Green Run MPSP 2012 / Larian Hijau MPSP

The first half marathon on the mainland of Penang. Waking up at 3.40am in the morning to go for the run since the run starts at 5am. The challenge is not to finish the race as I have already done a trial run two weeks ago before my trip to Bali.

Andrew has organised a trial run and invited a number of us to test the route before the actual race. For the trial race we started at 5.20am and he has invited experienced runners and those who smoked me immediately the run started. I could hardly keep up with their pace and I was already running my fastest pace. So I decided I will just do my own pace and not run at their pace. The only problem is that you are lagging so far behind them and it is pretty dark in the early morning. You can't even see them in front. A thought crosses my mind. "It is a mistake to come" since I am a much slower runner comparing to them. They have actually prepared a car in case you can't finished the trial run. But I am not going to quit since I know that I can finished the race.

So I just continue with my own pace and eventually they stop at the plan first water stop and I don't know whether they actually waited for me. Fortunately they get a cyclist who followed me along the whole route as it was pretty dark at the certain sections of the route. At the end, I still managed to finish at 2hours 30mins for a 20.4km distance. Slightly under mileage for a 21km race.

The event of the place, MPSP. The collection of running vest and bibs.

Coming to the race day, they started assembling us in front of main building of MPSP at 4.50am and flagging us off at 5am. Since we do not have a timing chip, we are just using coloured wrist band. But it was nice cool weather in the early morning without the haze. The runners just started off pretty fast. You can easily get caught up with the euphoria of the race in trying to keep up the pace. I have trained myself well enough to listen to my body when I run and just pace myself especially in the first 2 km. As I take 2km just to warm up !

You keep getting people overtaking you in the first 3 to 4km. As I am about to reach the first water station at 5km a guy just run up to me asking about the time. Then we reach the first water station. After drinking...that guy start making strange noises."Argggghhhh". Gosh ! And he is just running next to me and it is really getting annoying. So I pick up my pace  getting myself away from him. But he caught up again and the strange noises continue again. I was just thinking how long I will have to bear with him as he was trying to pace with me. Fortunately after a short while, he just couldn't keep the pace he slowly drop behind.  Thank God !

I realised if you can maintain the pace after 6 or 7 km, you will finally start to overtake a lot of runners. Because after 7km a lot of runners cannot maintain the pace due to lack of training. The other problem of this route is in the first 5 to 6km of the race, the smell of rubbish from rubbish truck is really stinking.  After that you get to smell the mangos and the paddy field. Also look out for the cowdang ("Shit Happens")! After 10km, a lot of runners start to slow down and you enjoy overtaking them one after another.

I have not been looking at my watch for pacing or time. I was just trying to know the distance covered. I planned to pick up my pace when I hit 16km and run all the way at 18km.  But when I started to look at my pace at 16km mark, I realised that I have been running at my fastest pace at 6.5min/km. Oh, never knew I could run at that pace for such a long distance. My previous trial run I finish at about 7.24min/km. However,  I just try to run a faster pace after 18km and overtaking a few more runners at the end. Eventually finishing in 2hours 23mins. A 7 mins off my trial run and 47mins off my previous half marathon at Penang Bridge Marathon last year which I finished at 3hours 10mins. A proper training and fueling strategy really help ! Another good thing about this race is that it has a galore of lucky draw prizes.

The finisher's medal, running vest and a carton of sports drinks from lucky draw

I realised I could run a faster pace but I will have to train to run faster during my training for the next two months or so for my first full marathon in November. 12 more weeks to my first full marathon ! The Penang Bridge International Marathon on 18 November 2012.  Looking forward to it.

Running in Bali

Just another week before the Larian Hijau MPSP (MPSP Green Run), the first half marathon on the mainland of Penang. It is time for Malaysians to engage themselves in a more active lifestyle rather than being obese. Should I skip my weekend run and continue with training after a few days in Bali? Or I will just be itching to run even a holiday. The answer is the latter one, of course. Waiting at LCCT KL airport at 2.40am for a flight back to Penang, allows me to write this post on my IPhone and immediately post it. Thanks to the advancement of technology.

Magnificent sunset at Tanah Lot, Bali

The only complain of this trip is probably the long traveling time in Bali due to traffic jam resulting from the roadworks. The natural beauty of Bali is still pretty much intact. The temples, the beach and the sunset are just magnificent. An island which was trying very hard to maintain their natural beauty to attract tourists. A far cry from what Singapore has been doing to attract tourists.

Great view of the live volcano and mountain range

So what about running in Bali ? The tapering before the half marathon? Or the itching of running on a holiday?  At last, decided waking up at 5am on a Sunday morning for a long run. Take my run along the beach of Seminyak and Kuta, Bali at 6am in the morning. Snapping a few pictures along the way. The surfers are more an insane lot as compared to runners. As a guy was already surfing when I was there. I have just grab a bottle of water and my IPhone for a run. Unfortunately, unable to track my distance without a GPS watch. So what, just enjoy the run and sounds of the ocean.

Running at the beach in Bali

Along the way, dog owners were already taking their pets for a morning workout on the beach. And a few runners are also doing their morning runs. The beach and cooling weather is just ideal for running. The only thing I have to remember is to conserve my energy to run back to the hotel. Endorphins plus the sounds of the waves are just awesome !!! Just an ideal run for tapering. Thanks to Bali for such an unforgettable experience.

Pictures snap during my morning run

Terry Fox and Marathon of Hope

Terry Fox, a Canadian cancer fund-raiser, during his 1980 "Marathon of Hope" fund-raising run across Canada. Photo taken July 12, 1980 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada by Jeremy Gilbert.

Terry Fox is a great athlete and has passion for basketball. In Grade 12, he won his high school's athlete of the year together with his best friend, Doug Alward. However, he later discovered he has cancer near his knees and has to have his leg amputated. He endured sixteen months of chemotherapy as he watched fellow cancer patients suffered and die from the disease. An article given to him about Dick Traum, the first amputee who completed the New York City Marathon inspire him and he embarked on a training program and complete a marathon. His bigger plan was to run across Canada to increase cancer awareness and raise funds for cancer research.

He started his Marathon of Hope on 12 April 1980 from St John, Newfoundland and ran an equivalent of a full marathon each day. He was to complete his journey at Victoria, British Columbia and was supported by his friend, Doug Alward who drove the van and cooked meals. Fox initially hope to raise 1 million, then 10 million, then 24 million a dollar each for 24 million of Canada's population.

He was forced to stop his run outside of Thunder Bay when the cancer spread to his lungs after 143 days and 5,373 km (3,339 miles).

Fox made no promises that his efforts would lead to a cure for cancer, but he closed his letter with the statement: "We need your help. The people in cancer clinics all over the world need people who believe in miracles. I am not a dreamer, and I am not saying that this will initiate any kind of definitive answer or cure to cancer. I believe in miracles. I have to."

Fox died on 28 Jun 1981 and the  Government of Canada said, "It occurs very rarely in the life of a nation that the courageous spirit of one person unites all people in the celebration of his life and in the mourning of his death ... We do not think of him as one who was defeated by misfortune but as one who inspired us with the example of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity".

Fox was named one of the greatest Canadian's heroes and a Terry Fox Foundation was established for cancer research.  There is also an annual fund raising run named the "Terry Fox Run". Over 500 million has been raised in his name.

Below is the youtube link on the full documentary of this amazing and selfless athlete with great determination called "Into The Wind". It is OK if you shed a few tears at the end of the documentary for the greatness of the human spirit.

Into the Wind (The Story of Terry Fox)

Are you ready for barefoot running ?

The excitement of the 2012 London Olympics is draining all my energy in writing the blog. This is in addition to long runs I have been doing lately. The last Sunday run was 26.5km. Have to cut short the 0.5km so that I can finished in front of 7 Eleven and walk in to buy a can of 100plus. Never knew a can of 100plus can taste so good after a very long run.

Vibram Five Fingers Seeya

Back to barefoot running. When did I start venturing into it. I was running in traditional running shoes, a Brooks Ghost 2, during my last half marathon. Those shoes with a lot of cushioning which does give me a problem with my hips on long runs. An accidental visit to my client's premise brought an awareness to the Vibram Five Fingers. The Vibrams just look so different from other shoes. So try it on but could not get the size that I wanted. So I contacted a friend of my mine in KL and he managed to get me a pair that I wanted when he is back to Penang. The Vibrams Five Fingers Treksport.

The first two weeks is learning all about running barefoot and minimalist shoes. A complete change in the running form where you have to do forefoot strike rather than a heel strike. But with a new pair of shoes and a new running form there is just so much to learn about running. It also rekindle my passion for running. And then it comes the book, "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall. My initial weeks I practice the new pair of Vibrams all on the treadmill. It is actually fun. It is like you are a new runner again.

Eventually I still have to bring the shoes for the long runs on the road. But I do not have pain on the hips during the long run. The pain is on the heel. Probably I was doing some heel striking in the initial stages. So I just to press on to change my running form. Running in the Vibrams really makes you feel the road which means feeling the pebbles and everything on the road. So you really have to concentrate on what you are stepping on. The Trekspot already has a bit more protection than the other Vibrams but you can still really feel the road. After running in it for about two months, I got used to it. But the pain in the heel is still there if I do my long runs. You will feel it especially in the morning when you wake up. The solution is to do calf stretching after the runs and early in the morning. It will normally goes away after a day or two depending on the distance of your runs. I have also try icing it after a long run. After a few months, I can manage without icing it. The stretching however is a must after the long runs and in the morning.

After running in the Vibrams for six months and over 700km, the Vibrams finally has a hole on the toes which means I cannot used it for road running. It will cause blisters if I try running in it. I should have two pair of running shoes instead of one pair since I have been running a lot preparing for the marathon. This is to allow me to alternate the shoes and if one wear off I have still another pair to do my training.

Vibram Five Fingers Treksport

Have to look for a new pair of shoes then. Another Vibram ? I really like the look of their new model, Seeya which really have no protection and it is more like socks than shoes. Called up my friend in KL again but he does not have stocks for the colour of the shoes that I wanted. He says it will take two weeks to come. Unfortunately, I cannot stop my training for two weeks of without a pair of running shoes. I just have to shop for a new pair !!

Took the whole Saturday afternoon then looking for a new pair of minimalist running shoes in Queensbay Mall. Virtually visited all sport stores and looking at all brands of minimalist running shoes. Finally, settle for the Merrell Trail Gloves. A trail running shoe which I wanted to use for both road running and trail running. Killing two birds with one stone ! The Merrell Trail Glove is also minimalist shoes for barefoot running and the soles of the shoes are actually make by Vibrams but it has a bit more cushioning than my previous shoes and it does not show your five toes. So you will not catch that much attention with this pair of shoes as compared to the Vibram Five Fingers. I run in it for two weeks and my verdict is I love running in it after a few runs. A bit more cushioning but it is fine. The negative point is that the feel of the road is not that good as compared to the Vibrams. But you have a bigger toe box which is rather comfortable.

Merrell Trail Glove

So I have managed to transition to barefoot running after a few months. Starting off slowly and just keep running on it. I do not think I will be able to run in those cushioned shoes again. I try running in my old pairs of Brooks which just throw out my new running form. So you will be ready for barefoot running if you give it a try.

Will probably update this post when I start trying out my new Vibram Five Fingers Seeya which I just received today...as my second pair of running shoes..

A Journey to My First Marathon Part 11

I have been using Runmeter as my apps on my IPhone 4S to track my distance, time and pace. But carrying an IPhone around is really not a convenient thing to do. You have to either wear it on a armband or you have to put in a pocket. Both ways are not convenient to keep looking at it. However, I was using the Runmeter for a couple of months and have been looking at the Garmin Forerunner 610, the touch screen GPS watch.

So I look it up from the internet but it cost more than RM1,200 which I am not willing to fork out at this time. Just too big an investment. Until one day, I received the Rewards Catalogue from Citibank for 2012 and I saw that one of the item is the Garmin Forerunner 610. I have to fastrack and pay about RM500 to redeem it as I do not have enough points. The watch came a few days later together with a heart rate monitor and it was a right decision to purchase the GPS watch. It is much convenient to track your pace and distance as compared to the IPhone apps. And when it rains carrying an IPhone can be pretty inconvenient.

The other main convenience of the Garmin GPS watch is that you can easily start and stop the watch which is an important feature. There are a lot of features for this watch which I have not fully explore like virtual partner, interval training..and many more. It is great watch for running. And it has Garmin Connect which will store your run data on the internet.

Screen capture of the Garmin Connect on my run

I have once done a comparison of the reading of my Garmin watch and the Runmeter to see the discrepancies.  There is a slight discrepancies between the distance and the the pace. 

Currently, I uses both the Garmin watch for the running and the Runmeter to keep my running log. The running log is useful for me to review my runs over a period of time. My personal opinion is that the GPS watch is really a useful piece of equipment if you are doing long distance running.

My next discovery...the new earbuds for running...To be continued.....

Your Running Fears - A Summary from Runner's World Magazine Dec 2011

The Fears and The Fix

David Goggins, an ultramarathoner at the Badwater 135 miles Ultramarathon 

Hitting the Wall - Go Round It. 

Energy gels every 40 minutes or you are running at a pace your body wasn't prepared to handle.

"If you run into a wall, climb it, go through it or work around it." ~ Michael Jordan.

Falling Behind - Close the Gap Quickly.

Stiffness or fatigue is a reason for not keeping up or running with a group that's too fast. More recovery time in future and find a slower group.

"Second place is not a defeat. It is a stimulation to get better". ~ Carlos Lopes, Olympic marathon gold medallist.

Not Hitting Time Goals - Tweak your Targets.

Could be a result of a bad day or overly ambitious targets. Adjust your targets so not to be overly ambitious.

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm".  ~ Winston Churchill.

Tacking Hard Hills - Put in Perspective

To conquer your dread of hill repeats in training, Boston Marathoner winner Lisa Rainberger suggests running hills by time, not distance. "Knowing when you'll get to stop takes the fear away."

"Hills are speed work in disguise" ~ Frank Shorter

Getting Injured - Train Smarter

Start winning your battle with the injury demons by increasing weekly mileage by no more than 10 per cent, separating long runs, tempo runs and speed workouts by at least 48 hours, and understanding that more isn't always more. 

"Good things come slow - especially in distance running" ~ Bill Dellinger, running coach and triple Olympian.

Not Losing Weight  - Check your Diet Diary

Despite evidence of carb intake boosting performance before, during and after running, you'll add pounds if you overeat. You don't need extra carbs for runs of an hour or less.

"Without ice cream, there would be darkness and chaos" ~ Don Kardong, Olympic marathoner and running author.

Race Day Anxiety - Channel the Fear

Visualising positive race scenarios during warm-up, such as tiring but coming back strong with a second wind. Remind yourself of the solid training you have done and tell yourself "I'm ready to do my best."

"The greatest stimulator of my running was fear" ~ Herb Elliot, triple Olympic champion.

Needing a "Pitstop" - Follow a Fuel Plan

Try any new food or drink before an everyday run, not a long run or  a race, when a pitstop would be difficult and embarrassing. Also, don't eat too much the night before, and avoid new, spicy, dairy, high-fibre foods and alcohol.

"Courage is fear holding on a minute longer" ~ George Patton World War II General

Resistance from Family - Comprise

Take time to explain why running is important to you. And try to find ways to run without taking time away from them. 

"Every human benefit and enjoyment, every virtue and every prudent act is founded on compromise and barter" ~ Edmund Burke, Irish statesman and author

Fading with Age - Set Different Goals

Everyone slows down eventually because aerobic capacity drops off as we age. So if you choose to stay in the running game, you need to renew and review your goals.

"Time is the one immaterial object we cannot influence - neither speed up nor slow down" ~ Maya Angelou, author

A Journey to My First Marathon Part 10

Training for a first marathon is hard....The long runs..The hill runs...the interval runs...the tempo runs. Especially when the long runs going above 3 hours. But you need to long runs for endurance. If not you will never have the confidence and physical capability to complete the race.

Most of the training programs will also include cross training days. I have two cross training days in my weekly schedule. I used to be doing weight training for 4 days before I get back into running. And I have been doing weight training for a long time. Currently, I break up my two cross training days into chest, shoulders and abs. The other day being back, legs and abs. I throw in biceps and triceps whenever I have time available. I do not like to have complete lean upper body with no muscles. But keeping some of the muscles makes my body heavier and it slows down my running speed. It is a compromise I have to choose. I have still lost a bit of muscles when I start reducing my weight training. I actually get more athletic looking body than a more bulky type.

I sometimes squeeze a bit of swimming mostly on Saturday. It helps to elevate some body injuries and   to avoid boredom and I really like the sun and the swim. It is a terrific combination!  Honestly, I don't really like swimming without the sun. Possibly some of parts of my body run on solar energy. Makes me think of Ultraman...

These are the two pictures of sunset I took when I was at St Kilda in Melbourne facing the Antartica. The sunset is just magnificent !

The cross training helps to build the core strength and avoid injuries. The hill runs, tempo runs and interval runs are those that help to improve your speed.

The next thing...to improve the long runs ....and outdoor runs...To be continued...