My road to 42.195 -- Part 5. The finishing line

Some 20,000 runners gathered at Orchard rd. for a run. It took me 1hr to have my bag deposited. When rushed to startling line. The parade already moved and I could not find my category (<5hrs). And I also had not enough time to stretch and go to toilet. All mall were locked until I ran by Someset 313, it did save my life. It was only after 5k I ran out of slow parade and back to my designated pace. I'm already 10min late than usual. On the other hand it was a good warm ups. I hang on till 30km, when reached Marina bay barrage, the bare land and hot sun killed me, together with the strain. Half run half walk I struggled to the finish line at 4hrs57min38. Thanks the 5:00 pacer I met at Fulerton hotel, help me push to the end.

This is my first marathon, not so easy as expected, especially after 30km, when all the pain came, I even run with eye closed, trying to push the soul above my body, to feel less pain.
Shall I do another one? Sure, I still need to run into sub-4 as I promised to myself.

My road to 42.195 -- Part 4. The milestones

Mar. 28, started regular run.
May 6, 1st running event took. JP Morgan corporate challenge. Run 5.6km at 32:46.
Jun 5, LSD reached 20km for the first time.
Jun. 13, Mizuno Mt. Faber Run 10km at 53:38.
Jul. 4, Race against Cancer, knee injury.
Aug. 3, start barefoot training.
Sept. 12, SBR&AHM half marathon finished in 1:56:40. Run with old fashioned shoes.
Sept. 18, 1st barefoot race, rank 3rd in NicorrettQuitters Run, 7.5km clocked 31:22.
Sept. 19, rank 11th in POSB run for kids, 8.5km clocked 38:45, injured right calf.
Oct. 10, Newton 30km Challenge finished in 2:52:51, right calf injury worsen.

Oct. 24, Nike city 10k finished 45:50, right foot MTSS.

Nov 5, LSD reached 38km, right foot MTSS worsen.
Nov 28, after 2 week rest, LSD10km in race pace, total mialge reach 985.7km. No run before Marathon.
Dec 5, My 1st Marathon, SCMS, also 1,000km milestone in my running life...

My road to 42.195 -- Part 3. Growing pain

After the first few months' happy time. The problem came, right after I extending milage and speeding up my pace. I developed Runer's knee in my left knee. It was getting worse, the pain hauted even after a short run like 5km. I kept on running through it and iced after run, it did not getting any better. And in mid of July, right after Race Against Cancer, I hit the wall at 24km and my legs gave up. I thought I could not extend the milage anymore,but there was still enough time for the coming Singapore Bay Run & Army Half Marathon and year end Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore (SCMS). I decided to taper off and cure the injury before it becoming chonicle disease.

Again, I searched internet and library, for the running injury. I visited Dr. Pribut's website and followed the instruction to cut off the hill session and add side stretch to my warm up and post run cool down. And did follow R I C E (rest, ice, compression, elevation) rule. It did make me better but I was doubting about my running technique, especially feet striking pattern.  A lot of people were talking about natural running form against heel striking with modern cusioned shoes. People attribute the knee injury to the heel striking. And fore foot or mid foot striking were capable of knee injury prevention. I got a lot information from a book called Run For Life. It was comprehensive enough of cinvincing me to switch to fore/mid foot striking. Had not been even going through Born To Run, I put myself into barefoot run. Especially when I happened read one of my colleague's (Barefoot Pua) blog, barefoot runner's running story. I did my first barefoot run a few weeks after my tapering for knee injury. It was nothing but a little bit strain in calves, like many bare footer's experience, more easier than imagination. The following weeks I trained with barefoot at least two times per-week. But I only tried one LSD with bare boot, the east side run with SG runners forummers. My soles ended up with blisters owing to hilly terrain and bad road condition.

I kept on barefoot training and tried to landed with fore or middle foot. It did cure my knee pain and soon, before Singapore Bay Run & Army Half Marathon.  I was totally free of knee injury. To reducing sole hurts, I also tryied old fashioned running shoes I bought from China. I worth only RMB20 (S$4) a pair. They weighted <400g and equivalent to mid-weighted training shoes. The sole is flexible and the sense of ground touching is great! I even raced with them in Army Half Marathon after tried run with 2 LSDs >20km. Later I even boasted to my wife that I needed not bought Vibram Five Fingers and saved 200 bulks and my running hobbie was costless. I was very happy to be freed from knee injury and indulged myself to this barefoot and minimalist running life. I even did one short distance race (Nicorettquitters Run, 7.5km) with barefoot and ranked 3rd.

I was too optimistic about the barefoot run. So that my race schedule is full in Sept and Oct. I took 3 races in Sept and 2 races in Oct. Ranged from 7.5km to 30km, two of them were in same weekend! And during that period I was still inceasing milage for year end Marathon. Finanlly my right leg injured. I though it began after high intensity run in Sept. I finished half marathon on Sept. 12. And then run into 7.5k race on Sept 18, 8.5k race on Sept 19. I was rewarded right calf strain beside a broze trophy. It got worse after Newton 30k run, the following week LSD I developed ankle pain after 9km mark. I'v run through it and took it to next week's Nike 10k. Latter it got even worse and I try to sustained another 2 weeks, before my tapering week. I could do no tapering because I was totally disable to run. I even limped to work. I did checked Dr. Pribut's web and found my problem to be MTSS (medial tibial stress syndrome).

Actually barefoot is not panacea. When I sit down and look back my running history, I find it outcame from my running progress. First, In the first 10 weeks, my weekly milage increased by 170%, from 16.8km to 45.5km, 17% increase per week (much higher than recommended <10%). That stressed my left leg runner's knee. Second, I boosted my tempo pace from 7.1min/km to 4.8min/km (by 48%) in first three months. Following three month training totally with barefoot + thin sole running shoes with peak speed as high as ~4min/km, and continous extended LSD distance as long as 38km. My weakest point, right heel, ankle and calf, gave up at last. Some expert said injury was cause by muscle imbalance. That is true. There is always weak point in one's body, it could be hiding behind when he run leisurely, without stress. They will come out as distance and speed increases, and stress accumulates.

Some one blame the injury to the muscle imbalance. I should blame my ambition. I injured because my physical and mind imbalance. I need take it slow and build up my fitness before I engaging to a longer or faster endurance run. If I could not control myself, I' could injure myself again and again, and end up with giving up running at last.

3 days before SCMS, my MTSS is almost recoverd after ~1month rest. It should be a new start to know my limit and let me set another goal and plan for next year Sundown Marathon.

My road to 42.195 -- Part 2. Learn to run

What I learned from 跑步重點指導 was the basic concepts techniques of running, that all runner should know. I realized one run per week was only sufficient to maintain my current status from inclining. I need to run at least 3 runs to improve my cariovascular capability. So I followed its instruction to run 4 times to accumulate 30pts per week (The pts was rated with running distance and timing. For example, 13min for 1.6km got 2pts, while 32min for 8km got 30pts). My weekly milage at that time was less than 15km. And soon the JP Morgan race day came and I finished with good timing (32:46), 2 more minutes faster than I expected. That is my first achievement. I was a kind of enjoying the run, and seeking for the next goal.
I found SGRunners forum by internet searching, only to iscover there were so many running events each month in S'pore. One interested me most was Mizuno Mt. Faber Run (10km) held one month later (Jun. 13). It was a ideal goal after 5km. I signed up despite its hilly terrain. And I soon increased my weekly milage over 20km. I also searched in the internet and local library for a real training plan. Brain Training For Runners came to my sight. I had no idea of "brain training", to me, it was just a concrete training plan (the half of book are training plans ranging from 5k to marathon), what I need urgently. Soon I worked out my personal plan referred from it. And classified my weekly 4 runs to Interval, Tempo, LSD (long slow distance), together they would build up my endurance, stamina, and speed. I also tried noticed running form was essential for running, and added core training, cross training and running drills to my plan. I never found it so easy to expand my long run distance after breaking 5k's barrier, I reached 10k 1week after JP Morgan, reached 15k the next week. Then, there came the Mizuno Mt. Faber Run, again I finished 53:38 among the top 10% runners.

One week before Mizuno run, the inaugural Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2010 opened its registration. I wodered if this year end marathon should be my next target. Finally I mae up my mind if I can finish 20k that weeks long run I would sign up full marathon. Before that, my LSD had reached to 17km. I started ~10pm that Saturday night aftermy baby sleeping. With Matt Fitzgerald's help, I achieved the goal within 2hrs8min. No doubt I send myself to to marathon starting line.

My road to 42.195 -- Part 1. The starting line

I'm now standing at the starting line, to finish my very first marathon, the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2010. There is only one month to go. I never dreamed to be a runner eight months ago, nor even a marathoner.

I was 36 then, the longest run was 1,500m run done in the unversity 14 years ago. And I never run over that in my life. I used to be a 4x100m sprinter at school. I was a kind of casual runner relied on my talent only, never took serious training. I liked to finish the run in a short period. I could not bear the bitterness of long time to reach the finish line.

I received my biennial medical report early this year. Again, the colesterol was above the normal level, like last time. I hate my life style, like a machine, eworking, eating and sleeping. I used to manage to swim 2~3 times a week after last check, but finally gave up because the venue is not convenient. This time I felt a change were mandated. So a couple of days later, when one of my collegue called me to join the JP Morgan Corporate challenge (5.6km). I signed up without hesitation.

5k is the 1st step for all runners as later I knew. I put it as my target and decided to training for it in a month (the race date is May 6). Following Sunday (Mar. 28) morning I started my first long run in Pasir Ris Park. It was a hard begining (I expected, and that is why I always rejected to take long run), I felt exhausted only after half way, and wanted to give up the rest of run. The good new was I finished the 5k run in a hour without a break of walk. But when I was about to finish I was almost about to fell down. Anyway it was a good begining.

I was running idiot at that time and only repeated the training on weekends. For the following 3 weeks, I run the same route, ended up with same head dizziness and feet fatigue. That was not enjoyable. Until oneday I found a book for beginer runners, 跑步重點指導, wrote by a Japanese veteran runner Yamaji. Following the instruction, I began to run regularly and train seriously.

Why I become a marathoner in S'pore

1, Good enviroment in S'pore, good air quality.
2, Convenient fascilities in S'pore, PCN net work (http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php?option=com_visitorsguide&task=parkconnectors&Itemid=74) for pedestrians, runners, cyclists, roller skaters...
3, Good running culture in S'pore, tons of running events to take in part (http://sgrunners.com/blog/2010-race-calendar/).
4, Friendly tropical weather, always summer, no need to invest for apparels for different seasons.
5, High working intensity in S'pore deteriorates health. High meical expense and insurance cost. Running is a high efficient and low cost way to keep fit.
6, I reside in HDB flats and nearest swimming pool is 2km away, cycling on the road has safty concerns.
7, I'v finished 20km long run in ~2hrs within 2 months from I starting to run.
8, I duly resolved my knee injury and left less barrier and sufficient time for marathon training(4 months ).
9, My wife supports me.

There is Chinese saying best describes my situation: 天时，地利，人和. That means doing the right thing at right time, right place, with right person. I think that is what I'm doing now.