Thursday, March 12, 2009

Sundown Marathon

A series of run log journals leading to the Sundown Marathon, Singapore 31 May 2009 ...

Introductory Note by KC: The author after being advised that keeping a journal assists in ensuring weekly training schedules are adhered to and can be used as a future reference for improvement on what works/does not work, has decided to keep a weekly run/training log. The author’s weekly training schedule is downloaded from runnersworld.com. Extracts/excerpts are taken from the run journal in the form of exchange e-mails with yours truly (KC) over the course of the next few months as the author shares the journey to a race that tests the human body, endurance and spirit.

Written by Jennifer

1st March 2009 Sunday Long Run:

I woke up at 6am for my training run. Initially I was really tired, fatigued from the long work week. So I tried 10km first and see-how.... At 10km, I felt good enough for another 5km and so on (breaking runs into shorter distances just seems so much more manageable).
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Note: Jennifer is a Malaysian Chinese. Photo showing model runners extracted from New York Marathon websites.

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At 15km, there were some "rabbits" for me to chase. I either chase "rabbits/ runners" * running the same direction as me and overtake them or I make sure I meet a runner of the opposite direction at the same point of each loop or later. This shows that I am either running at the same speed each time I meet with the opposite direction runner OR I am running faster than the opposite direction runner.

With this I am able to make my runs more "interesting" aside from waving to friends whom I meet along the way. So I ran and ran and ran and after 2 hours 40 minutes, I completed about 25km and I was done for the day! I had purchased compression shorts and was surprised that it kept the chaffing to a minimum (less movement due to the compression) so that was good news.

At the end of the 25km I thought I felt a little soreness with an old injury so I quickly stopped and stretched and iced when I arrived home. The next day, I skipped my usual short run and walked instead - prevention is better than cure! I can always run on another day!
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* Rabbit/runner - I find that it makes my runs more interesting. I think the opposite direction runner is probably making me his/her rabbit too. Maybe to the other runner I am a bunny … ha ha ha.

Have a fun day!
Jennifer

Note by KC: Ahh… I do apply the same technique too when running in a circuit in order to make the training runs more fun. When I arrive earlier at the same starting location relative to my target runner, I know I am ahead. However, some times, I picked the keng chow (or possibly, wrong candidate) runner, then it would be a tough run.

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