4.3 run in hot sun

very bad timing.... 23min30sec for the run.... what is happening sia.....

IPPT Time Trial... Silvering....

did a 2.4km at the running track this morning.
Completed the run in 10:45 min....

Performance had dropped and I will need to work hard to improve my timing by 30 seconds.
Still got 1.5 more months before IPPT......

back to normal!! 4km run!

ohya, my 4.3km run timing is back to 21:28min (ave 5min/km)
let's hope this maintain till ippt day and i might have a chance to strike gold one more time :D

Running in the Rain

did a 10km around the lake today and completed it in 1hr 00min 22secs.

It was a bad day to run. it was cloudy when i started, then it start to drizzle  around the 1km mark..... and after 3km... it was pouring cats and dog.... anyway, it also looks like the 3kg gained during my school time + frequent teabreak had greated impacted my performance...... 

guess it's time to control my diet from today onwards...

4km run

did a 4.3km run under the hot sun... timing was bad.... 21:57min (5:07 pace).......

looks like the decrease in training frequency does decrease my performance.....

Valentine Day's 10km run

Happy Valentines' Day.

Since my wife is out-stationed and I got no one to have a candlelight dinner tonight, I decided to go for my favorite 10.8 km run.

I completed the run at 1hr 02min 14 sec. Based on my running statistics, my timing is average.

Some info on the route, it is a scenic run beside the Chinese Garden's lake (the humidity is quite high during dusk). And there are 1 overhead bridge that I had to cross twice (at the start and the end).

4.3km Run (PB)

Did a 4.3km run in jurong this morning and clocked 21:07min (abt 4:55min/km). This is the best timing i ever clock for such mileage.
 
Below are some factors

Physical Fatigue!     This was a hectic week for me as I spent my week-nights studying, played paintball on Monday, ran (3km) on Tuesday and played captain's ball on Thursday. As such, I had to skip my routine 21km training and did something shorter.

Overweight!     Before leaving my house, I weighed myself and was shocked to see that I gain 1.5kg. The festive foods, coupled with spending time static in the lecture room really add some weights onto me. I told myself that I must run even harder today so that I can burn some fats.

And to the rabbits out there, BEWARE of the snailrunners!!! We, the snailrunners, will run beside you one fine day!!!

5th Half Marathon for 2011

I went for 1/2 marathon at my favorite western route.

I only manage to omplete the 21.28km run within 2:22hrs. Form is bad as I was suffering from a stiff neck....
 
And it looks like my fitness had deteriorate as I didn't cater timing for fitness training and rubbish eating during the festive season...

I think that I better start polishing my fitness again....

3rd Half Marathon for 2011

Hectic week of swim+swim+run+school start, my muscles didn't have enough recovery time.
Although tired, I was glad that I was able to complete my 21km in 2:10:48hr (an average pace of 6:14min/km).


Running Details -
0 to 1km - 6:02.80 min
1 to 2km - 5:50.01 min
2 to 3km - 6:04.99 min
3 to 4km - 6:25.02 min
4 to 5km - 6:11.99 min
5 to 6km - 5:50.00 min
6 to 7km - 5:56.99 min
7 to 8km - 6:15.01 min
8 to 9km - 6:43.00 min
9 to 10km - 5:24.99 min
10 to 11km - 6:20.00 min
11 to 12km - 6:36.01 min
12 to 13km - 6:04.00 min
13 to 14km - 5:55.00 min
14 to 15km - 6:15.00 min
15 to 16km - 6:38.00 min
16 to 17km - 6:05.00 min
17 to 18km - 6:10.00 min
18 to 19km - 6:25.00 min
19 to 20km - 6:25.00 min
20 to 21km - 7:02.00 min

Life is never Fair for Snailrunners, But Run On!

The below quote kept popping out in my mind when I was running my 21 km last Friday.
Just to share with you you and hope it would inspire you when it comes to running.  Run On!

'In order to run together with the Rabbits and Speed Demons, the snailrunner must train harder' 

Note:
1. Rabbits and Speed Demons are naturally-born fast runners who have ability to run fast without any form of training. They are people with high aptitude when it comes to running.
 
2. Snailrunner are naturally-born slow runners (low aptitude).

The above quote was based on my personal belief that low aptitude runners(me), with good attitude to improve, can still run with high aptitude people. Below is my equation.

'Aptitude x Attitude = Altitude'

 Below are some outcomes using the equations (and yes, life is never fair for the snail family...)

Rabbit/ Speed Demons x Tough training OR Snail x Hell Training = Very Fast Runner
Rabbits/ Speed Demon x Normal/No training OR Snail x Tough training = Fast Runner
Snail x Normal/No training = Slow Runner

Interest Link below
http://www.istadia.com/article/GAINMOREGolf/116

Mon Swim + Tue Swim + Wed Run

Participated and Completed in 2nd position for the 400m swim event at 08:34min on Monday (17 Jan).

Participated and Completed in 2nd position for the 1,500m swim event at 34:47min on Tuesday (18 Jan).

Ran and completed a 10km Lakeside Run at 57:09min....... It seems like my body is too tired for the distance after the 2 days of swimming......... I need to recover fast........

To the rabbits and Speed Demons

Pls maintain your fitness and stop boasting that you are very fast.
One fine day, I will transform myself into a turbo snail and overtake you!
So you better watch out!

Regards
The Snailrunner

Oh Yeah! Another PB for Half Marathon

Using the same route as 2/1/11,  I manage to complete the 21km in 2:10:34hr (an average pace of 6:14min/km).
I was rather surprise as I have already ran a 3.5km this morning; ate a heavy buffet lunch this afternoon; and I got the PB previously on my favorite FLAT route at ECP.
Running Details -
0 to 1km - 5:37.63 min
1 to 2km - 5:49.00 min
2 to 3km - 5:45.00 min
3 to 4km - 6:26.00 min
4 to 5km - 5:30.00 min
5 to 6km - 5:32.01 min
6 to 7km - 5:39.99 min
7 to 8km - 5:45.00 min
8 to 9km - 6:09.00 min
9 to 10km - 6:00.98 min
10 to 11km - 6:20.00 min
11 to 12km - 7:09.00 min
12 to 13km - 6:30.00 min
13 to 14km - 6:21.01 min
14 to 15km - 6:35.00 min
15 to 16km - 6:25.00 min
16 to 17km - 6:05.00 min
17 to 18km - 6:30.01 min
18 to 19km - 7:08.98 min
19 to 20km - 6:35.00 min
20 to 21km - 6:28.00 min
21 to 21.03km - 0:12.58 min
btw, this video is meant for the rabbits and speed demons out there!

Run Lesser but Tougher, Run Faster?

I experimented with different ways of running this week.
I felt that the runs on 6 and 7 Jan were more fun, challenging and exciting BUT slower.

And I wanna do more weighted runs from now onwards.  :)

Date	Route	Distance	Timing	Pace	Remarks
7-Jan	3.5 km seletar	3.5 km	19:30	5:35	vff with 2kg load
6-Jan	3.5 km seletar	3.5 km	19:37	5:37	vff with mask
5-Jan	3.5 km seletar	3.5 km	17:04	4:53	vff

Oh Yeah! Another PB for my normal 4km Run

I ran my usual 4.3km this morning and managed to clock a timing of 21:26 min (That is an average pace of 5min/km!). I am so delighted as as this is my PB for this route so far.

I thought that the reasons for the improvement is largely attributed to the techniques drills that I have started to practice so far.   :)

btw, I have attached the drills video in this post, perhaps you would like to practice it too. :)

To the speed-demons out there,

I know 5min/km is no big deals to all the speedster out there, but it is really a great achievement for me. I am also determined to run faster that 5km/hr, so don't be surprise if I (the snailrunner) catches up with you one fine day.    :)

Born to Run - Christopher Mcdougall

I read this book recently and discovered it to be enlightening and inspiring.

I would recommend all of you to read this book and re-discover the joy of fitness and running.

:)

'Born To Run' by Christopher McDougall

Autographed by Author

Christopher McDougall speaking on his book 'BORN TO RUN'

Book Description (from www.amazon.com)

Full of incredible characters, amazing athletic achievements, cutting-edge science, and, most of all, pure inspiration, Born to Run is an epic adventure that began with one simple question: Why does my foot hurt? In search of an answer, Christopher McDougall sets off to find a tribe of the world’s greatest distance runners and learn their secrets, and in the process shows us that everything we thought we knew about running is wrong.

Isolated by the most savage terrain in North America, the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s deadly Copper Canyons are custodians of a lost art. For centuries they have practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest and chase down anything from a deer to an Olympic marathoner while enjoying every mile of it. Their superhuman talent is matched by uncanny health and serenity, leaving the Tarahumara immune to the diseases and strife that plague modern existence. With the help of Caballo Blanco, a mysterious loner who lives among the tribe, the author was able not only to uncover the secrets of the Tarahumara but also to find his own inner ultra-athlete, as he trained for the challenge of a lifetime: a fifty-mile race through the heart of Tarahumara country pitting the tribe against an odd band of Americans, including a star ultramarathoner, a beautiful young surfer, and a barefoot wonder.

With a sharp wit and wild exuberance, McDougall takes us from the high-tech science labs at Harvard to the sun-baked valleys and freezing peaks across North America, where ever-growing numbers of ultrarunners are pushing their bodies to the limit, and, finally, to the climactic race in the Copper Canyons. Born to Run is that rare book that will not only engage your mind but inspire your body when you realize that the secret to happiness is right at your feet, and that you, indeed all of us, were born to run.

Book Description (from www.birthdayshoes.com)

I challenge anyone to read Christopher McDougall's Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen and not be inspired—to run, to be healthy, to be, well just, better.

Born to Run is about McDougall's investigative adventure into the world of running, ultramarathons, the shoe industry, and the Tarahumara Indians, a seclusive group of "superathletes" known for their running endurance and speed. The tale begins with a question, "How come my foot hurts?" and ends with a race between a few elite ultrarunners and the Tarahumara Indians in the Copper Canyons of Mexico. In between are a number of answers, questions, and challenges.

It was difficult to put Born to Run down. The book is simultaneously thrilling and informative. It not only recaptures the excitement of past distance running races (like the 1995 Leadville 100), but it also tells the backstories of BtR's protagonists — Ann Trason, Ken Chlouber, Caballo Blanco (or "Micah True"), "Barefoot Ted" McDonald, Scott Jurek, Jenn "Mookie" Shelton and Billy "Bonehead" Barnett. Even still, the book serves as an indictment of the running shoe industry, specifically Nike, while also laying out a compelling case that human beings evolved to be runners—chasing prey down, out-enduring them via the persistence hunt. At under 300 pages Born to Run, like the runners and races it describes, covers a lot of ground quickly.

Perhaps one of the most inspirational paragraphs from Born to Run contains the book's title:

Distance running was revered because it was indispensable; it was the way we survived and thrived and spread across the planet. You ran to eat and to avoid being eaten; you ran to find a mate and impress her, and with her you ran off to start a new life together. You had to love running, or you wouldn't live to love anything else. And like everything else we love—everything we sentimentally call our "passions" and "desires"—it's really an encoded ancestral necessity. We were born to run; we were born because we run. We're all Running People, as the Tarahumara have always known.

Born to Run is one of those rare books that captures within its pages an authentic human experience and conveys that experience directly to the reader. It's a book in which you are awed by superhuman athletes while still seeing their core humanity. And therein is one of McDougall's primary takeaways: every human being was born to run, the design being coded within our DNA.

Since this book review is for the Vibram fivefingers fan community, I'd be remiss not to note that BtR gives a hearty mention regarding VFFs, specifically via Barefoot Ted, who apparently inspired Vibram USA's CEO, Tony Post, to go for a run in his fivefingers. I'm guessing this was back in early 2006. "El Mono" (Barefoot Ted) also made use of his fivefingers at various times during his trek to race with the Tarahumara. And as previously noted on this site, Christopher McDougall seems to enjoy his fivefingers for running these days, too.

Conclusion: BtR is a fantastic read, and I whole-heartedly recommend it. More than anything, I expect this book to spawn the next generation of runners, and I'm optimistic that it will take barefooting (or pseudo-barefooting/minimalist footwear) mainstream. Born to Run is yet another step in a more general movement towards acquiring a higher understanding of what it means and requires to be human.

The Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon in 'BORN TO RUN'

 

The Tarahumara - A Hidden Tribe of Superathletes Born to Run

Related Links

Christopher McDougall's Website  - http://chrismcdougall.com/

Barefoot Ted's Website - http://www.barefootted.com

Scott Jurek's Website - http://www.scottjurek.com/

Micah True - http://www.caballoblanco.com/

Photos - http://www.allwedoisrun.com/tarahumara.htm

My First Run of the Year 2011

This morning, I completed my first half marathon (21.28km with a timing of 2:26:43hr) for the year in the western part of Singapore. 

The route that I have plotted and ran was more challenging than Army Half Marathon 2010 as it went through many up-slopes...and I had to wait for many 'green man' at traffic junctions. But I believe this will be a better training ground compared to running a 21km at my usual super flat ECP.

 

 

Last Run in 2010

On the last day of 2010, I completed a 5.5km barefoot run (in 34:40 min), followed by a 30 lap swim (38:02min). After the run, I think that i would need to work harder to improve my running gait and my strength for the swim.

31 Dec  Run	Before Swim	Barefoot
Distance(km)	Timing	Average Pace (min/km)
1	05:56.40	05:56.40
1	05:40.00	05:40.00
1	05:55.00	05:55.00
1	06:14.99	06:14.99
1	06:40.02	06:40.02
0.57	04:13.36	07:24.49
5.57	34:39.77	06:13.39
31 Dec  Swim
Lap	Timing	Average Pace (min/lap)
1	01:00.79
2	01:07.54
3	01:11.19
4	01:14.06
5	01:15.92
6	01:19.05
7	01:18.88
8	01:17.36
9	01:17.79
10	01:19.04
11	01:19.08
12	01:18.97
13	01:13.62
14	01:17.09
15	01:08.80
16	01:14.26
17	01:16.19
18	01:12.71
19	01:16.53
20	01:19.95
21	01:13.58
22	01:16.91
23	01:14.14
24	01:14.92
25	01:17.25
26	01:16.22
27	01:19.89
28	01:22.44
29	01:23.62
30	01:24.87
30	38:02.66	01:16.09

30 Dec	Ran with David Lee	Barefoot
Distance(km)	Timing	Average Pace (min/km)
1	05:40.58	05:40.58
1	06:45.00	06:45.00
1	05:52.56	05:52.56
3	18:18.14	06:06.05

 

Recovering from Cough

I was suffering from cough since 2 weeks ago. As such, I had to tone down and reduce my weekly mileage. Anyway,  it looked like I am ready for 2.4k m training  after today's run. time to train once again.      :D

29 Dec	Chasing Rabbits	With VFF
Distance(km)	Timing	Average Pace (min/km)
1	04:45.26	04:45.26
1	04:29.99	04:29.99
1	05:00.01	05:00.01
0.75	03:41.66	04:55.55
3.75	17:56.92	04:47.18

28 Dec	Running with Ian	With VFF
Distance(km)	Timing	Average Pace (min/km)
1	06:31.27	06:31.27
1	05:25.02	05:25.02
1	05:29.98	05:29.98
0.52	03:13.57	06:12.25
3.52	20:39.84	05:52.23

25 Dec	Coughing	With VFF
Distance(km)	Timing	Average Pace (min/km)
1	05:29.19	05:29.19
1	05:10.00	05:10.00
1	05:22.00	05:22.00
1	05:44.03	05:44.03
0.13	00:39.27	05:02.08
4.13	22:24.49	05:25.54

24 Dec	Coughing	With Covered Shoes
Distance(km)	Timing	Average Pace (min/km)
1	04:54.59	04:54.59
1	05:00.00	05:00.00
1	05:29.99	05:29.99
1	05:40.02	05:40.02
1	05:54.99	05:54.99
0.07	00:15.12	03:36.00
5.07	27:14.71	05:22.43

 

3.5km Run - My body had Recovered!

Based on my run, my body seems to be fully recovered.   :)

15 Dec

Distance(km)	Timing	Average Pace (min/km)
1	04:51.06	04:51.06
1	04:49.98	04:49.98
1	05:05.01	05:05.01
0.52	02:35.65	04:59.33
3.52	17:21.70	04:55.94