Twilight Ultra 2014: A Testing of My Barefoot Running Edge

I finally gave up 100km plan on Twilight Ultra last month because I didn't think I could extend long run to 60km within 1 month. So it became a part of Sundown marathon training run. I set target to 50km to avoid impact on next day training. The pace should be close to my longest run in Jan, ~7:30/km. Anyway it would be my longest barefoot run.

The ultra is about recovery and wearing out. When to wearing out is irreversible and reach to its end, the game is over. For me the muscle recovery, hydration and energy refill are reversible because I spent sufficent aerobic training time to bring up fat recovery and fat burning ability. At lower intensity workout, my muscle is not easy to wear out and carbonhydrates are conserved. That is why I could run almost 100miles a week while keep my leg refreshed. Even interval training were recovered within 12hrs. I'v done at least 3 doubles a week and soon I'll be run 30km perday. The only irreversible thing is my barefoot soles wear out. It have been stronger and stronger as barefoot mileage accumulates but still limilted by the longest run I'v ever run. I could not imagine I could run 100km with longest run only 43km. In my experience, the longest run should be at least 2/3 of race distance.

The race started 7pm Saturday evening, I'v loaded my stomach with 250gm pasta at 6pm. I had experience in running with stomach full so it was not a problem to me. The only thing is I had to slow down my pace to ~8min/km pace due to blood stream diverted to digestive system. It took me more than 3 hrs to empty my stomach. And once emptied I could run below 7min/km pace. I only got my first refuel at 30km mark with 2 slice of peanut buttered bread and one cup of hot milo I brought. Hot milo made my stomach felt refreshed. In contrast to cold drinks, the cold chilled body but tortured stomach, too much cold drink might induce vomiting. The refuel was right on time and I set off with brand new body after 10min break. Though pace was slowered down again but soon I picked up 7min pace. I planned to refuel every 15km. I was steady till I went to 45km mark for 2nd refuel. It was a bit late than last. Before that I was thinking to challenge myself with 100km again but after this 10min break I doubted. My pace was not as easy as before. I needed to keep me focused on running form to ignore the pain in the soles. The west strech of the course was very dirty and unfriendly to my soles. Small gravels stuck on my soles and tried to sting/pucture me. After 55km mark finally came the wall, two big gravels hurt my left soles made me decide to finish it. The last 5km I was running on my edge and finised strong in time of 7:58. Now I climbed to 60km peak, 2/3 rule worked and was safe. So 100km is just next to it! If I was free from DOMS, I could repeat this 60km long run any time I like in preparing for 100km race. Just keep watching.

Sunday afternoon I was able to went out for a recovery run. 6.5km in 8min/km pace. Quads was slightly sore but not a big deal. 

NE Passion Run 2014: Volunteer Job Done

I was assigned to take care starting area. The day before during reccee I found same reccessed drainage cover persisted after last NE Run 2 years ago. The one made one runner fell before me. So I worked with another volunteer Mr Tee covered it with cupboards and fixed with self-fasten stripes.
The event day we assembled at 5am. After having breakfast we began deployment. I was allocated 10 runner volunteers from our CC, and another 9 students volunteers from NTU. I asked Mr Tee lead 4 volunteers to set up barriers along the route. And led the rest to set up starting pen. The organizer didn't provide sufficient barriers. So I used the tapes to seal the starting area with limited barriers. And set up a gate at the end. The enclosed area was about 150m long so should be no problem to accommodate 600 runners (the number the organizer Provided me for each wave). I deployed 4 marshalls to guide the route, 2 taking care of starting line, 2 stay at park entrance to guide the runners, the rest taking care of starting pen.  There were 3 waves today. 1st wave men's open starting at 7am. I open the pen for them at 6:30, and asked others to wait outside. At 7:15, I closed the pen, reset starting point and let 2nd wave (women open and men veteran) in. And asked the men open late comer to follow. They started at 7:30. And last, the 4k fun runner. They start after 8am. 

All went smoothly and only one runner without bib, brutally get off my hands when I asked him his bib. Shame on him. We volunteers were not policeman, we'll not use force on him as long as him did not trouble other runner. Our duty is only to keep runners safe. 

It was a nice day. The haze gone and shower came only after race. So blessed.

Some suggestion to the organizer. Enclose start point with barriers according to the wave size. Set signboards and volunteers guide runners to starting points. Depoly cyclist sweaping after last runners, and give sign to the marshalls to reccess.

Peak Mileage Returns

2 Mar 2013, 25~32C, partly cloudy.
It has been 2 months no rain but weather still cool in the morning and evening. I ran every evening in Meridian JC, and some recovery runs in the morning. Seikiya's pattern works for me. This week I achieved 127km mileage. I made same record in last Apr. But this time it was much easier because I have 3 days doubles. Doubles are good for mileage accumulation. It gives more recovery time between runs. Most important is morning run. It was brilliant to put recovery run in the morning. Because I need glycogen depletion training no more. It does relief stress from previous hard workout. I could put two hard workout in my training. Tuesday 10xYasso800, Thursday Fartlek. Later I will migrate to tempo and interval. Between them were 90min MAF runs in Moday, Wednesday and Friday. The recovery run depend on my condition. If I were too tired, I opt sleep instead push me the the morning run. So this week I only did 3 morning recovery run. Saturday I did 30.6km long run, thanks to the speed work, long run pace improved by 15 more seconds per km, even though the day was hot. Sunday I follow Elias CC elite runner Simin. I was able to follow his pace till last few hundreds meters for the 9.2km distance. We started from 5:00/km pace, then 4:30/km, in the last km, Simin kicked to 4:00/km. I tried to catch up but failed in the last 300 meters.I only did 4:15/km at last and felt hard to get faster. I realized speed was very hard achieve, even in my fartlek runs, I could only achieve 3:17/km pace for a 90sec sprint session. I can't imagine how the Kenyans run under 3:00/km pace in a marathon. They are genius.
For two weeks I have incorporated speed work in my weekly training. It was time to do it,which I had paused for 3 year. Thanks to the pure base training in the past 3 years. I had no muscle strain, no signs of injury, and over training. It's time to be a speed demon!