12 Feb 2014, 27C, partly cloudy.
Today I had an appointment in CGH to follow up my heath screen three weeks ago.
The results was possitive. The most important thing in this screen was heart related. EKG and 2D Echo found my heart was normal in function and measurement. No LVH (left venticular hypertrophy) was found. LVH has recently found to be close correlated with SCD (sudden cardiarc death) which has been increasingly common seen in distance running races. The famous Born To Runcharacter "Cabalo Blanco"'s death was also suspected to be LVH. To avoid LVH, training under MAF (HR below 180-age) is a must be. And annual EKG mearsurement is required to find potential heart abnormal. It was green light to me to proceed to next episode of long distance running. But safty always the first thing. As the doctor suggested, I will wear HRM all along.
22 Jan 2014, 24C, cloudy.
Today I had a appointment at Sports Medicine Centre, Changi General Hopital, for Athletic Health Screen. I signed up for the Athlete Pre-participation Deluxe Package which costed S$685, because my welfare in my current company includs a biennial health screen claim up to S$800. It is recommend runner should do ECG annually to make sure no heart risks ahead. I'd been running for 4 years, though it was first time I do heart check up.
The package is mainly heart check (Rest ECG, 2D ECHO Ultrasound, and a treadmill Stress Test (ECG and blood pressure)), plus physical check, biochemical check (blood and urine) and an X-ray. I arrived at 8:45am, the nurse gave weight, height and blood pressure measurement then proceed to blood and urine sampling. It was very quick and before 10am I had finished another two test: ECG and X-ray. The nurse told me to have some milo and wait doctor to see me. CGH has improved a lot since my last visit 6 years ago. Now the pantry has not only drinking water machine, but aslo a coffee machine and some muffins. I got my self a cup of hot milo, it was nice, I need it for stress test later.
Not before I finished my milo the doctor had called me. He asked me the sport I want to take and the purpose I do the screen. I told him I'd been running for 4 years and now I wonder if I could proceed to next level. He examined my body, from tip to toe. Said my physically OK. He also mentioned my tight hamstrings and loose ankle, but it does not matter to run. The tight hamstring remind me my weakness, next time I should focus on it. The loose ankle I think it was owing to barefoot running, because no wear shors, no support, the ankle is more agile than shod runners. I benefit from it especially in trail running, I never had twisted ankle thanks to it. The doctor also found my shoulder and elbow much more agile and knew I'v trained in swimming. He checked my rest ECG report and told me my condition is normal. He asked me to finish the rest of two: Stress test and 2D Echo, and see me after Chinese New Year.
The tteadmill was tough one. The nurse put ECG wires and pressure band on me, set treadmill to highest slope the began: 3min per speed session. The fist 3 I was asked to walk, the upper slope made my calves feel bad. My HR is 115 for 1st, 130 for 2nd, and 150 for 3rd. At 4th session I began to run, HR reach 170. At 5th, I began to raise my knee (Oh my, I rrakized I never raised knee in my daily run, what a shame!) But it wad too late, my lack of ttainning made me stop after finishing 5th session at max heart rate, I read from machine, 184, it waa a little bit higher than calculated one. But never mind I will still stick in caculated HRmax for MAF training. Last one was 2D ECHO. It looked no diffetent to other Ultrasound. It tool less than 4 hrs for all sesdions.
My next appointment is 12 Feb, my little daughter's birthday, wish me luck.
19 Jan 2014, 24C, cloudy.
Ran with wife CSC club 9km. Wife went home taking care of kids. I joined breakfast with other members.
One new member could cover the whole 9k without walking after another member Karen and I persuaded him to run slow last week. I believe he had overcome the fear for distance. I'm sure he will come regularly. He said he would feel muscle soreness 2nd day after run. I told him it was DOMS and once he seasoned his muscle with correct easy run. It will never happen again. It was natural he doubted. The NS seemed to leave he to much bad memories and he said the officers made training miserable. He said ge wish them knew the correct training method so they would not had suffered. I'm not sure if the army would adopt my training philosophy, but I'm sure he'll overcome it again if he kerp on following this. Once he overomes the previous bad experience he will build up confidence and become a life long runner, proceed to healthy lifestyle.
I was worried about Karen, one team member who will represent Singapore on SEAN games (800~3000m, high jump, long jump age group) 2016. She had meniscus operation in 2009 and troubled by knee problem for a long time. Her condition should not allow her to do such high intensity and high knee impact sports. I suggest her to seek sports specialist's advice in CGH. But she didn't seemed want to give up the chance. The only thing I could do is recommend her to strengthen her feet and lower legs with barefoot techniques: slow run in tracks, do heel raise repeats at home, pick up mavel balls with toes. When running, focus on a very tight form: keep body straight and aligned, try to step along a line in road or track to avoid side swing and twist of the knee. Wish it helps.
After 1 year barefoot running, slowly my weekly mileage increased to over 100km. Last week I completed 101.2km. And it was not achieved at the cost of next day training.
http://www.dailymile.com/training?group_by=week&workout_type_id=1&field=distance_in_miles
To achieve this, I have been made myself comfortable with 7 runs per week without rest since this August. There should be no speed works until I made myself adapt to the training style. Every run was aerobic (under MAF heart rate) so that stress was minimized. And there turns out to be large stress cushions under such training loading. That is, may MAF pace improvement stopped around 6min/km; and even when I violated 10% rule, increase weekly mileage from 60k to 100k, I still stayed injury free and even without DOMS after 34km long run. After all, I found it goo way the increase weekly mileage while staying injury free. And by this I could increase my yearly mileage to over 4000km. The only thing I need to figure out is how and when to incorporate speed/hill workouts in it, let me do with cautious and stick on 10% rule.
One never know what his next marathon should be. There is full of uncertainty in this 42.159km journey. But in my case, as I slow down my pace, I found it so easy and manageable when I finished my last marathon in huaraches. This time again, I want to run a slow marathon (~5hrs) after half year's MAF training. My aerobic endurance had been further improved since last marathon. And my barefoot millage also accumulated to ~1200km. So it was time to do a barefoot marathon.
The event had ever planned to run West Coast Road but just one week before race they gave up and switched back to East Coast Park. I didn't mind run in old route. I just hated Marina East, ever since I ran my first marathon back in 2010, the road was there dirty and rocky. And now it was still there to bite my feet, this time I was out of any protection. The worst thing was the route need run this part twice, out and back.
As I always did, I would do some risk assessment before the race. I found three: 1, longest single run only 32km; 2, worse road condition in Marina East due to under construction; 3, Left sole injury (since end of Mar.) not fully recovered. The answer to all these questions is simple: RUN SLOW! It is always true.
A few minutes before 11pm I took late night train to the venue, Nicoll Highway MRT station. I reached 30min before start. It was full of people, the earlier started 10km runners were backing, half and full marathon runners were gathering. I walked to the starting line and joined sub-5 pen.
After flagged off at 12:30am, I started to move with the parade with a 7:30/km pace and kept in the white line, to save the soles for last 10km which I never experienced. The road condition of Nicoll Highway was good, but when we ran back to Marina Floating Stage (8km mark, also F1 track), the surface was so rough, the asphalt seemed to have been pulled away by F1 wheels, only left rocks to bite my soles. The following 3k through Marina Bay Sands was quite new, we were cheered by the drunker out of the pubs. The cement path was very friendly to my soles. Following 3km through Marina South to Marina Barrage (14km) was same part adopted by SCMS and SSBR&AHM. Heavy vehicles made the surface rather rough, and it began to wear my soles. Took a toilet break at Marina Barrage, I went through the bridge happily. It was my best part, with breeze and music. After the bridge we turned into a total darkness, same as last AHM. Several hundreds meters later we broke with half marathoners. The organizer was considerate and put quite a lot lights and speakers there to keep full and half marathoner on their own track. Then I was diverted to the nightmare part, Marina East. I was cursing the road being so rocky while running, and didn't hesitate to walk when the surface was too tough. I survived my 1st round of death march after entering East Coast Park (17km mark). It was later mid-night and I began to felt sleepy and hungry. I'd wished there were banana stations before halfway but in vain. And I also noticed my heart rate raising. I'v tried to fuel with more carbon drinks but only to induce more gas in the guts. I had to enter the toilet at 21km mark (car park C4)for unloading. It coincident to be the same toilet I used in last SCMS. Had I been doomed to use it every time I race through ECP?
The real race just started as rain drops fell in the ECP, And soon turned to storm. It was cool and my heart rate began to drop, but the lightening was scary. Neither organizer nor runners anticipated this, no evacuation plan nor much shelters along the route. Most us had to push through in this bad weather, running on the flooded route. My drawback soon became advantage, most people got heavy boots but I got my sole cooled and refreshed in every step. I usually got tired feet and wore sole after 21km but this time it was so fine. I remember once in last year I also ran 27km in the rain without wore out my soles. The rain helps! I don't need to enter every water station to water my sole!
After 25km u turn finally came the fuel station. I grabbed 2 packs of gels and sucked them off immediately. I found revived. I kept on the white line and took off my vest. at around 28km mark I passed another barefoot runner, I cheered for him and waved bye. I had already met one at 7km mark, he was roaring by me and saying "I'm not along" and soon vanished in horizon. The smooth ride came to a end after we had a banana treat at 32km mark. Then I began my "Death March II" back in Marina East. This time I ran even slower an walked more, to make sure no drop out from the race. There was fewer water station there and I fueled me with my hand held bottle. I felt released when get back to promenade along the Marina Bay, seeing the skyline of the city, ony 7km to go. I pumped up before the bridge led to Kallang stadium. The last banana station seemed to be abandoned. But I did not need carbo loading anymore. Just speed up, through Mountbatten road to the Nicoll Highway. When I saw the finish line, I realized I did it, the barefoot marathon, without suffering that I feared of. I finished it with no big deal...Suddenly I felt the only way to celebrate is free myself and release my feeling...tears burst out, I cried, with relief and gratefulness.
I finished my 4th marathon in 5:16:07, 8min faster than last huaraches one, 50min slower than my PB. I did the whole race at 153bpm, 5bpm higher than my training MAF. I felt extremely comfortable all along and got used to it (I didn't even check the HR during the journey as I did in the training). No more suffer, no more hitting the wall. I have master the art of running a marathon, a barefoot marathon in a even pace. The only secret is know your body and run slow. It was enjoyable and healthy. One day I think I could also run a ultra with that easy.
I took first train back. After wash I found my feet rather intact after marathon, with only one blister in left toe. And believe it or not: my left sole ache fully recovered, just like that my right foot plantar fasciitis was cured after last huaraches marathon.
Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2011 is the new beginning of my running career. I have decided to run barefoot, run slow, never stop run in this race. So I began my barefoot training right after SunDown Marathon in May. It took me quite a long time to adapt to barefoot running, in a very slow pace (>7min/km) and low weekly milage (~40km). All is to prevent injury and hitting the wall.
Unshod running seemed to recuit more muscles than shod running, because I found a significant cardiac drift in my heart rate when I switch to barefoot. My pace drop a lot at the same HR when I took off the shoes. But day by day, I got my reward. My foot and lower leg muscles strenghtned. Knee problem never happene to me again. The only two problems were sole cutting/piercing during run and plantar fasciitis. Just a couple of days before race, I made a pair of Tarahumara Huaraches to carry me through the rough terrain and prevent sole cutting/piercing. For plantar fasciitis, I just kept my routine post run stretch to overcom, but could not cure completely.
I intended to run slow all becasue of my last two marathons. They all hit the wall. My first one hit the wall after 28km, I finished 4:57; My second one much better, hit after 34km. I realized the biggest enemy is not muscle cramp, nor stomach cramp. It was glycogen depletion drained my stamina out. I started too fast, my body consumed glycogen too fast and burn fat too too slow. The only way to break the wall is to train body to use fat as energy source more efficiently so that glycogen storage could last longer. So I start to train slow pace, slow enough to get idea energy conserving. Before the race, I could noly do that above a 7min/km pace.
Last race in the year, still I got a sound sleep, 10:00pm to 2:30am. I had 4pieces bread and a big cup of milo for breakfast. I wear GarminFR305 and HR strap to control the pace during race. I planned to run 7:07/km but decide follow HR monitor, make sure no overshot to 159bpm according to Daniel's VDOT chart. I brought my fuel belt and iPhone. I'll make the run different.
First time I took MRT to race venue in such a early morning, thanks the consideration of the organizer. But baggage deposit and toilet at the start point was still messy. I just managed get to the pen several minites before falg off, though I started out so early. 5:00am sharp, the queue began to move, it took 8min for me to move to the start gantry becaue I was at the back of 20000 runners!
1km, one senior runner asked me if my huaraches made from Vibram sole. I told him it was brought from US. He wore a pair of VFF. A lot of people wore VFF these days in SG. He complained people overshot too much at the beginning. I did not want to overshot and let him overtook me.
3km, the road closure in China Town was partial. So runners were stuck and many had to walk.
5km, the congestion was over after Esplnade brige, people began to fly away from me. first 5km AVG pace was above 8min/km. I didn't care. Just focused on energy conserving.
13km, daybroke. I followed the parade to the EastCoast Park. OMY, I will run half of marathon here. The road was narrow.
14km, because ran slower and sweat less than before, toilet time!
17km, I met Singapore Blade Runner, he seemed to suffered from injury.
19km, I felt urgent to pass motion. Just kept running and watch out for toilet.
23km, unbearble 4km is over, I took 10min here for toilet. Than I started refrehsed.
After 25km, I could not hold my HR <159bpm, So I decide to keep 7:07/km pace.
After 28km, many people began to walk, I began to overtook.
30km~33km, awesome Marina East, still under construction, same as last year. This is where I need my huaraches. Here I met a girl ran backward, seemed to inspired the walker but in vain. I knew the taste of htting the wall.
35km, after Maraina Barrage, I was still running. I was standing from where I fell. I was back to the city.
35km~38km, awesome terrain, thanks to huaraches.
38km, Bejamin Shears Brige, the heart break brtdge in SCMS. I did not slow down. Push through the 42k and 21k people. Thanks that 10k and 5km people not here this year. Uphill was much easier than down hill, I felt hamstrings' about collapse as downing from the brigde.
42km, I'm back, without stop. I did my 1st all running marathon. My timing is 5:24:15, almost 1 hr slower than this May. But it was awesome when complete a marathon without hitting the wall. Finally I mastered the key to the success of a marathon, managing the stamina.
I began to do post run stretches after I read Running Well by S. Murphy and S. Connors, for SD marathon training. They are very effective in removing muscle stress and injury prevention, especially after a hard workout. I'v accumulated injury free mailage up to 750+km since then. And had my right ankle sprain recovered after 3 monthes exercise.
These static streches could be performe right after a hard workout, or just after a easy run. Do make sure the muscles are warmed up or you will get hurt. Never do them before a run. Each stretch needs to be held for 20~30sec, and perform 2~3 repetitions per side. The sequence is adjustable and some poses are ommitable according to one's current body condition. During the exercise, breathe freely to make them aerobic. Or just adopt the rythem as you do in Yoga. Any way, they all look similar.
1. Gluteus Maximus stretch
This pic illustrates right Gluteus stretching. Right leg behind left knee, pull left knee towards chest. Hold, feel the butt and hamstring heated instead of pain and strain, release. Do repetition and change side. This stretch is very useful to remove hip pain after a long run or a speed work.
2. Hip flexor stretch
This pic illustrates left Gluteus stretching. Left leg step out and knee forward. Right leg kneeling, pelvis neutral. Upper body inclines forward to force left side hip and quads to tretch. Hold, , release. Do repetition and change side. To make it harder, the angle between to two thigh might be expand from 90deg to 135deg.
3. Hamstring and lower back stretch
This is a Yoga pose and the illustration is left side. Bend down and hold left toe to make stretch deeper. Hold, release. Do repetition and change side. If the body is flexible enough, the knee could be touched by chin.
4. Abductor stretch
This is also a Yoga pose and stretches the inner abductor. Hold the toes an bend down. Hold, release. Do repetition and no side to change :) Toes could could be touched by head if the body is flexible enough. It also stretches the lower back as pose 3 does.
5. Kneeling Quads stretch
This pic illustrates right quads stretching. It is more effective than traditional one leg stand stretching because the knee ligaments are also involved. Be sure upper body straight and try to pull backward to make feel like a bow, pulling the foot. Hold, release. Do repetition and change side. Stronger quadriceps are very effective in knee injury prevention.
5. Calf stretch
These are common stretches done by every runner. The most critical part is lower calf stretch especially for barefeet runner who encounters more stress over the lower calf. If one's calf tight, must exercise bend knee stretch (lower pic) for lower calf. My right ankle sprain is due to lower calf/ ligament tight and deep pain came every time I passed 8km mark. I resloved the issue after 3 months exercise. Training has not beem impact.
6. Thomas stretch
The most effective and hard stretch for knee injury prevention. The pic illustrates left side stretch. Pull right knee backward to chest,while keep the left thigh flat, right leg vertical. Focus the pulling on knee and ITB. Hold, release. Do repetition and change side.
7. Lying Hamstring stretch
This pic illustrates right side stretching. Left leg flat, right leg vertical, pull right thigh toward chest. Hold, release. Do repetition and change side. It stretches quads, and calf as well as hamstring.
8. Upper body stretch
This pic illustrates left side stretch. The upper body would be very stressful after a long run. This pose stretches shoulder,arm and lower back. Lay down, stretch out the arms vertical, right leg straight, bend and tilt right knee, pull the upper body to the right, keeping arm and shoulder stable. Hold, feel like electrical current pass through right should to the finger tips, release. Do repetition and change side.
The stretches improve the blood circulation in the muscles to remove lactate more efficiently after a hard workout. They also improve elascity of the ligaments for better injury prevention. As mentioned before, I now could perform 5 run in a row each week with a weekly milage of 70km, by simply adding 30min stretch after each key workout.
These pics were first published last week on my Sina Weibo. Thanks 丁卉ReAngel inspire me to post the pics, 禅那行者 for valuable inputs and Chinese translation, and 团小乌 for integarting the pics for better distributed in the web!
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
