The rest of the folks are out doing 200km from KL to Simpang Pulai, so I decided to do some cycling on my own. The route is exactly the same route I ran. From cheras to klawang and back 147km.
But this is probably the ride with the most climbs I've done. First, ampang hill. Then Bukit Hantu. Met with Isma and another young rider tagging behind him while climbing here. Isma is a pretty strong rider, and they were doing double bukit hantu. Bukit Hantu is notorious for its 3km climb with no respite in elevation. It's all the way up. In fact this is the harder than Peres and back from Titi to Peres.
Then, it's going up Genting Peres, and down all the way to Klawang. Even after Genting Peres, there's still 3 major climbs. It's not all downhill from there.
Reached Klawang just before noon, and had lunch.
After that it's back to Peres again. The last time I hit this path was a few weeks back. Back then I bonked. My guess was because I didn't had breakfast, and had not been cycling for a long long time. This time it was pretty manageable.
The last climb is again back Ampang hill, which it did rained a bit.
Total time spent riding is 6:49. Meter says 149km. But I was thinking, could I ran a marathon after that? Ironman is getting nearer...
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Train you must
Since most folks went to Penang, John, Dr Ray and I were the only ones cycling from Bukit Jalil to Putrajaya-Salak. I was hoping we could cover 100km, but after using the mapmyrun tool, it was only 80 plus. It's pretty much a straight road, but quite heavy traffic considering most busses and lorries use this route to KLIA and back. From Bukit Jalil to Salak is only 30+km. So this put me into thinking mode of where to get the 100 plus km. Some routes in Putrajaya would cover for that.
---
Sunday. I had planned 2x bukit aman as part of the 200km. On the first loop, met with most runners coming back. Rashid was with me the first few km, but then I had to put up a faster pace. My goal was to run in the preservation mode. That means trying to run as efficiently as possible, and not pushing it. By the time I was back from the first loop, it already took 1:57.
I walked back to the car, got a slice of bread, some water, then got the sunglasses to keep the shades in, and went for the 2nd loop. The shades really helped to cool things down, at least from the visual perspective.
I kept thinking of whether I could do 10 loops. And frankly, I don't have the answer, nor do I really try to grasp it. As long as the legs can run, I'll just move on. I think most runners who had ran marathons knew the feeling at 10k, 20k and 30k are really different. You might feel good at 20k, but at further distance, you are just hoping the cramps don't come in. Or the fatigue doesn't sets in.
So how do you push further then? The answer is that you believe that at some point, you get out of the low point, and can continue from there. It's not all progressively going worst. You can actually push further, and then recover at some point.
By the time I finished the second loop, the time was 11:50 plus. It was humidly hot. The wheather had been sunny, and I seriously think ironman wannabes should run this route at noon to get used to the heat.
Now, lets go on to the next week.
---
Sunday. I had planned 2x bukit aman as part of the 200km. On the first loop, met with most runners coming back. Rashid was with me the first few km, but then I had to put up a faster pace. My goal was to run in the preservation mode. That means trying to run as efficiently as possible, and not pushing it. By the time I was back from the first loop, it already took 1:57.
I walked back to the car, got a slice of bread, some water, then got the sunglasses to keep the shades in, and went for the 2nd loop. The shades really helped to cool things down, at least from the visual perspective.
I kept thinking of whether I could do 10 loops. And frankly, I don't have the answer, nor do I really try to grasp it. As long as the legs can run, I'll just move on. I think most runners who had ran marathons knew the feeling at 10k, 20k and 30k are really different. You might feel good at 20k, but at further distance, you are just hoping the cramps don't come in. Or the fatigue doesn't sets in.
So how do you push further then? The answer is that you believe that at some point, you get out of the low point, and can continue from there. It's not all progressively going worst. You can actually push further, and then recover at some point.
By the time I finished the second loop, the time was 11:50 plus. It was humidly hot. The wheather had been sunny, and I seriously think ironman wannabes should run this route at noon to get used to the heat.
Now, lets go on to the next week.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Running in Loops
Since getting hit by a bike a few months back, I've been running in loops in my own housing community. It's not that paranoia of getting hit the second time, but I think the air is easier to breath in. Running the usual 11.7km uphill and downhill is along mainstream traffic, and you can easily guess how much exhaust fumes that goes into the lungs. Not good.
Another thing I soon found out. Running hills and flats is very different. The fact is you are using different muscle groups to tackle different terrain. The 1.5km loop I've been running in has a bit of elevation, but 80% is flat, which gives good workout on running flats.
At times it becomes boring, but if you treat it as though you need to complete a job, it'll work out fine. I did the impossible (sort of), by running 14 loops of 1.5km, totaling 21km. Want a marathon? just run 28 loops. I think it's easier running hartamas 20km that this. At least the scenery changes.
My game plan now would be trying to run at least 6 times of 21km, and 2 times of 40km in order to prepare for the 200km run. It won't be easy, but I'll need high mileage to get the body used to it. With no races at all, I could now really focus on getting this goal wrapped up, before doing more cycling for ironman. Actually I have to do more cycling in parallel. But one thing at a time.
---
On another note, I sometimes find that we could shock non runners by saying how much we ran. Just say "I ran 10km this morning..." and they'll look awed. Then I have to explain that 10km is pretty short for most runners. Try putting in marathon distance and I think they could faint.
Well, if you don't do anything for your body, you'll end up with clogged arteries.
Study: Obese Children, Teens Have the Arteries of 45-Year-Olds
Another thing I soon found out. Running hills and flats is very different. The fact is you are using different muscle groups to tackle different terrain. The 1.5km loop I've been running in has a bit of elevation, but 80% is flat, which gives good workout on running flats.
At times it becomes boring, but if you treat it as though you need to complete a job, it'll work out fine. I did the impossible (sort of), by running 14 loops of 1.5km, totaling 21km. Want a marathon? just run 28 loops. I think it's easier running hartamas 20km that this. At least the scenery changes.
My game plan now would be trying to run at least 6 times of 21km, and 2 times of 40km in order to prepare for the 200km run. It won't be easy, but I'll need high mileage to get the body used to it. With no races at all, I could now really focus on getting this goal wrapped up, before doing more cycling for ironman. Actually I have to do more cycling in parallel. But one thing at a time.
---
On another note, I sometimes find that we could shock non runners by saying how much we ran. Just say "I ran 10km this morning..." and they'll look awed. Then I have to explain that 10km is pretty short for most runners. Try putting in marathon distance and I think they could faint.
Well, if you don't do anything for your body, you'll end up with clogged arteries.
Study: Obese Children, Teens Have the Arteries of 45-Year-Olds
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
I would rather swim
Last evening, I went for a swim. It's just another ordinary swim, but I've feeling restless past 2 days due to injuries on both feet. You see, I've got pain on top of both feet. It's bad enough to prevent me from running or cycling. In fact, walking to the office radiates pain.
I tried to swim consistently for 3km. And immediately I felt better. I know, my swim stroke is terrible, my strength gone done the drain, and am feeling ironman so far fetched an idea. How I felt? More like orang kurang upaya (OKU) [disabled folks]. But it felt better because I was pushing myself again. Oddly, I can't sit still. I just got to do swim, or bike, or run.
But I kept on going, like someone chasing a fledgling hope of getting faster, but just in vain.
Then it rained. And it rained more. And thunders started to streak across the sunset sky. Soon, I was the only person left swimming in the olympics size pool. When things started to get worse, I knew I had to bailed out my plan on the 3km swim. So I ended after 2.55km.
---
Last week cycling was really in the dumps. After almost 2 months of no cycling after Desaru, I felt reluctant to cycle. Maybe it was due to the bad experience of stuck gears during the race. I don't know. I just know my cycling is probably the weakest link in this tri sports.
Yet, I opt with some of my cycling buddies to cycle to Titi. First, I have to climb the Ampang hill, then climb up to Genting Peres, and up and down after Peres. I was so famished, or near bonk, so I stopped just before the 12km mark to kelawang to dine in with the rest.
And going back is suffering in slow motion. Had to climb back to Peres, then another climb back Ampang hill. Back pain, butt pain, hand pain, and getting roasted in the sun,...I was kept wondering what's so fun of cycling. I would rather run 8 hours than sitting on the bike for that long. I know, I would need to pump in the mileage for cycling if I wanted to be good at it. But at the moment, cycling is something the least I would choose compared to swim and run. Basically, no love in cycling.
Nevermind, it'll definitely take time, but time is soon fleeting away as the clock ticks closer to ironman langkawi...
I tried to swim consistently for 3km. And immediately I felt better. I know, my swim stroke is terrible, my strength gone done the drain, and am feeling ironman so far fetched an idea. How I felt? More like orang kurang upaya (OKU) [disabled folks]. But it felt better because I was pushing myself again. Oddly, I can't sit still. I just got to do swim, or bike, or run.
But I kept on going, like someone chasing a fledgling hope of getting faster, but just in vain.
Then it rained. And it rained more. And thunders started to streak across the sunset sky. Soon, I was the only person left swimming in the olympics size pool. When things started to get worse, I knew I had to bailed out my plan on the 3km swim. So I ended after 2.55km.
---
Last week cycling was really in the dumps. After almost 2 months of no cycling after Desaru, I felt reluctant to cycle. Maybe it was due to the bad experience of stuck gears during the race. I don't know. I just know my cycling is probably the weakest link in this tri sports.
Yet, I opt with some of my cycling buddies to cycle to Titi. First, I have to climb the Ampang hill, then climb up to Genting Peres, and up and down after Peres. I was so famished, or near bonk, so I stopped just before the 12km mark to kelawang to dine in with the rest.
And going back is suffering in slow motion. Had to climb back to Peres, then another climb back Ampang hill. Back pain, butt pain, hand pain, and getting roasted in the sun,...I was kept wondering what's so fun of cycling. I would rather run 8 hours than sitting on the bike for that long. I know, I would need to pump in the mileage for cycling if I wanted to be good at it. But at the moment, cycling is something the least I would choose compared to swim and run. Basically, no love in cycling.
Nevermind, it'll definitely take time, but time is soon fleeting away as the clock ticks closer to ironman langkawi...
Sunday, August 3, 2008
I wished my bike is made of carbon
No doubt about it, my bike speed is still slow. Last saturday ride at putrajaya with shazly's group proved that either I need to put more effort on the bike, or I need to get a lighter bike. Most probably, before ironman langkawi, I ought to have a TT bike, or else I will be going less than 30kmh average. Shazly's P3C cervelo bike is certainly fast, and all I could do is draft behind him. Keeping up is pretty tough as well.
Stupe & azmar were way in front. But what strike me most is Upiq's ability to put on a good bike speed by pedalling at the highest gear. He certainly has powerful legs that comes with his large frame.
We manage to get only 63km, then head for a 4.8km run. But with all the fast cycling we did, I was really bonk. Not having much food before cycling had reduced my body's fuel to zero. However run we did, and I had to walk some parts of it.
After that, I head to the nearest mamak store and ate my heart out.
---
Sunday. I ran Nuang alone this time. It's been weeks since I hit this mountain. Climbathon is in 3 weeks, so this would be my second last attempt up.
As usual, the first 5km run is tough, but still manage to keep it at 34 minutes.
Surprisingly I bumped into Choy (veteran guy) and Roger (now only I knew it was his son, met this dude with Zip wheels at my first putrajaya nite ride).
And although I didn't thought I could break any record, I was happy to reach the peak at 2:27, same time like the last. Going up had been not easy. I am guessing that I was going around 80% max heart rate all the while up.
Coming down was a quick affair. But sometimes painful. Countless time my toes hit rocks, roots, and almost fell. I managed to get a better time of 4:15'19, the fastest so far.
Stupe & azmar were way in front. But what strike me most is Upiq's ability to put on a good bike speed by pedalling at the highest gear. He certainly has powerful legs that comes with his large frame.
We manage to get only 63km, then head for a 4.8km run. But with all the fast cycling we did, I was really bonk. Not having much food before cycling had reduced my body's fuel to zero. However run we did, and I had to walk some parts of it.
After that, I head to the nearest mamak store and ate my heart out.
---
Sunday. I ran Nuang alone this time. It's been weeks since I hit this mountain. Climbathon is in 3 weeks, so this would be my second last attempt up.
As usual, the first 5km run is tough, but still manage to keep it at 34 minutes.
Surprisingly I bumped into Choy (veteran guy) and Roger (now only I knew it was his son, met this dude with Zip wheels at my first putrajaya nite ride).
And although I didn't thought I could break any record, I was happy to reach the peak at 2:27, same time like the last. Going up had been not easy. I am guessing that I was going around 80% max heart rate all the while up.
Coming down was a quick affair. But sometimes painful. Countless time my toes hit rocks, roots, and almost fell. I managed to get a better time of 4:15'19, the fastest so far.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Putrajaya-Bukit Aman-Gunung Nuang
No, this is not related to any political cum sexual issues on the mainstream media.
Thursday night, Putrajaya 35k ride with Andy's gang was my first night ride there. Learned some new tips while riding in a peloton.
Cycling with others is a team sport. So got to obey rules. Besides that, I got to ogle at 3k a pair of carbon rims. Damn, my bike cost 1.7k only, while those rims are 3k. Does it makes you go faster? you bet.
Saturday, Bukit aman was a brick done under Uncle Chan's group. And really, the stuff they do for training is an eye opener. For the first time in my life, I got to know "the wall". It's a 100 plus meter distance+, around 30 percent gradient climb, and we got to do that for 3 times. Not to mention the other ups and downs around double hill. In total did 40k cycle, 5k run.
Sunday, Gunung Nuang run up and down the peak was the worst kind of torture. With heavy rain soaking everything, and slippery muddy terrain, it was just plain hard and cold. Time was 5:47, which is the slowest time so far.
I did this for Mount Kinabalu climbathon training. And frankly I don't know if I could do it. Just train and hope it goes well.
Putrajaya nite ride...
Free wheeling at bukit aman
After the 'brick'
Wheather was so cold, my hands and feet were numb....
Thursday night, Putrajaya 35k ride with Andy's gang was my first night ride there. Learned some new tips while riding in a peloton.
Cycling with others is a team sport. So got to obey rules. Besides that, I got to ogle at 3k a pair of carbon rims. Damn, my bike cost 1.7k only, while those rims are 3k. Does it makes you go faster? you bet.
Saturday, Bukit aman was a brick done under Uncle Chan's group. And really, the stuff they do for training is an eye opener. For the first time in my life, I got to know "the wall". It's a 100 plus meter distance+, around 30 percent gradient climb, and we got to do that for 3 times. Not to mention the other ups and downs around double hill. In total did 40k cycle, 5k run.
Sunday, Gunung Nuang run up and down the peak was the worst kind of torture. With heavy rain soaking everything, and slippery muddy terrain, it was just plain hard and cold. Time was 5:47, which is the slowest time so far.
I did this for Mount Kinabalu climbathon training. And frankly I don't know if I could do it. Just train and hope it goes well.
Putrajaya nite ride...
Free wheeling at bukit aman
After the 'brick'
Wheather was so cold, my hands and feet were numb....
Friday, March 28, 2008
Trail running: Bukit Segar
There's a nice uphill trail around my place in Cheras. I have always wondered if I could go up the green hills, but didn't have an inkling of where to start. Until I met Ah Ming at Gunung Nuang. He mentioned it's just around the condos.
Since it's so close to my home, I could go up this hill, and still go to work. There'll be lots of middle age and old folks every morning. I think they do it to keep fit, which is pretty good for their age. So, I think I am the only "young" guy around here.
By the way, the vertical ascent is around 185 meters.
The trail starts right after the car park. Starting elevation is not too steep, until a quarter of the path. The path is littered with occasional rocks, and old rubber trees. There's lots of sand though, not as muddy as Nuang.
I could run the not so steep area, but when the steepness increased, I still find myself panting while going up.
However, after 3/4 of the way, the steepness gradually lowers. The peak is quite clean, and well kept, although you can do nothing much here except stretching and rest.
Then, for the fun part. Going down, or running down can be one hell of a roller coaster ride. It's easy because you don't need to push your heart rate up. It's fun because you can really hurt yourself, if you took a misstep. You just got to look at the ground ahead.
I'll be using this hill for Sabah Climbathon training often. But I still harbor doubts. Training for mountain running will mean pushing higher heart rates, and sustaining it. If only I could change heart just like they change car engines, I'll opt for 4 liter ones :)
Every morning, this place is packed with cars. Owners is somewhere up the hill...
The start of the trail.
Trust me,...get this pair of Adidas kampung. It's dirt cheap (rm5), sticks to dirt, and rocks.
Trails go up and down.
Until you reach this steep part...
At the top...not much things to see really...but nice place to relax..
Mid path, there's an opening, where you could view KL skyline...
Since it's so close to my home, I could go up this hill, and still go to work. There'll be lots of middle age and old folks every morning. I think they do it to keep fit, which is pretty good for their age. So, I think I am the only "young" guy around here.
By the way, the vertical ascent is around 185 meters.
The trail starts right after the car park. Starting elevation is not too steep, until a quarter of the path. The path is littered with occasional rocks, and old rubber trees. There's lots of sand though, not as muddy as Nuang.
I could run the not so steep area, but when the steepness increased, I still find myself panting while going up.
However, after 3/4 of the way, the steepness gradually lowers. The peak is quite clean, and well kept, although you can do nothing much here except stretching and rest.
Then, for the fun part. Going down, or running down can be one hell of a roller coaster ride. It's easy because you don't need to push your heart rate up. It's fun because you can really hurt yourself, if you took a misstep. You just got to look at the ground ahead.
I'll be using this hill for Sabah Climbathon training often. But I still harbor doubts. Training for mountain running will mean pushing higher heart rates, and sustaining it. If only I could change heart just like they change car engines, I'll opt for 4 liter ones :)
Every morning, this place is packed with cars. Owners is somewhere up the hill...
The start of the trail.
Trust me,...get this pair of Adidas kampung. It's dirt cheap (rm5), sticks to dirt, and rocks.
Trails go up and down.
Until you reach this steep part...
At the top...not much things to see really...but nice place to relax..
Mid path, there's an opening, where you could view KL skyline...
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Bukit Aman 30k
How do you possibly find 30k route in KL? The answer is one loop of double hill (10k), then another loop to Petronas in Sri Hartamas.
Raymond actually started earlier with Siok Bee, and Ray Ng. I didn't opt to start so early. I can't possibly miss my beauty sleep. Believe it or not, the first challenge is getting outta bed. Running is not so much hardship after you got the momentum going on.
As I head for the double hills, I am still figuring why it's called double hill. Yeah, lots of hills, but I couldn't sense which are the prominent so called double part. As I trudged along, I met Shazly, doing his last 5k of 30k. Damn, I must be very late runner. My timing on double hill was 52 minutes.
Going back another 20k loop is pretty cheerful at this part. At least no more hills. When I reached Petronas, I was surprised to find Ngae there. He mentioned he had registered 82km sundown ultramarathon, but has some events that clashed. So, if any of you wanted to use his number, let him know. Haza was there as well, in her usual running outfit.
I also met PM1 Ronnie See. We ran like almost the 10km back. All I can say, he's pretty fast.
I didn't really want to run fast at this moment as I've got the right heart rate, and right pace where I could just cruise on. However, I still want to do less than 3 hours on this course.
In the end, my timing was 2:45:34. I think I could push faster in the real race. Perhaps 2:30?
Raymond actually started earlier with Siok Bee, and Ray Ng. I didn't opt to start so early. I can't possibly miss my beauty sleep. Believe it or not, the first challenge is getting outta bed. Running is not so much hardship after you got the momentum going on.
As I head for the double hills, I am still figuring why it's called double hill. Yeah, lots of hills, but I couldn't sense which are the prominent so called double part. As I trudged along, I met Shazly, doing his last 5k of 30k. Damn, I must be very late runner. My timing on double hill was 52 minutes.
Going back another 20k loop is pretty cheerful at this part. At least no more hills. When I reached Petronas, I was surprised to find Ngae there. He mentioned he had registered 82km sundown ultramarathon, but has some events that clashed. So, if any of you wanted to use his number, let him know. Haza was there as well, in her usual running outfit.
I also met PM1 Ronnie See. We ran like almost the 10km back. All I can say, he's pretty fast.
I didn't really want to run fast at this moment as I've got the right heart rate, and right pace where I could just cruise on. However, I still want to do less than 3 hours on this course.
In the end, my timing was 2:45:34. I think I could push faster in the real race. Perhaps 2:30?
Monday, December 17, 2007
171
I was supposed to be joining Raymond Hee in chin woo biathlon, but things turned out otherwise. So had a quick 20km run in bkt aman.
Weather was great, and since it has been raining for days previously, the clear sky was a welcome for a Sunday morning. Joining us, was Kelvin, who kept us quite occupied with his chatty nature. Well, at least running was not boring.
On the way coming back, a guy who looks not quite malaysian ran passed by. His built reminds me somehow of Moroccan runners. Very sturdy and thin, but same height. I decided to give a chase for the last 5km back, and boy, this guy is fast, but he doesn't seem to be pushing it, while I am.
I realized after following his back awhile, that he has a fast cadence. Not necessarily big wide steps, but well fast rhythm legs. I managed to catch up with him. He mentioned he had abdomen pain. Yet, he can still run that fast?
On another note, after covering 147km, I am giving second thoughts of running 260km to Kuantan. I could give and take, push 100km and all is well. But 147km thought me another aspect of ultras, that is so quite different.
First, running during your sleeping hours is certainly a challenge.
Secondly, it's pretty lonely. I like to run alone, but it was a bit too much. It's not like a formal race event, where you got supporters, and water stops. There's nothing. No one to cheer you on, whatsoever. So when you are down, you are really down. It takes great courage to push again.
Thirdly, running in these obscure areas, with no 24 hours shop is tough. If there had been food around, I could've run faster. I'll need to think of carrying other food source besides yucky powerbar. And yea, some salt repleshment too.
It still made me think, the path taken was indeed crazy.
But said that, I would try to push for 171km first, and perhaps 200km. That extra distance is taking a detour to kampung chennah after 22km road to kelawang. Lets see how...
Weather was great, and since it has been raining for days previously, the clear sky was a welcome for a Sunday morning. Joining us, was Kelvin, who kept us quite occupied with his chatty nature. Well, at least running was not boring.
On the way coming back, a guy who looks not quite malaysian ran passed by. His built reminds me somehow of Moroccan runners. Very sturdy and thin, but same height. I decided to give a chase for the last 5km back, and boy, this guy is fast, but he doesn't seem to be pushing it, while I am.
I realized after following his back awhile, that he has a fast cadence. Not necessarily big wide steps, but well fast rhythm legs. I managed to catch up with him. He mentioned he had abdomen pain. Yet, he can still run that fast?
On another note, after covering 147km, I am giving second thoughts of running 260km to Kuantan. I could give and take, push 100km and all is well. But 147km thought me another aspect of ultras, that is so quite different.
First, running during your sleeping hours is certainly a challenge.
Secondly, it's pretty lonely. I like to run alone, but it was a bit too much. It's not like a formal race event, where you got supporters, and water stops. There's nothing. No one to cheer you on, whatsoever. So when you are down, you are really down. It takes great courage to push again.
Thirdly, running in these obscure areas, with no 24 hours shop is tough. If there had been food around, I could've run faster. I'll need to think of carrying other food source besides yucky powerbar. And yea, some salt repleshment too.
It still made me think, the path taken was indeed crazy.
But said that, I would try to push for 171km first, and perhaps 200km. That extra distance is taking a detour to kampung chennah after 22km road to kelawang. Lets see how...
Monday, December 10, 2007
How far can we go?
How far could we really go, actually? Where's the limit? I really have no answer, but from my experience running long distance, you can push it more than you think so.
This excellent article from New York Times ponder on how athletes use a strategy called disassociation.
It's pretty simple. In fact, I think most endurance guys already have their own way of pushing further and faster.
The main point is not to think of the pain so much, by thinking on other things.
For example, if the weather is too hot, I would just look down at my shadows while running. I imagine it's the cool zone which I will keep on chasing. On my ultras, I don't think how long I have covered, but how much distance left to cover. Thinking of previous distances might make you want to stop and say that's enough beating for your body for the day.
There's was once I ran a half marathon in the morning, and went swimming 2km in the evening. Frankly, running half marathon is enough of a torture for the day, so my swimming was really really slow. Every part of my body is in fatigue mode. But surprisingly enough, with 200 meters to go, from nowhere, I felt a resurgence in energy and stamina. Where did it came from? Logically, there should be less and less as you push more and more. With that, I could push myself to swim faster and stronger.
Your body is probably more capable than what you think you can!
This excellent article from New York Times ponder on how athletes use a strategy called disassociation.
It's pretty simple. In fact, I think most endurance guys already have their own way of pushing further and faster.
The main point is not to think of the pain so much, by thinking on other things.
For example, if the weather is too hot, I would just look down at my shadows while running. I imagine it's the cool zone which I will keep on chasing. On my ultras, I don't think how long I have covered, but how much distance left to cover. Thinking of previous distances might make you want to stop and say that's enough beating for your body for the day.
There's was once I ran a half marathon in the morning, and went swimming 2km in the evening. Frankly, running half marathon is enough of a torture for the day, so my swimming was really really slow. Every part of my body is in fatigue mode. But surprisingly enough, with 200 meters to go, from nowhere, I felt a resurgence in energy and stamina. Where did it came from? Logically, there should be less and less as you push more and more. With that, I could push myself to swim faster and stronger.
Your body is probably more capable than what you think you can!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Bukit Aman Training Run
Bukit Aman conjures an image of the police for Malaysians, but for runners on a run, it's the best place to train & meet other runners.
Last sunday, Raymond Hee & Raymond Ng & I had a run. We started at 6:45am. Already I could see lots of other runners starting out. Vincent & Khoo joined in the early run, but soon outpaced us. Yeap, they were that fast.
The route is scenic, with rolling hiles at some parts to make it tougher for runners. But I think the most fun part of the run is meeting others on the same trail. So far, I have just run alone, and well...the feeling is different. Running can be much fun if you got a few partners.
The end of the route is a petronas station, which I have no idea where. That'll be 10k, but you could another 1k going around it. So to and back will be half marathon. Double this, and you have a marathon. :)
On the way back, I am feeling a bit bored, so I pushed a bit. :)
On comparison with my usual 12km or 20.9km in Cheras, it's much easier and milder. Hence I was able to run up & down with ease. For my training runs, I do lots of hills. Total elevation up is 236 meters. I've got so used to fighting hills, which is quite rewarding for strength training.
But definitely, this is a good place for run.
Last sunday, Raymond Hee & Raymond Ng & I had a run. We started at 6:45am. Already I could see lots of other runners starting out. Vincent & Khoo joined in the early run, but soon outpaced us. Yeap, they were that fast.
The route is scenic, with rolling hiles at some parts to make it tougher for runners. But I think the most fun part of the run is meeting others on the same trail. So far, I have just run alone, and well...the feeling is different. Running can be much fun if you got a few partners.
The end of the route is a petronas station, which I have no idea where. That'll be 10k, but you could another 1k going around it. So to and back will be half marathon. Double this, and you have a marathon. :)
On the way back, I am feeling a bit bored, so I pushed a bit. :)
On comparison with my usual 12km or 20.9km in Cheras, it's much easier and milder. Hence I was able to run up & down with ease. For my training runs, I do lots of hills. Total elevation up is 236 meters. I've got so used to fighting hills, which is quite rewarding for strength training.
But definitely, this is a good place for run.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Looking Back...
Since I started tracking my training running / swimming distance, I managed to get above 1000 km and 55km swim within 4 months. If that is taken as average, it means that I could manage to run 3000km only per year. Which is not a lot.
And I am still wearing the same Adidas shoe since early this year. Although at first it was a bit tight at the front, now it fits like a glove comfortably. I have no idea when to change shoes...maybe if the soles falls out, then I am going to get one.
I am trying to set a lifetime goal of 100,000 km (if I lived that long). This will translate into 33 more years. I am currently 28 years of age. So it's still a reachable goal.
On another hand, Ramadhan is here, so I will have to observe fasting. It's a month of testing your endurance without eating/drinking during day time. But frankly, after all these years, what I did observe is people tend to eat more, because the food is extra delicious. Me included. Just walk into any food market just before breaking of the fast, and you could see arrays of delicacies.
But, I'll still continue running at night...that'll burn off the extra calories from all the mouth watering food.
And I am still wearing the same Adidas shoe since early this year. Although at first it was a bit tight at the front, now it fits like a glove comfortably. I have no idea when to change shoes...maybe if the soles falls out, then I am going to get one.
I am trying to set a lifetime goal of 100,000 km (if I lived that long). This will translate into 33 more years. I am currently 28 years of age. So it's still a reachable goal.
On another hand, Ramadhan is here, so I will have to observe fasting. It's a month of testing your endurance without eating/drinking during day time. But frankly, after all these years, what I did observe is people tend to eat more, because the food is extra delicious. Me included. Just walk into any food market just before breaking of the fast, and you could see arrays of delicacies.
But, I'll still continue running at night...that'll burn off the extra calories from all the mouth watering food.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Stressed out because of not running
It's funny, but that's what I felt for the whole day. I did ran a few hundred of metres this morning, but because my stomach went beserk, I DNF. When you had to go, you just had to go. No amount of endurance will prevail in this case.
I usually run in the mornings, and not running, lands me in an uneasy feeling like I lost something. It's like a smoker who just need a puff periodically to get high. It's the same, I think, with all runners. You just had to run, because you know, you'll feel better at the end of it.
I can recall the last time I ran an ultra, I was on a "high" for a few days. I could still do work, albeit in a transitional state between fully concentrated, and drowsiness. My whole body hurts, but it feels good. It's weird, but pain just feels good.
As for running ultras, I just had one thought in my mind. If I could survive destroying my legs and body after that, I believe I would come up stronger for the next big distance. Somehow, not crossing that line, is something not easy to think of where to put it.
I am going to run 21km tonite...
I usually run in the mornings, and not running, lands me in an uneasy feeling like I lost something. It's like a smoker who just need a puff periodically to get high. It's the same, I think, with all runners. You just had to run, because you know, you'll feel better at the end of it.
I can recall the last time I ran an ultra, I was on a "high" for a few days. I could still do work, albeit in a transitional state between fully concentrated, and drowsiness. My whole body hurts, but it feels good. It's weird, but pain just feels good.
As for running ultras, I just had one thought in my mind. If I could survive destroying my legs and body after that, I believe I would come up stronger for the next big distance. Somehow, not crossing that line, is something not easy to think of where to put it.
I am going to run 21km tonite...
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Next Target: 147km Ultra Run
After completing 103km last weekend, I'll be planning and training for a 147km run. From Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, through Hulu Langat, then Kuala Klawang in Negeri Sembilan. And the, run all the way back.
Now why such a distance. It's easy to explain. If I were to run from KL to Kuantan 260km, I'll need to at least run such a distance to have confidence in reaching 260km. If I could take the brutal punishment of 147km, god willing, I could reach Kuantan.
Running 147km would also mean longer time on the road. I am hoping for 24 hours for finish.
There's a few things when running an ultra:
1) Bring a tape to fix your feet for blisters.
This is perhaps the best thing to bring. I had a blister at 35km. So I stopped, and wrap around it with tape. It felt better after that.
2) Bring extra socks. If it rains. Running in soaked socks and shoes is not the best experience.
3) Bring lots of food. If it's time to eat, you eat. Just think bout it. If you are hungry during normal meal hours, then running continuously throughout the day drains you more.
4) Prepare mentally to run through the night. Once you are in a state of acceptance of the dark lonely situation around you, you won't easily freaked out.
5) Bring some music. Running is a boring routine. Some music would be great to maintain sanity.
Now why such a distance. It's easy to explain. If I were to run from KL to Kuantan 260km, I'll need to at least run such a distance to have confidence in reaching 260km. If I could take the brutal punishment of 147km, god willing, I could reach Kuantan.
Running 147km would also mean longer time on the road. I am hoping for 24 hours for finish.
There's a few things when running an ultra:
1) Bring a tape to fix your feet for blisters.
This is perhaps the best thing to bring. I had a blister at 35km. So I stopped, and wrap around it with tape. It felt better after that.
2) Bring extra socks. If it rains. Running in soaked socks and shoes is not the best experience.
3) Bring lots of food. If it's time to eat, you eat. Just think bout it. If you are hungry during normal meal hours, then running continuously throughout the day drains you more.
4) Prepare mentally to run through the night. Once you are in a state of acceptance of the dark lonely situation around you, you won't easily freaked out.
5) Bring some music. Running is a boring routine. Some music would be great to maintain sanity.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Sub 1 Hour Record
Finally....I manage to break the 1 hour limit at my usual route. I have been aiming to run faster, and adding up speed. I raced against uphills, downhills, traffic, and exhaust smoke to reach that elusive time by 59 minutes 12 seconds. My previous fastest record was 1:00:17
Once you go faster, it's a matter of reaching checkpoints at times that you know you need to reach in order to reach your finishing time goal. There's one part of the route that I just had to reach at 51 minute mark if I wanted to run sub 1 hour. I managed to reach it after putting rockets on my legs. Then it's all the way to the finishing line.
Speedwork is really not my strength, but I am trying to run faster for this saturday's run.
Once you go faster, it's a matter of reaching checkpoints at times that you know you need to reach in order to reach your finishing time goal. There's one part of the route that I just had to reach at 51 minute mark if I wanted to run sub 1 hour. I managed to reach it after putting rockets on my legs. Then it's all the way to the finishing line.
Speedwork is really not my strength, but I am trying to run faster for this saturday's run.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Getting Whacked While Swimming
Swimming is best for cross training. In fact swimming is much more easier than running. Your whole body weight is supported by the water, while you can swim leisurely lap after lap.
But one "hazardous" problem of swimming is collission with other swimmers. I have had a few head on collission with other swimmers, literally. And sometimes you got hit by armstroke or legstroke. Nothing much you can do about it, but once in awhile look in front. God didn't made humans with eyes on top of our heads.
The past few days, I was still in high mode. Too much endorphin I guess, or what they call the runners high. I am already plotting to run 100km. From my current 63km, I could easily extend to 100km by adding 40km on the path to Kuala Klawang. That path is very hilly and would be challenging, which I experience twice in the 84km run. In fact, it's as hard as running up Genting Highlands.
The problem with last 84km run was not eating enough. I recently browse some ultra runners site, where these guys do insane 100 miles over trails, valleys, and mountains. I am not into that level yet. 100 miles equals 161km. And the time taken can be from 20 hours to 30 hours. However, reading through their blogs opens lots of knowledge on how to run ultras. What to wear, what to eat, what to drink, what to do when pain...
Oh ya, if you think your feet hurts in a run, take a look at Olga's feet. I cannot fathom the agony of such condition:
She runs 100 miles ultra races in United States. And she's a mother with kids...
When I was running at 80km, I was thinking to myself, these guys who run 100 miles are crazy. How could they do it? But one day,..hopefully...I want to run 100 miles too.
But one "hazardous" problem of swimming is collission with other swimmers. I have had a few head on collission with other swimmers, literally. And sometimes you got hit by armstroke or legstroke. Nothing much you can do about it, but once in awhile look in front. God didn't made humans with eyes on top of our heads.
The past few days, I was still in high mode. Too much endorphin I guess, or what they call the runners high. I am already plotting to run 100km. From my current 63km, I could easily extend to 100km by adding 40km on the path to Kuala Klawang. That path is very hilly and would be challenging, which I experience twice in the 84km run. In fact, it's as hard as running up Genting Highlands.
The problem with last 84km run was not eating enough. I recently browse some ultra runners site, where these guys do insane 100 miles over trails, valleys, and mountains. I am not into that level yet. 100 miles equals 161km. And the time taken can be from 20 hours to 30 hours. However, reading through their blogs opens lots of knowledge on how to run ultras. What to wear, what to eat, what to drink, what to do when pain...
Oh ya, if you think your feet hurts in a run, take a look at Olga's feet. I cannot fathom the agony of such condition:
She runs 100 miles ultra races in United States. And she's a mother with kids...
When I was running at 80km, I was thinking to myself, these guys who run 100 miles are crazy. How could they do it? But one day,..hopefully...I want to run 100 miles too.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Running And Sleeping
I woke up around 7:30am, and I did my usual 11.71km run. For half the run, I was practically "sleeping" in the sense that my body is still in dreamland. I had lots of dreams last nite. And I couldn't shake it off. Why is it that I am running but I feel that I am not quite there?
It's the kind of feeling when you do something, everything goes slow motion. It took a minor knee pain to wake me up. The funny thing is, I began to like it that I felt pain. At least, I felt something...rather than numb.
This weekend would be the Penang Bridge Marathon. Running Mom is going...wish her best of luck. It's her maiden marathon. I understand how...a nerve it could be. For my first marathon, I couldn't even sleep a wink, just rolling on bed.
I was thinking of running the 84km back to back Kuala Klawang this weekend for some action. My training log is full of...white spaces....which means I have been slacking too much...
Let's see how it goes..
It's the kind of feeling when you do something, everything goes slow motion. It took a minor knee pain to wake me up. The funny thing is, I began to like it that I felt pain. At least, I felt something...rather than numb.
This weekend would be the Penang Bridge Marathon. Running Mom is going...wish her best of luck. It's her maiden marathon. I understand how...a nerve it could be. For my first marathon, I couldn't even sleep a wink, just rolling on bed.
I was thinking of running the 84km back to back Kuala Klawang this weekend for some action. My training log is full of...white spaces....which means I have been slacking too much...
Let's see how it goes..
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Training Updates
Haven't been running for the past 3 days. So tomorrow, I will have to run. This sunday, probably will run up Genting Highlands again with Raymond Hee and Stupe. Just some afterthoughts after running 63km.
So far, my legs were ok...not so much pain at the knees. But considerable pain on the feet, only during running. I could sense my legs are getting used to the pounding of longer distances. As for fatigue, I believe I could push it further...but I noticed I get a bit hungry after each 10km. Which is the reason why I brought along 2 bananas in my pouch bag.
Although 63km is the furthest I have pushed, I intend to run further than that. I am dreaming to run 260km from KL to Kuantan in one stretch, which is my hometown, in the near future. But that'll take enormous amount of training and hardship. Not to mention pain. Really I have no idea if it's possible yet. But with more longer distances of running, I really hope I could do it one day.
Now, it's a bit crazy to run that distances. But there's even crazier people out there who runs further. Dean Karnazes is one of the guy...who probably inspired me to run further than marathon distances. You could read about him on his latest run of 580km stretch from the summit of Mt Kosciusko to Sydney. He's known as the ultramarathon man. He has ran 300 miles in one run continuously. That's miles...not kilometres.
As for swimming, I just set a PR for 2km swim today of 00:45:50. I intend to push it to 40 minutes at least.
So far, my legs were ok...not so much pain at the knees. But considerable pain on the feet, only during running. I could sense my legs are getting used to the pounding of longer distances. As for fatigue, I believe I could push it further...but I noticed I get a bit hungry after each 10km. Which is the reason why I brought along 2 bananas in my pouch bag.
Although 63km is the furthest I have pushed, I intend to run further than that. I am dreaming to run 260km from KL to Kuantan in one stretch, which is my hometown, in the near future. But that'll take enormous amount of training and hardship. Not to mention pain. Really I have no idea if it's possible yet. But with more longer distances of running, I really hope I could do it one day.
Now, it's a bit crazy to run that distances. But there's even crazier people out there who runs further. Dean Karnazes is one of the guy...who probably inspired me to run further than marathon distances. You could read about him on his latest run of 580km stretch from the summit of Mt Kosciusko to Sydney. He's known as the ultramarathon man. He has ran 300 miles in one run continuously. That's miles...not kilometres.
As for swimming, I just set a PR for 2km swim today of 00:45:50. I intend to push it to 40 minutes at least.
Friday, June 1, 2007
One Rest Day
I have not been running a few days...there's a feeling of muscle tiredness all over. But today, I did no training, and felt much calmer, and more energy. But I am planning to run the same 63km route (cheras-ampang-batu14 hulu langat-tekala-gabai-batu 18 hulu-cheras).
The last time I ran/walk this route, it took me 11 hours plus...but that is lousy time. I will try to aim a faster time. Perhaps at most 7 hours. And at that nite before the run, I only slept 5 hours, which is inadequate. To really run better, it's best to have a full nite's sleep.
The last time I ran/walk this route, it took me 11 hours plus...but that is lousy time. I will try to aim a faster time. Perhaps at most 7 hours. And at that nite before the run, I only slept 5 hours, which is inadequate. To really run better, it's best to have a full nite's sleep.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Record in the making
I did another run this morning at the normal cheras training route. I have been trying to run faster...and finally did a 1:03:40. Was quite happy with the time, as this is the fastest PR.
Since the hills are where I have to slow down, I resorted to faster stride, and higher knee pushup to grab more distance. All the while, sustaining a consistent heart beat rate.
The last 2 km is where I would push harder, since the surface is flat.
My goal would be to run the same distance for 1 hour, or less. That would be very nice pace for a hill workout.
Since the hills are where I have to slow down, I resorted to faster stride, and higher knee pushup to grab more distance. All the while, sustaining a consistent heart beat rate.
The last 2 km is where I would push harder, since the surface is flat.
My goal would be to run the same distance for 1 hour, or less. That would be very nice pace for a hill workout.
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