Meticulousness

Easy week concluded with a 6.4km race pace run on the treadmill(1% incline) yesterday in 27:08. Certainly a good sign as run was comfortable. Henceforth lies the challenge of precision in matching this pace for Sundown in barely a week's time.

On another note, I've taken a look at my running log and realised that the numbers may not speak enough about what I'm doing. For anyone who's interested, but more for my own tracking, shall possibly make minor adjustments to distinguish the type of workouts that I'm having, instead of just distances of '6' '12' '9' etc.

Citius, Altius, Fortius

Run350 2014

27th April 2014. The dark skies are cloudy and in fact a little hazy. Probably not the best sign as I roll out of bed at 5.00am sharp, awakened by the default Blackberry alarm tune.

As I have my breakfast (cereal, always, won't go wrong), the darkness is lit momentarily by a flash of lightning. A minute later, another flash. Hmm doesn't seem too threatening yet. As I continue munching while sipping my glass of milk, the frequency of illumination escalates. Not a good sign...

A quick check on the Run350 Facebook page reflects a delay in the flag-off for 21km. I hope us 10km runners will be more fortunate. The skies are thundering now. I pray for the best and confirm with Ben that we'll stick to the aforementioned plan - meeting at Paya Lebar MRT.

(I've come to realise that before about 6.30am, the circle line train is operated manually by the staff. After which, automation takes over.)

Ben informs me that it's storming. When we arrive at Promenade MRT, a heavy drizzle (for lack of a better word) greets us. After a quick prayer we head out into the darkness (no more lightning now!) and rain.

To cut the story short, the race begins at about 7.15am(I think?). I am thankful that it does begin, though my shoes are soaked even before the run begins. I don't like that.

We return just shy of 8am(I think as well, based on our timing). That's nice. Though I do think the route was actually a few hundred metres short of 10km.

The reason for my suspicion is how we passed the 5k marker sub-21 minutes. Though I did feel we were running reasonably quick for the earlier half (with 45 being the goal time), I would have expected us to be in the range of 22-23mins. 

One realisation I had was that I had improved, most certainly, from my previous 10k. This was beneficial for me but I admit I probably started a bit too quick for Ben (we wanted to hit the 5k mark at 23mins). What was fortunate was that Ben continually fed back info of whether it was too fast. By making the adjustment early, it probably salvaged the situation for the latter half of the race. Though we did indeed slow down, I'm confident that the 'fade' was kept to a minimum.

Personally, I love finishing fast and running negative or even splits. I dislike having to slow down at the end when I'm in a training or racing mood. During the 2XU Compression Run 2014, though I suspected I started a bit faster than what I was confident of maintaining, I hung on till the end, leaving me so fatigued that I simply could not muster a sprint finish. 

Reverting back to this race however, though we certainly ran a positive split, we stuck together throughout and that was heartening. Crossing the line as the clock marked 44:40ish, it was indeed a pleasant moment. Official results showed I passed with a Nett time of 44:27(Ben was a second faster), Gun time of 44:44(Same as Ben!).

Credit to Running Shots.

At the 9.5km mark. Credit to Eye-See-Eye-Shoot.

Ben and I over the last 50m. Credit to Yeo Kim Song.

Stand

Ahead

"Your biggest hurdle isn't your opponent, it's yourself."

Brandon Todd

2XU Compression Run 2014

I had no idea I was going to be running this race a week ago. Yet, 2nd March 2014 and I find myself waking at 5am to catch the first train to Nicoll Highway.

Having rested last Sunday (instead of going to church) after a couple of days of stomach flu, I was browsing Singapore's running calender and noticed that 2XU's run was available for sign-ups. What compelled me to do so was in fact how the early bird prices for the 10k were still available on the last day of registration.

By my standards, I was not prepared to run this race (a mere 200km in the past 13 weeks). Yet by God's grace, favourable conditions and my sheer willpower(alongside some tactful gestures), I completed the 10k, my first 10k race, surpassing my expectations. Watch-timed, I took 43:30(NETT). 

That very morning, Jiajun and I caught the first Dhoby Ghaut-bond Circle line train to Nicoll Highway MRT. We arrived around 6.30am and swiftly made our way towards the start point, though the organisers only let runners onto the course at 6.45.

This was by far the race the most intense race I had ever signed up for, due to it being the shortest distance ever. Having read about the importance of a warm-up, I started doing little exercises despite the close proximity of runners all around. We waited at about 30m out, eventually crossing the start line within 30seconds of the flag off.

I suspect my first k was run in 4:45, having reached the u-turn at 4:30. I hit the first water point(around 2k mark?) at 9:00. Up till 6k, I did not see any distance markers(though I suspect I missed one at 4k). My only reference was a stranger aiming for 44(I was aiming for 45) and we both paced together from the second to the sixth k before he moved forward.

It was a struggle from the sixth k onwards. I had not run this distance(or longer) since RAC 2013, a good 7+ months ago and both my legs and lungs were struggling. It was certainly tempting to ease the pace but I did not want to give up on a sub-45, despite being extremely ill-prepared for this race. Hanging on, I encouraged fellow runners as I passed them. I suspect my form was horrendous at this point, though my speed did not falter.

The distance markers inched toward me. Past the 8k mark, a fellow Caucasian I encouraged told me he'd hang on with me. Cum the 9k marker, a glance showed 39:30.

We dodged the 21k runners.

"Try for a 44?", I suggested.

"How much further".

"A few hundred."

And we picked up the pace. Easing around the bend, we saw the finish in perhaps 400m? My watch showed 42. "Let's get a 44". We flew.

I crossed in 43:30 on my watch, with my fellow stranger a second ahead. I had beaten my clock. (I later found out, based on others' GPS data, that the race was about 9.7+km. Thankfully it still converts to a sub-45 10km!)

This 10k, my maiden 10k race, revealed itself to be a distance requiring composure and long suffering. Certainly not as leg and glycaemia-intensive as the marathons back in 2012, it was a matter of enduring the screaming lungs and shutting out the nagging thoughts to slow down, especially after the halfway mark. One thing's for certain though - there will be more to come.

If the distance/split timing is correct, it means the last 1.9km was probably
covered in 7:26, pretty fast for my standard!

I believe this is around the 8k mark, after we joined
the half and full marathoners. Credit to Finisherpix

Post-race photo with Jiajun and Ben.

Renew

Perhaps it's time to try again. Differently. Not that the previous did not succeed, but for the present to reteach.