My OperaTaipei international marathon 2010
Sunday, January 2, 2011 1:48:18 PM
It was a long journey to the starting line.
More than 3 months of focused preparation and logging kilometers early Saturday morning at East Coast Park, CCAB running track puking interval sessions and some tempo runs at the cemetery off Bukit Timah.
This race was also my redemption race after disastrous Desaru !/2 ironman.
Well that is another story.
I was following the First running program with some modifications on my own. The program worked on a 3 quality sessions a week with cross training sessions in between sessions.
It was less of a pressure to get the training in. with only 3 sessions, I was able to still coach and have a life. But still it was not easy, being without a team or club, I trained alone at times but most of the time I have friends, ex students and even strangers whom I met at raining sessions to pull me along.
Some mornings were harder than the rest… excuses were always at the back of my mind but friends and looming PB (personal best) but most of all ego; encouraged me on.
What makes you get up at 5am in the morning to prepare for a 32km run and actually run them at a specific pace? I would like to say I like running so much... or God inspired me to give my very best in all things that I do… or 41 year old trying to fight against the degeneration of body especially decrease of VO2 Max… a goal that is not too lofty but requires time and effort which mean I need to engage different resources to achieve it.
Maybe it is all of the above.
the 9 weeks program after desaru was quite a test.
I was nursing a foot injury sustained at desaru and gave me quite a scare but Thank God it healed with rest and med.
Some days I looked forward to rain to cancel training, some days to the exhilaration of completing the workouts.
Come the 3 weeks of tapering before the race was like the tapering for the biggest show of the year for me. It seems like the whole year; this is the only race that I really prepared for. Really feel the recharging of my body for it.
Did 21km standard chartered Singapore marathon as pacer as part of my preparation, and 10km tempo and the last long run of 16km run 3 days later.
That really did me in. back spasm from running too many km in 3 days. This time I was real worried, I went for physiotherapy sessions, take medicine and did all the usual injury recovery treatment like hot pack, IS belt and rest.
I always tell my athletes to have a race plan, this time I have one with pace and with the Garmin GPS cum heart rate monitor, I could really try to stick to it. Given the no other information available like course elevation or drinks station, I can only loosely come up with pace and carry 2 packets of gel with a flask of concentrated isotonic liquids.
I used the usually compression tights and top, the hand held flask with same nutrition. It was show time with every run a dress rehearsal.
I am as ready as I can be with my little training and injury prone body.
What I did not expected was the colder than predicted weather when we arrive at Taipei. With the late flight, we only get to sleep at 2am+, and sunrise rising at 6am made sleeping in impossible.
Only when we picked up the race pack did we know the elevation of the course, and surprise! There was a climb at the 32km to 35km of more than 400m. I need to run a little faster to make sure I can afford to walk up the hill.
Race day morning, all 5 of us got up at 5am to get to race site at 6am. We had powerbar and bread for breakfast. Waiting in the 12C cold with our running gear was the biggest challenge apart from the last 10km of the run.
Without much fanfare, the race started.
YL and QX ran with me at target 6.15min/km pace and, Don went ahead with his sub 5min/km pace. For the first 10km, according to my Garmin, we were ahead at 6.05-6.15 pace. I actually have to hold myself back! On the course, we looked real slow! There were guys who ran with their dog, older runners who wear cotton tee and shorts, a Singapore runner who ran 3 marathons in the last 3weeks and this is his 4th who was taking pictures all the way (we have our pictures on FB…) and running clubs who ran in battalion formation and holding a flag each on their left hand all the way at 4.15hr pace.
The real test was the 32km mark with the uphill. I walked up. Forget about being hero, there is just the fear of cramping up and will be dealing with it for the last kilometer. Patience…
My running partners wanted to walk.. and walk. The running club with the flags caught us at the uphill and that was it. The last 10km was trying not to finish too far from them. Even times like this, ego can still are motivation enough.
Mixed between running and walking, our pace dropped to 6.45min/km. with the early gains, we are still on target.
Last 3km, PB is now or never, I sent my running companions off at the 39km to run at their own pace. I lost YL instantly but still see her back. Last 1km, and still on target for sub 4.30hrs but down the tunnel and up from it just 600m from the finishing line was a cruel!
I had to walk up despite the target time looming closer, my calf was really tight.
Once up I just ran, the last 600m or so was the fastest I could muster at this point.
Crossed the line and meeting my friends…
Only checking my watch and confirming the results online, I knew I did it. Not in the most dramatic fashion and little to spare at 4.29.15 hr.
Thank God for everything, the weather that was warmer in the last week, the people who I trained and ran with, the people who cheered us along, no misshaped in nutrition or hyrdration and the opportunity to bring the best out of myself.
this timing would not be possible if not for the great condition; With the much cooler weather and lower humidity, we stopped only every 5km for drinks and maybe isotonic. Total we made 8 stops and drank 1,6L of fluid and ingested 400 calories there about. that at least save us 1min for not needing to stop for drinks and nutrition.
Recovery was massage, lots of food and shopping! Of course a new pair of sneakers that give relief to my aching feet from all the mid foot strike running.
Xiao long bao best recovery food
More than 3 months of focused preparation and logging kilometers early Saturday morning at East Coast Park, CCAB running track puking interval sessions and some tempo runs at the cemetery off Bukit Timah.
This race was also my redemption race after disastrous Desaru !/2 ironman.
Well that is another story.
I was following the First running program with some modifications on my own. The program worked on a 3 quality sessions a week with cross training sessions in between sessions.
It was less of a pressure to get the training in. with only 3 sessions, I was able to still coach and have a life. But still it was not easy, being without a team or club, I trained alone at times but most of the time I have friends, ex students and even strangers whom I met at raining sessions to pull me along.
Some mornings were harder than the rest… excuses were always at the back of my mind but friends and looming PB (personal best) but most of all ego; encouraged me on.
What makes you get up at 5am in the morning to prepare for a 32km run and actually run them at a specific pace? I would like to say I like running so much... or God inspired me to give my very best in all things that I do… or 41 year old trying to fight against the degeneration of body especially decrease of VO2 Max… a goal that is not too lofty but requires time and effort which mean I need to engage different resources to achieve it.
Maybe it is all of the above.
the 9 weeks program after desaru was quite a test.
I was nursing a foot injury sustained at desaru and gave me quite a scare but Thank God it healed with rest and med.
Some days I looked forward to rain to cancel training, some days to the exhilaration of completing the workouts.
Come the 3 weeks of tapering before the race was like the tapering for the biggest show of the year for me. It seems like the whole year; this is the only race that I really prepared for. Really feel the recharging of my body for it.
Did 21km standard chartered Singapore marathon as pacer as part of my preparation, and 10km tempo and the last long run of 16km run 3 days later.
That really did me in. back spasm from running too many km in 3 days. This time I was real worried, I went for physiotherapy sessions, take medicine and did all the usual injury recovery treatment like hot pack, IS belt and rest.
I always tell my athletes to have a race plan, this time I have one with pace and with the Garmin GPS cum heart rate monitor, I could really try to stick to it. Given the no other information available like course elevation or drinks station, I can only loosely come up with pace and carry 2 packets of gel with a flask of concentrated isotonic liquids.
I used the usually compression tights and top, the hand held flask with same nutrition. It was show time with every run a dress rehearsal.
I am as ready as I can be with my little training and injury prone body.
What I did not expected was the colder than predicted weather when we arrive at Taipei. With the late flight, we only get to sleep at 2am+, and sunrise rising at 6am made sleeping in impossible.
Only when we picked up the race pack did we know the elevation of the course, and surprise! There was a climb at the 32km to 35km of more than 400m. I need to run a little faster to make sure I can afford to walk up the hill.
Race day morning, all 5 of us got up at 5am to get to race site at 6am. We had powerbar and bread for breakfast. Waiting in the 12C cold with our running gear was the biggest challenge apart from the last 10km of the run.
Without much fanfare, the race started.
YL and QX ran with me at target 6.15min/km pace and, Don went ahead with his sub 5min/km pace. For the first 10km, according to my Garmin, we were ahead at 6.05-6.15 pace. I actually have to hold myself back! On the course, we looked real slow! There were guys who ran with their dog, older runners who wear cotton tee and shorts, a Singapore runner who ran 3 marathons in the last 3weeks and this is his 4th who was taking pictures all the way (we have our pictures on FB…) and running clubs who ran in battalion formation and holding a flag each on their left hand all the way at 4.15hr pace.
The real test was the 32km mark with the uphill. I walked up. Forget about being hero, there is just the fear of cramping up and will be dealing with it for the last kilometer. Patience…
My running partners wanted to walk.. and walk. The running club with the flags caught us at the uphill and that was it. The last 10km was trying not to finish too far from them. Even times like this, ego can still are motivation enough.
Mixed between running and walking, our pace dropped to 6.45min/km. with the early gains, we are still on target.
Last 3km, PB is now or never, I sent my running companions off at the 39km to run at their own pace. I lost YL instantly but still see her back. Last 1km, and still on target for sub 4.30hrs but down the tunnel and up from it just 600m from the finishing line was a cruel!
I had to walk up despite the target time looming closer, my calf was really tight.
Once up I just ran, the last 600m or so was the fastest I could muster at this point.
Crossed the line and meeting my friends…
Only checking my watch and confirming the results online, I knew I did it. Not in the most dramatic fashion and little to spare at 4.29.15 hr.
Thank God for everything, the weather that was warmer in the last week, the people who I trained and ran with, the people who cheered us along, no misshaped in nutrition or hyrdration and the opportunity to bring the best out of myself.
this timing would not be possible if not for the great condition; With the much cooler weather and lower humidity, we stopped only every 5km for drinks and maybe isotonic. Total we made 8 stops and drank 1,6L of fluid and ingested 400 calories there about. that at least save us 1min for not needing to stop for drinks and nutrition.
Recovery was massage, lots of food and shopping! Of course a new pair of sneakers that give relief to my aching feet from all the mid foot strike running.
Xiao long bao best recovery food
