot as it came four weeks after a half-ironman, and my body was tired.
I started running when I was 29. Before that I could not run for the bus. I was overweight, I had a terrible diet and was lazy. I did not have a particularly active childhood. I played in the garden and mucked about with my brother, but i was not a big footballer, never really played rugby and i never made any 'teams' at school (except for badminton because i was quite good and it didnt involve running around!). So running, at 29, was new.
I have done a bunch of 5k, 10k and half marathons, I have also completed sprint and olympic triathlons, two half-ironmans and as stated, three full marathons. I am no contender, but i finish. I dont think that I have the build or abilities of a "natural" athlete, but i like to run and i love being in good shape.
So the question is, can I qualify for the most prestigious Marathon in the world?
If I wish to qualify for Boston before I am 40 (different age categories have different times) I need to run a qualifying marathon in 3 hours and 14 minutes. That is forty seven minutes (almost to the dollar) quicker than the last time that I ran that same distance. That is 1 minute and a bit less per kilometre, every kilometre. If I wish to do it before I am 35, then I have to do it 5 minutes faster THAN THAT.
I have been doing a lot of research into this over the last four weeks or so and I am uncertain whether it is possible. I have read a lot of blogs and websites and runners magazines and they all have great stories about the people who have gone from couch-potato-to-boston-qualifier, but there is always something in those stories that makes me wonder if there was the hidden body of an athlete underneath the neglected flesh on the sofa. The key, according to, well, everyone, is discipline and intensity. Build up to running 60-70 miles a week every week. Build in some proper speed work. Run trails and hills, run parks, run roads, run beaches. Run LSD and run fartlek. Basically just run. Get your legs and body into such a shape that you can run and run and run. It is all about endurance and your ability to maintain a 4.5 minute kilometer for as long as you want.
One of the sites i read http://www.asksasha.com/Running/How-do-I-train-to-qualify-for-the-Boston-Marathon.html says that it is entirely possible and that the key is to run every day 6 days a week and NEVER miss a run. No matter where you are in the world. No matter how difficult the terrain, there is likely to be a treadmill or a park or a strip of wasteland, but if you want it, if you REALLY want it, then you gotta give it your all.
I am exhausted just thinking about it, but i think it is worth a shot. For the next 24 months, this site is now dedicated to answering the question, "can anyone qualify for Boston?"
No Running
I am looking back at some of my recent posts and think that I am a bit of a whiner. But my shin splints on my left leg are so bad that I cannot run and it is driving me crazy. I really really really want to run. and i cannot. Time to go see a doctor me thinks.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Woop Woop Bring on The Rain
When it rains in Malaysia, it really rains. You have to be a little careful because it is often accompanied by thunder bolts and lightning, which are, obviously, very very frightening.
I did 12km and it absolutely bucketed down on me the entire time. I was soaked through within a hundred paces. And I absolutely loved it. The great thing about running in the rain in the tropics is that it never dropped below 26.
I am sure my shins will regret it tomorrow!
Monday, April 19, 2010
A good run
Today, after more than a week of rest, i test-ran my shins. A slow, steady 4k, in my older trainers and i had a slight tug on my shins whilst i warmed up, but all was good. I am going to leave them another week, but I reckon, I am back on track. I just need to slow down, warm up, stretch out, and not push it too much for next couple of months, building gradually.
Happy Days!
Happy Days!
Friday, April 16, 2010
First Race of the year
I have found my first race of the year…. There is a 15km road race in KL on 16th May which I think is long enough away for my shin splints to be rested and for me to get back to doing some middle distance runs. Our wedding is on the 25th June and we will be in the UK for a few days at the start of June so I wont get another in until July if I don’t do this one, so I might as well get registered
I still can't run, but then my plan was to rest up this week so I wont complain.
I still can't run, but then my plan was to rest up this week so I wont complain.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
More Bore
It has not been a good week for my training.
I had a good swim and have been continuing with my push ups – (I have passed the 100 mark!) but I cannot run. I have terrible shin splints in my left leg that are causing me all sorts of grief.
My plan is to rest a couple of weeks - I can continue to swim for an aerobic workout and will keep up the upper body and core strength workouts. This should buy me some time to let my leg start to heal. I have been doing a lot of reading about shin splints and see that there is not much else I can do at this point other than ice it and rest it.
Part ii of my plan is to buy new trainers. I don’t think that ones that I have are doing me any good and are probably past their best anyway. I really want to get some expert advice on the shoes, but it is very difficult to find in Malaysia. I went into two or three generic shoes stores in KL this week, including the addidas and Nike stores and both were staffed by retail assistants who knew nothing about their products or the different shoe types in stock. The third store was a large sports department store with all of the good brands – the above two as well as New Balance, Mizuno and Asics. The guy in store who asked me if I wanted help, responded to my question about stability versus cushioning with a question about what colors I liked…. Not much use to anyone.
The other thing that set me back was a skin-full of margaritas on Saturday night which meant that Sunday, normally a good long-workout day was a complete write-off. I doubt that had any real impact on the shin splints, but I am off the booze now for a couple of weeks and see if it all comes together
I had a good swim and have been continuing with my push ups – (I have passed the 100 mark!) but I cannot run. I have terrible shin splints in my left leg that are causing me all sorts of grief.
My plan is to rest a couple of weeks - I can continue to swim for an aerobic workout and will keep up the upper body and core strength workouts. This should buy me some time to let my leg start to heal. I have been doing a lot of reading about shin splints and see that there is not much else I can do at this point other than ice it and rest it.
Part ii of my plan is to buy new trainers. I don’t think that ones that I have are doing me any good and are probably past their best anyway. I really want to get some expert advice on the shoes, but it is very difficult to find in Malaysia. I went into two or three generic shoes stores in KL this week, including the addidas and Nike stores and both were staffed by retail assistants who knew nothing about their products or the different shoe types in stock. The third store was a large sports department store with all of the good brands – the above two as well as New Balance, Mizuno and Asics. The guy in store who asked me if I wanted help, responded to my question about stability versus cushioning with a question about what colors I liked…. Not much use to anyone.
The other thing that set me back was a skin-full of margaritas on Saturday night which meant that Sunday, normally a good long-workout day was a complete write-off. I doubt that had any real impact on the shin splints, but I am off the booze now for a couple of weeks and see if it all comes together
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Running to the beat
Last night after work i headed down to the gym for a run. I was, as normal, in a running vest and shorts and had a polar heart monitor/chest strap snugly fitted beneath my shirt.
I jumped on the treadmill next to a fairly healthy looking guy clipping along at 15kph. I trotted out my normal 1500m at a steady pace and then got off to stretch out my limbs and prepare for a faster 5k. Mr. 15kph was now mr 17kph.
Anyway, I jumped back on and decided that the momentum of my neighbour was enough motivation to try a fast run and I whacked up the speed and set off. Within a couple of minutes I could see my heart rate on the treadmill was slowly but steadily climbing (as you would expect at sub 5-minute 5km's). I kept plodding along until I noticed that my heart rate was ALSO climbing slowly and steadily on my nieghbour's treadmill screen.
Now, the reason that I am doing these faster 5's is that my heart rate is low and constant at anywhere below 10.5km's per hour. I need to get to a point where my heart is sitting at 150bpm at a pace of 12kph (or slightly less) if I want to reduce my marathon time by 15 minutes. This is, after all is the simple economics of fitness.
At the moment though, as i am still building base fitness, anything above 12kph drives my heart rate super high, (especially on my neighbours treadmill screen). When I hit the high 80's and was closing in on 90% maximum bpm, all I could think about was my neighbour. What would I do if i was running along (and he had slowed down a lot by now) and i looked down at my screen and saw a heart rate that was clearly too high for my pace... would it cause me (him) to panic and fall off the treadmill? Would i realise that it wasnt my heart?
All of this nonsense going on in my head made my bpm edge even a little higher. Ignoring it was not an option so, mid-stride, cool-as-a-cucumber, I hoisted my shirt, unshackled my strap and chucked it on the floor, mumbling something about an itch. Did he notice? I have no idea. Did my bpm settle a little? Absolutely. Did i run a 23:35? Yes i did. Did I feel good at the end? Absolutely. Can I go faster next time? Without a doubt. Will I take 15 minutes off my marathon time? No question. Will I wear a heart monitor to the gym next time? Not so sure...
I jumped on the treadmill next to a fairly healthy looking guy clipping along at 15kph. I trotted out my normal 1500m at a steady pace and then got off to stretch out my limbs and prepare for a faster 5k. Mr. 15kph was now mr 17kph.
Anyway, I jumped back on and decided that the momentum of my neighbour was enough motivation to try a fast run and I whacked up the speed and set off. Within a couple of minutes I could see my heart rate on the treadmill was slowly but steadily climbing (as you would expect at sub 5-minute 5km's). I kept plodding along until I noticed that my heart rate was ALSO climbing slowly and steadily on my nieghbour's treadmill screen.
Now, the reason that I am doing these faster 5's is that my heart rate is low and constant at anywhere below 10.5km's per hour. I need to get to a point where my heart is sitting at 150bpm at a pace of 12kph (or slightly less) if I want to reduce my marathon time by 15 minutes. This is, after all is the simple economics of fitness.
At the moment though, as i am still building base fitness, anything above 12kph drives my heart rate super high, (especially on my neighbours treadmill screen). When I hit the high 80's and was closing in on 90% maximum bpm, all I could think about was my neighbour. What would I do if i was running along (and he had slowed down a lot by now) and i looked down at my screen and saw a heart rate that was clearly too high for my pace... would it cause me (him) to panic and fall off the treadmill? Would i realise that it wasnt my heart?
All of this nonsense going on in my head made my bpm edge even a little higher. Ignoring it was not an option so, mid-stride, cool-as-a-cucumber, I hoisted my shirt, unshackled my strap and chucked it on the floor, mumbling something about an itch. Did he notice? I have no idea. Did my bpm settle a little? Absolutely. Did i run a 23:35? Yes i did. Did I feel good at the end? Absolutely. Can I go faster next time? Without a doubt. Will I take 15 minutes off my marathon time? No question. Will I wear a heart monitor to the gym next time? Not so sure...
Monday, April 5, 2010
those were the days...
I have referred a couple of times on this blog to the days when i was "a little heavier" than I am now. I recently found some pictures of those days. The chins appear to have been a particular favorite at the time!
My whole life has changed so much since then. I eat [a little] better, I defintely dont drink as much, I love to workout, to walk to swim (although swimming has its limits for me!) and I am all round a lot healthier. I am also 10 kilos lighter and 6 inches slimmer in the trouser!. All I need to do when I need a little extra motivation to go to the gym is to look at photos like these!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Holidays!
In a couple of hours we are off to the Beautiful isalnd of Bali for the weekend. It is where Lauren and I have chosen to get married later this summer. The "day" is coming fast and as if we needed an excuse to get down there before the big day, our wedding planner said she would organise a food tasting and another tour of the venue so we were booked like a shot.
This is now the end of March and when I look back at my posting from the end of February, I see that I was promising myself to up-the-ante with the training. Being sick for the best part of a week didn't help, but I had a couple of good hikes this month, some good runs, have kept up the push ups and have been doing a swim at least once a week. My miles (even with the sick week) have increased as well, although I didn't get on the bike again this month.
**Something NEW** I jumped onto the eliptical one evening this week and did 20 minutes of steady pace. Having never used one before, I was really quite impressed with the workout and will try to include some more of that in my routine. My calves and quads certainly took notice of it. I am not sure why, but i have always been a bit dismissive of it in the past, so I need to apologise to all those people I have gently mocked (in my head) in the gym all those times.
After the eliptical, I got off and straight onto the treadmill for a 27 minute 5k with a relatively low hear rate which is good stuff. It is all strating ot come back a bit easier now and my legs are coping well. My biggest worry as I start to increase my miles was a repeat of the shin splints i suffered from early in last years training, but so far so good. Not going to get too complacent though - so it is probably time for a new pair of trainers!
I figured out my plan at work today for the next woupld of weeks and realised that there is no travel involved for the first two weeks of April, so I am going to GET-ON-IT!
This is now the end of March and when I look back at my posting from the end of February, I see that I was promising myself to up-the-ante with the training. Being sick for the best part of a week didn't help, but I had a couple of good hikes this month, some good runs, have kept up the push ups and have been doing a swim at least once a week. My miles (even with the sick week) have increased as well, although I didn't get on the bike again this month.
**Something NEW** I jumped onto the eliptical one evening this week and did 20 minutes of steady pace. Having never used one before, I was really quite impressed with the workout and will try to include some more of that in my routine. My calves and quads certainly took notice of it. I am not sure why, but i have always been a bit dismissive of it in the past, so I need to apologise to all those people I have gently mocked (in my head) in the gym all those times.
After the eliptical, I got off and straight onto the treadmill for a 27 minute 5k with a relatively low hear rate which is good stuff. It is all strating ot come back a bit easier now and my legs are coping well. My biggest worry as I start to increase my miles was a repeat of the shin splints i suffered from early in last years training, but so far so good. Not going to get too complacent though - so it is probably time for a new pair of trainers!
I figured out my plan at work today for the next woupld of weeks and realised that there is no travel involved for the first two weeks of April, so I am going to GET-ON-IT!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Oh Crap!
I hate getting sick. I had such a great workout on Monday and then I woke up on Tuesday morning feeling slightly out of sorts. By Lunchtime my eyes were streaming and my throat swollen. By the time I left the office at the end of the day all I was good for was bed.
I really hoped to get a fast 5k in this week. It is now Thursday and I still feel like crap. My flight out is late tomorrow so I wont get a workout in tomorrow either.
Being sick sucks!
I really hoped to get a fast 5k in this week. It is now Thursday and I still feel like crap. My flight out is late tomorrow so I wont get a workout in tomorrow either.
Being sick sucks!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Where does time go?
When I started running a few years ago, I was fat. And i had more time.
When i think back to those days, I had loads of time to train and I worked hard. Only, I didnt know very much about training. Knowing what I know now, I probably wouldn't have done so many slow miles. I did a lot of 10k runs. Slow and steady. These were a great to start to build up some stamina, but when I was marathon training for my first full, I had loads of time on my hands, I wasn't travelling for work and I was bored a lot. I didnt think about Fartlek or intervals or even basic strength training.
These days, this is all I think about. They key to this sentence is the word "think because I am sitting in a hotel room in Jakarta having just taken an hour out to do a run and have just noticed that it is almost the end of March and I have not been running "EVERY DAY" like i used too... where does time go? Now all I seem to have time for is my standard 5k or 10k's building up my stamina and base. Not that that is a bad thig, but I have to find a way to do more.
My run this evening was great. I warmed up with 1500m slow jog and then a good stretch. Then I jumped back on the treadmill and did a full 60 mins at 10k per hour with a low steady heartbeat. Nice! I felt great and at no point did i weaken, or get tired or feel any sort of fatigue in my legs. I think this might be a sign to step it up. I even had enough energy left to do three sets of twenty push ups at the end whilst I was stretching out my calves and hamstrings. This is the sort of evening after-work workout I need to do more of.
Wednesday I am planning to go for a 22 minute 5k. I must remember to drink loads of water on Tuesday and Wednesday!
When i think back to those days, I had loads of time to train and I worked hard. Only, I didnt know very much about training. Knowing what I know now, I probably wouldn't have done so many slow miles. I did a lot of 10k runs. Slow and steady. These were a great to start to build up some stamina, but when I was marathon training for my first full, I had loads of time on my hands, I wasn't travelling for work and I was bored a lot. I didnt think about Fartlek or intervals or even basic strength training.
These days, this is all I think about. They key to this sentence is the word "think because I am sitting in a hotel room in Jakarta having just taken an hour out to do a run and have just noticed that it is almost the end of March and I have not been running "EVERY DAY" like i used too... where does time go? Now all I seem to have time for is my standard 5k or 10k's building up my stamina and base. Not that that is a bad thig, but I have to find a way to do more.
My run this evening was great. I warmed up with 1500m slow jog and then a good stretch. Then I jumped back on the treadmill and did a full 60 mins at 10k per hour with a low steady heartbeat. Nice! I felt great and at no point did i weaken, or get tired or feel any sort of fatigue in my legs. I think this might be a sign to step it up. I even had enough energy left to do three sets of twenty push ups at the end whilst I was stretching out my calves and hamstrings. This is the sort of evening after-work workout I need to do more of.
Wednesday I am planning to go for a 22 minute 5k. I must remember to drink loads of water on Tuesday and Wednesday!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
A new lease of life
In the last week of February I read a few blogs about running. I spent a couple of hours going through the different sites clikcing link to link reading about different peoples amazing adventures and their individual spirits of competitiveness and focus. The time invested did 2 things for me: it gave me a really good boost to get back on it and start to increase the miles and sign up for some races; and it reminded me that for most of the world's population, completing a marathon is an amazing feat in itself. Of all the people who do complete a marathon, the minority who go sub-four hours (never mind sub three hours) are all amzingly fit/and or have the time to run 15 hours a week and/or are freaks of nature. That being said, 3:45:00 is not impossible - i just need to remind myself when I read some of these blogs that I need to stop comparing my routine to theirs and ensure that I have a training regime that works for me.
The one thing that the blogs did do for me was to remind me of the importance of good steady base-building. I was reading a blog (and i am sorry that I cannot remember the reference) but he recorded he bpm, pace and time for every run. He was building a really solid base by putting in the slow miles, 145 bpm at a time.
I am writing this today from a hotel in Singapore where I have just been for my second outdoor-run of the week. Good solid sixty minute runs, moderate pace, low bpm and it feels great. I need to do more of this. I had also forgotten how much I like running in and around the botanic gardens in Singapore. I was amazed at how many other runners were out! It has been six months since I moved from Singapore and I miss living here!!
The one thing that the blogs did do for me was to remind me of the importance of good steady base-building. I was reading a blog (and i am sorry that I cannot remember the reference) but he recorded he bpm, pace and time for every run. He was building a really solid base by putting in the slow miles, 145 bpm at a time.
I am writing this today from a hotel in Singapore where I have just been for my second outdoor-run of the week. Good solid sixty minute runs, moderate pace, low bpm and it feels great. I need to do more of this. I had also forgotten how much I like running in and around the botanic gardens in Singapore. I was amazed at how many other runners were out! It has been six months since I moved from Singapore and I miss living here!!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
February Dismal Stats
I have swum two and a half times: about 3400m in total
I have been out for one mountain bike ride.
I have not been out on my road bike at all.
I have been doing my push ups (the only real positive in February)
I have run 7 times with a total of about 62k.
This I feel is pathetic.March has GOT to be better if I want to do those PBs
I have been out for one mountain bike ride.
I have not been out on my road bike at all.
I have been doing my push ups (the only real positive in February)
I have run 7 times with a total of about 62k.
This I feel is pathetic.March has GOT to be better if I want to do those PBs
Thursday, February 25, 2010
A blog to follow
A few months ago I found and started to follow Soctt Dunlap's brilliant blog about Trail Running, and the various road races he enters. Wow that guy is fast and always seems so happy! Anyway, i have been feeling a little out of sorts with my training so far, especially this month. Whenever I need a boost of motivation I read his blog. The post i just read about a recent 1:14 half marathon really makes me want to get out my trainers and start running again
you can read his post here
you can read his post here
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
ONE HUNDRED PUSH UPS (part ii)
I have been doing this routine (from their website) now for three weeks and it is amazing how much better i am getting already. This morning I did the following set:
22 (45 second break)
30 (120 second break)
20 (120 second break)
20 (100 second break)
31
My arms are now dead-weights pulling at my sides, but i really feel that this workout is helping me with my swimming. I jumped in the pool last night and did a warm up of 300m. I then took about two minutes and a couple of good mouthfuls of gatorade before going back and doing a straight steady set of 1000m without the normal arm and shoulder fatigue i normal suffer from. Of all of the triathlon distances, this is the one that I really need to work on but the push ups seem to be making a big difference.
As a note of caution, last week i did my push ups before getting into the poll and i lasted about 400m in total and simply had nothing left in my arms- NOT a good morale booster!
22 (45 second break)
30 (120 second break)
20 (120 second break)
20 (100 second break)
31
My arms are now dead-weights pulling at my sides, but i really feel that this workout is helping me with my swimming. I jumped in the pool last night and did a warm up of 300m. I then took about two minutes and a couple of good mouthfuls of gatorade before going back and doing a straight steady set of 1000m without the normal arm and shoulder fatigue i normal suffer from. Of all of the triathlon distances, this is the one that I really need to work on but the push ups seem to be making a big difference.
As a note of caution, last week i did my push ups before getting into the poll and i lasted about 400m in total and simply had nothing left in my arms- NOT a good morale booster!
Monday, February 15, 2010
weeks in summary
Two weeks have gone by and I am trying to remind myself occassionally to post on this blog. I havent given the address to many people, but i do need to remind myself that I am writing about running as much as a reminder to run as anything else.
I have run about 30k in two weeks and had a good swim. I am not trying to bust it and am very much focussed on getting back in shape and building up my base. In the same two weeks, I have spent a few days in Beijing in China where I was able to get a couple of good runs in (8k and 10k) and finshed at the end of the week with a 23.54 5k which is not too shabby.
I have run about 30k in two weeks and had a good swim. I am not trying to bust it and am very much focussed on getting back in shape and building up my base. In the same two weeks, I have spent a few days in Beijing in China where I was able to get a couple of good runs in (8k and 10k) and finshed at the end of the week with a 23.54 5k which is not too shabby.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
100 PUSH UPS
Someone sent me a link today to a site called one hundred push ups that has a training schedule and some handy notes for you to improve ypur technique and obviously build up to 100. I thought that I would start with the test after a 20 minute warm up run on the treadmill in the hotel.
I was starting to feel it at 18 and had to quit at 27 (the test is designed to point you to which workout program to follow). I am going to give it a couple of days but I have printed off my push up routine for the week, pasted it into my diary and am keen to get started.
I was starting to feel it at 18 and had to quit at 27 (the test is designed to point you to which workout program to follow). I am going to give it a couple of days but I have printed off my push up routine for the week, pasted it into my diary and am keen to get started.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Treadmill keeps on turning
This week I am in Jakarta, Indonesia. The gym in this hotel is pretty good and have a bunch of treadmills that look out over a garden with a nice pool. When I got to the hotel tonight I thought I would get down there and have a run. Pretty happy with 10k in 59 minutes with an average bpm of 141.
The hotel is in a fairly respectable part of Jakarta and the gym is open for public membership meaning that it is a very mixed crowd of westerners there for business, westerners who live in JKT and locals. Funny that a whatever their nationality a Muscle Mary is a Muscle Mary wherever you go. I actually wanted to laugh out loud at one point in my run at the absurd noises coming from muscle mary A to muscle mary B at the bench press - that coupled with the words of "motivational wisdom" really were enough to keep my distracted enough to log the miles and go home with a smile.
I still have not decided on which races (if any) to complete this year but that will come.
The hotel is in a fairly respectable part of Jakarta and the gym is open for public membership meaning that it is a very mixed crowd of westerners there for business, westerners who live in JKT and locals. Funny that a whatever their nationality a Muscle Mary is a Muscle Mary wherever you go. I actually wanted to laugh out loud at one point in my run at the absurd noises coming from muscle mary A to muscle mary B at the bench press - that coupled with the words of "motivational wisdom" really were enough to keep my distracted enough to log the miles and go home with a smile.
I still have not decided on which races (if any) to complete this year but that will come.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Goals...
Today is a good day. I 'achieved' today. That is to say that I managed to close off a few important things from my to do list and move onto other less pressing, but have-been-waiting-longer things that have piled up. I like the sense of well-being i get when I feel like I have achieved. Doesn't really matter what it is or where I am, if i feel like i have completed something or added value to something, it really does lighten my day!
Speaking of, I got back on the treadmill last night and banged out a moderately paced 12k (just over an hour) and that too felt like achievement. My legs are a little tired today, and I know that I am still building back up my fitness but I knew that tonights plans meant that Wednesday would be workout free and I could push it a little. In my last post I said I would write a training calendar for myself. Well, I havent written a schedule yet, I thought it best to start with some goals. As I am feeling pretty good right now, I think I need to be honest, but not conservative, ambitious, but not wholly unrealistic. Therefore, in 2010:
Speaking of, I got back on the treadmill last night and banged out a moderately paced 12k (just over an hour) and that too felt like achievement. My legs are a little tired today, and I know that I am still building back up my fitness but I knew that tonights plans meant that Wednesday would be workout free and I could push it a little. In my last post I said I would write a training calendar for myself. Well, I havent written a schedule yet, I thought it best to start with some goals. As I am feeling pretty good right now, I think I need to be honest, but not conservative, ambitious, but not wholly unrealistic. Therefore, in 2010:
- I would like to run a 45 minute 10k
- I would like to reduce my marathon time to 3:45
- I would like to do a sprint tri in under 1:20
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Poor Start
I am a worrier.
At the moment, my worry is about my work-out routine. Why? I have no idea. Bizarrely enough I have done a couple of 1500m swims this year. I have run twice, both 5km, both under 25 minutes. I have also been and hit the gym hard twice. So what is there to worry about? All I know is that I dont feel like I am getting it right. It is probably because i am no where near the sirt of miles of was doing at the height of last years training and i am feeling withdrawl!
My solution. Do what the magazines and the blogs say to do. Pick a race or two at which I would like to climax this year and build a training schedule, in phases, building up to them. The Singapore Marathon is an obvious choice, but that is in December and is too far away for the first peak, so I will go away and think long and hard about the year and report back.
At the moment, my worry is about my work-out routine. Why? I have no idea. Bizarrely enough I have done a couple of 1500m swims this year. I have run twice, both 5km, both under 25 minutes. I have also been and hit the gym hard twice. So what is there to worry about? All I know is that I dont feel like I am getting it right. It is probably because i am no where near the sirt of miles of was doing at the height of last years training and i am feeling withdrawl!
My solution. Do what the magazines and the blogs say to do. Pick a race or two at which I would like to climax this year and build a training schedule, in phases, building up to them. The Singapore Marathon is an obvious choice, but that is in December and is too far away for the first peak, so I will go away and think long and hard about the year and report back.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
New Years (Un)Resolution
My first day back at work in 2010 and i am slightly ashamed to say that I have not done any real exercise yet this year. I set out with such great expectations, but the wedding we attended and the subsequent feasting in Sydney proved too much of a draw and I have am absolutely knackered as a result.
The flights there and back were uneventful, but Malaysia Airlines really doesn't have a patch on Singapore and I spent most of the flight in a grump as a result.
Sydney is a geat town. There are a lot of cool suburbs, excellent restaurants and gorgeous people everywhere. We saw runners, bikes, swimmers and surfers pretty much everywhere we went - lending themselves a very healthy atmosphere which I am sure would be pretty infectious if you lived there. I recently read that Australia has a higher level of obesity per capita than the US!? I am sure this might be true given the quality of the food and the seeming lack of portion-size control in restaurants. If it is, it was not evident in the suburbs of Sydney that we saw.
The flights there and back were uneventful, but Malaysia Airlines really doesn't have a patch on Singapore and I spent most of the flight in a grump as a result.
Sydney is a geat town. There are a lot of cool suburbs, excellent restaurants and gorgeous people everywhere. We saw runners, bikes, swimmers and surfers pretty much everywhere we went - lending themselves a very healthy atmosphere which I am sure would be pretty infectious if you lived there. I recently read that Australia has a higher level of obesity per capita than the US!? I am sure this might be true given the quality of the food and the seeming lack of portion-size control in restaurants. If it is, it was not evident in the suburbs of Sydney that we saw.
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