99. So, I Ran

Personal

I'm 20. And I ran my first marathon in my life. I mean, half marathon hah.

Half marathon is 21km.

It's from Queensbay until some distance pass the midspan of bridge and then u-turn back up to some distance near E-Gate. From there straight up to the place where the run started as finishing line.

Gruesome. Grueling. Groovy. G...on the spot.

Pushing my own limits. Abusing my own feet as I pushed my soul harder. Never had this tough and long run before in my life. It was so mental. I had my heart doing most of the work by thinking of the support that I've had. emotional haha. I told my legs, "hold on don't give up you can do it". Sorry feet. It was a torture and nightmare.

I totally underestimated the route on the map and the distance in number.

It was endless as I saw the sea of heads and double the number, of legs heading towards blurry. It was so far that the cold, breezy and misty air had made a wall of clouding the vision of the journey. And then it rained god-like heavy.

I'm not sure if anyone caught me gulping the rainwater to drink. I think I was looking like goldfishes gasping for air. The rain played a very friendly role in cooling down tremendously my body to the point I didn't have to to keep going to the water station for hydration. Besides that, it's to be blamed for drenching my whole body. I threw away my socks halfway. It was a bad load soaking up so much water and kept getting rolled under my feet.

Push and push.

This is it.



It was uploaded into the Penang Bridge International Marathon website.

I edited just for my part. Courtesy of PBIM.

Ah Hooi's 2nd time running this big event and he did it in 2 hours and 41 minutes time. Kudos. We survived too.

More trainings on the way.


This is a picture of me with the finisher's medal.

X

Nope, haven't uploaded.

98. Progress Run 3 ~Rekindled

Personal

References
Run 1 (30th October) - http://youareinmydream.blogspot.com/2010/10/96-progress-run.html
Run 2 (14 October) - http://youareinmydream.blogspot.com/2010/11/97-progress-run-2-fail.html

Exercise Report/Summary

Day: Wednesday
Date: 17th November 2010
Time: 1900 hours
Weather: Cool and breezy
Temperature: n/a
Terrain: Tarred road

Location: Nilai
Traffic: Rare
Start: Behind Block D
Course: Back and forth a single straight road between Block D and E
Finish: Behind Block D

Start time: ~1900 hours
Finish time: ~1940 hours

Distance*: 6.3 km
Time*: 37.22.64 mins
Average speed*: 10.1 km/h
Maximum speed*: 16.8 km/h

[*recorded by my phone Fitness application]

Remarks:
1. The run started in the evening where the sun was setting. After the first 15 minutes the lamp posts became the only source of light for the road.
2. Road is wet after a course of drizzle an hour before.
3. The course is level; no uphills or downhills. Only back and forth a road of about 150m in length.
4. The wind is breezy and cool for most of the time which helped in cooling and providing positive airflow for breathing.
5. Pre-exercise diet: Water and half piece of bun from Cinnabon
6. Post-exercise diet: Some kolo mee from Kuching and less than 100ml of Soya milk. Dinner: Neslo and sandwich set (egg+meat+cheese+sausage+fries)

Comments:

This is the coolest ever run besides the events that I have participated in my life. Especially falling upset towards my previous training 4 days ago.

I beat the Run 2's 2.9km in ~16 minutes (ahead by ~3minutes) and at least pushed further to beat Run 1's 5.7km in ~33 minutes (1 minute difference).

But I still can't believe it how good in form I was despite having improperly hydrated in the first run record because it was in the morning I'd not taken much food for energy, the course is hilly and traffic was mild. And that time the sun was rising. This latest run I had was absolutely on straight and level terrain and there is no heat from the sun at all. It was rather boring and there was no variation. The only motivation I had was to kept looking at my stopwatch.

If it was in the morning, I believe I would have continued on the exercise at least until 10-12 km. As my breathing and energy level were in a very good form. Hydration was adequate from the drinking in the day. Food consumption was complete. I was just not motivated to keep running until 8 o'clock at night. It was a run in blindness. Only dim lamp posts and occasional passing-by cars' headlights glaring.

Note: These run progresses are for tests of performance only. Not graded for any use or competition. The Penang Bridge Marathon which I will be participating is 21km in distance to run for my half-marathon category which I selected. Satch blesses I will complete the run gracefully. Earning a podium position is not much of concern but it is the motivation, spirit and faith in finishing well the course and enjoying it as well. A 3 and a half hours limit will be a test to earning a finisher's medal. A 20th place would secure a Bronze medal. bzzt.

Get ready.

Theme song: Megadeth - High Speed Dirt and Hangar 18

97. Progress - Run 2 ~FAIL

Personal

Refer to http://youareinmydream.blogspot.com/2010/10/96-progress-run.html for a splendid previous record.

Exercise Report/Summary

Day: Sunday
Date: 14th November 2010
Time: 0935 hours
Weather: Sunny and breezy
Temperature: n/a
Terrain: Tarred road and pavement grass ground

Location: Nilai
Traffic: Slightly regular
Start: Same to Run 1
Course: n/a
Finish: n/a

Start time: 0945 hours
Finish time: ~1010 hours

Distance*: 2.9 km
Time*: 19.17.56 mins
Average speed*: 9.1 km/h
Maximum speed*: 19.5 km/h

[*recorded by my phone Fitness application]

Remarks:
1. Weather was exceptionally fine.
2. Sunny weather is great but the heat seemed to drain energy fast and the glare of the morning sun is unbearable at times.
3. Cool and breezy wind blowing helps a lot in cooling.
4. Water bottle is brought along this time. Hydration became convenient and regular.
5. Pre-exercise diet: Banana and biscuits
6. Post-exercise diet: Banana, soya milk and cork flakes cereal

Comments:
I am very disappointed and upset with this latest performance. I would rather not record this at all but that's not the point anymore for progress checks. This would serve me as a reminder and a history of a bad result. I could not even last until at least the distance covered in the previous run. I stopped at the time the time record was taken and then I attempted to continue but to no avail. I stopped again just after 2 minutes.

I was prepared. To improve on my performance as I brought with me a bottle of water. I think, it became a burden to hold it through out the course. I believe I ran out of phase and totally lost my rhythm in the energy consumption and breathing right after I was juggling running and drinking at the same time. Basically, I lost coordination with my steps and breathing when I shifted my attention to opening the bottle cap. The first time was not so bad. I think the second attempt to drink when I was already gasping for more air made me stop for a few seconds to drink and swallow.

After that, I just felt like I lost a lot of energy. The feeling of lazy legs surfaced. Eyes went into sleepy mode. I lost my concentration too. I kept thinking, how am I going to make it this time? I could not even hit 5km, let alone 10km.

I list down here the possible causes which I think are the reasons why I could not perform:
1. Serious lack of sleep
2. Heavy gym work out the day before
3. Heat from the sunny weather
4. Lack of regular training
5. Holding a bottle of water - which added weight and removed the freedom of movement of my arms
6. Had been recently working out on creatine supplement

No.1 factor is a serious detriment. I admit on that that I practically didn't sleep proper hours in the few nights before the run. Rather, I didn't sleep during the nights all only 2-4 hours of naps in the day. This involves time and work management.

The gym workout which I did the day before was a little over the regular repetitions and resistances. I pushed harder than before especially a lot on the quadriceps and hamstrings exercises. I reckon I have not recovered at all after such strenuous activity. I am not quite sure if I have actually converted an pro-endurance regime to strength-building. Plus the creatine-based supplement for muscle building.

Not sure though if that poses any difference in this small scale of training.

The weather is not really hot. It's just clear sky in the morning. Would not blame the heat generally though. It's rather breezy. I feel it's the combination of lack of sleep and the glare of the sun which made me feeling drowsy and lazy.

Holding the bottle. You tell me. The splashing of the water. The centrifugal force acting on the water. The grip on the bottle. It's a 600ml bottle. I actually left it at one spot when I felt that I could not continue anymore holding it for long period. And then when I made a turn-back I recollected it. That was already after I gave up.

Then I had to walk back home which took me almost 1 hour.

Upset.