Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Swim Training

Last night I went for swim training at the Club again and I must say I'm enjoying it more and more each week. You see, by nature I'm really really lazy, which means the moment something aches a teeny tiny bit, I stop. Because in my head that means I've worked hard - You'll only understand how that translates out if you're as lazy as I am.

We did pull a whole bunch of drills - kick drills (leg burn!), backstroke drills, breast stroke drills etc - and wrapped the whole thing up with two mad sets (the coach took pity on me, everyone else did 4 sets) of sprint intervals. I was panting like a dog at the end of it, but it felt goooood!

What I did:

Monday: Ran 9.5k in 1hr 10 mins
Yesterday: 1hr swim training

Monday, September 28, 2009

Running Philosopher - Running with Music

A friend of mine has just lately started running as a philosophical experience. He had also just finished reading Murakami's 'What I Talk About When I Talk About Running' and decided to dust off his running shoes (You can read his account here).

I've been for a couple of races with him, (which despite him not running at all before, still managed to beat me hands down!) and have had quite a bit of fun. I won't quite say that he's any replacement for G as my favourite race buddy yet (for one, he's too darn fast for someone who doesn't train!) but it's been interesting. He's asked me before what I think about when I run and I had to tell him the truth - the only thing in my head is that continuous whiny voice in my head going on about another different part of me that aches.

The thing is though, that isn't entirely true. I've become so used to slagging off running (in a kind of experienced, nonchalant 'the pain and I are one' way) that I neglect to mention that there are times, certainly not all the time, that my mind wanders off and the run goes by in a rather pleasant flash. In the past year, I've become the kind of runner that has become way too reliant on my Ipod. If I forget to bring my music in to work, I'll start my run thinking it's going to be dull and boring. This really doesn't make any sense since half the time I'm listening to the same 5 songs over and over again when I run. I hate uploading songs into my Ipod and I only had the patience to upload 5 CDs before I called it a day. The irony of it is that I only listen to 1 of those CDs, and even then I only listen to 5 songs on that one CD. So it really can't be that the music is entertaining me. On a normal day I don't even like listening to music all that much! Maybe I need the noise to distract that voice in my head that shouts out which joint hurts. Or maybe I've become lazy about going to church and this is the one time I can fit in a huge powerful worship session.

The times I do forget to bring my Ipod, I start the run with a sense of dread - how am I going to go through a whole long run without music? But ironically enough, those runs have been the runs where the voice in my head isn't as active. Last week I forgot to bring my Ipod, for instance, and I got through the run pretty fine. I also tailed this random guy who became my pacer (and my pseudo running buddy) about half the way, but that's another story.

So the aim of my long long rambling post? I think from now on, I'm going to try to ditch the Ipod sometimes. I won't give up my powerful worship sessions altogether, but I'll try to go music-less at least once a week. Running with music just makes me all too aware of the whining in my head...you know, because I'm trying to shut it out therefore subconsciously I know it's there blah blah...

For all the stuff I was too lazy to put down last week:

Tuesday: 1hr Swim Training
Wednesday: Ran 6.02k in 46:38 mins
Thursday: 1hr Climbing
Friday: Ran 2.98k in 21:06mins
Saturday: 1hr Pilates

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Hello Side Stitch My Old Friend

I've come to talk with you again...Why oh why are you back?!?!? I guess it was probably my fault dragging you out of oblivion by having a bit too many glasses of wine, too little sleep and not enough food. Was it the curry I ate the night before? Was it because I felt a bit thirsty before I headed off for what was supposed to be a 5k run before you came by and reduced it to a pathetic 2k run? Please reply me and tell me how to send you back to your happy place so that I can return to mine!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Mizuno Wave Run Race Report

Coming on the heels of the very well-organised Yellow Ribbon Run, yesterday's race was one of the more disappointing races I've done this year(the other would be the Mizuno Mt Faber Run...now does anyone spot a pattern?). The usual Mizuno screw-ups include the lack of signs stating how far you've run (if that was the only thing wrong, I could probably live with that, since I figure this 'need' is more a result of being spoilt by the Yellow Ribbon Run); no roads were shut, so we had to stop at every single traffic light; one water stop (there were only 4 in a 16k race) ran out of water (definite no-no!); the run was NOT 16k; and the race marshals didn't bother to stay till the end of the race, so the last runners were lost and people like me had to give them directions to the end.

It was so poorly put together that I don't know why they bother to do 3 races every year. In fact I don't know how they can organise 3 races annually and still not learn that they need to provide more water...this is the 2nd Mizuno race this year that has run out of water and well...I think it's going to be the last Mizuno race I take part in. I don't see how they can charge someone 45 bucks for a crappy race. And not a single cent of that goes to a good cause!

Grumbling about the race aside, I was a wreck after the race and my foot ached. Somehow the human body seems able to take up to a certain amount of running before everything falls apart. Parts that never used to hurt, hurt so much and I've managed to get my under arms chafed from the constant abrasion of my shirt seam! BUT beyond all the pain, I did 16k! And somehow that makes all the aches and pains feel just that little bit more worthwhile.

Race Time: 2:26:39 hours

Friday, September 11, 2009

Welcome Back Bruises

Guess what I did yesterday?

If you've guessed Muay Thai, you'd be correct. I look like some battered wife.

What I did yesterday:

1hr of ass-kicking, back-breaking Muay Thai

Thursday, September 10, 2009

The Next Level

I did a 12k run yesterday and it was hard. It was also the furthest I've run in my life, somehow though I didn't feel that giant sense of accomplishment I get after hitting new milestones. I suspect it's because I knew that I stopped a million times at petrol stations and convenience stores to use the washroom or get a drink. It's pathetic I know, 12k and all of a sudden my bladder goes nuts. Good luck to me at the half marathon. Hopefully my bladder will be well-trained by then.

My right hip is aching today for some reason and the legs are tired, but not overly sore, so I guess on the whole I might actually be able to manage the 16k race this Sunday. I probably won't be the speediest person there, but hopefully I'll finish it in a respectable time.

What I've done:
Monday: Swim drills 1hr
Tuesday: Pilates 1hr
Yesterday: Ran 12k in 1hr 35 mins

Monday, September 7, 2009

The Yellow Ribbon Prison Run Race Report

I left the house yesterday in the middle of a spell of thunder, lightning and crap loads of rain and I thought 'Bummer, another race cancelled'. But the race took place far east of the island and thankfully the sky was just overcast and all it let loose was a slight drizzle. Which made for fantastic run weather...which is very rare in Singapore.

Gina (my good ole running buddy) wasn't too keen on waking up at stupid o'clock in the morning to travel from one end of the island to another, so I basically passed her race tag to Mun...who's a guy. He ran the entire run with a girl's tag and informed us proudly of his strategy to duck behind someone every time he saw cameras. So, sorry Gina, there probably isn't going to be any pictures of 'you'.

The Yellow Ribbon Prison Run was surprisingly well organised for an inaugural run. Everything ran smoothly (although I have a feeling there was something up with the guys' baggage drop...not my concern since it didn't affect me!) and the distance was nicely marked out each kilometre of the way. The route was rather on the tough side though...up and down and up and down and....that pretty much was the entire route. All in, it was pretty damn grueling. The run ended with a downhill run for about 1 k...which I dashed down...only to have my heart plummet to the very pits of my stomach when at the bottom of that you're faced squarely with a nice slope...not too far but pretty much guaranteed to wipe out the last iota of energy in you.

I got home and crashed for 2 hours. For some reason I was totally wiped out. Waking up ridiculously early coupled with a hard 10k just killed me. Still I made it up in time to collect my race pack for the 16k run next week and watch R at his hockey game. Roll on Mizuno Wave Run!

Race Time: 01:03:37 hours (new PB!)

Friday, September 4, 2009

Running

I had grandiose plans to do a 15k run on Wednesday, but that more or less got thrown out the window the moment I started my run and every joint hurt. I managed to get a 10k in which more or less throws my training plans out of whack. Well sort of...I'm going to try to fit a 5k run in tomorrow and have a nice pilates session and then it's the Yellow Ribbon Run on Sunday morning at the other end of the island...

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Hai Yah!

I ache. As I always do after Muay Thai. I ache so much. My knuckles ache, arms ache, my back aches, my shoulder aches...ache ache ache....whine whine whine. We had Rob in last night's lesson and he's really tough on the class. I'd say he was a real meanie, but out of class he's actually pretty nice. He was hard as nails last night though. Numerous 2 min speed boxing sets, endless amounts of push-ups and sit-ups. I think at one point my left arm actually went numb and I couldn't feel it at all. Although, in spite of all this, during the class itself, the boys were bigger whingers than the girls. So HAH! the girls rule.

Swimming training tonight and my arms really don't feel up to it!

What I did last night:
1 hr Muay Thai training