Time really flies and we are already into the final weeks of March 2017. 38 days more to my first 21.1KM Half Marathon Run Event! I am soooo not looking forward to it. To me a half marathon is something mammoth! I have never attempted a run event which is more than 10 KM! I’m not a runner by nature but this was one of my New Year’s resolutions. As such, I had to prepare myself mentally and physically for it. Like with all things unknown, there is a fear that I have as I have not attempted something like that before.

PS: You can click here to read my write-up on 2017 resolutions.

My fears…

Attempting something for the first time is scary. I have that unsettling fear that I might not be able to run again! I know I’m being dramatic here but being an ex-avid step class junkie and sustaining old injures from bad falls, my knee caps are paying the price now every time after training sessions. My legs would ache and I take a longer time to recover from those workouts. With those considerations, I sometimes question myself why did I even sign up to do a half marathon! I think I’m just crazy.

To ease those doubts I have,  I decided to to talk to some of my friends who had suffered knees injuries due to running. I found it helpful hearing and learning from their experience. Some of the suggestions provided have been really helpful.  One of them, also a fellow blogger shared with me regarding his experience on what he did to alleviate the pain while training. He introduced the Patellar Tendon Strap from Protec to me and noted that it helped in his recovery. He also noted that once I felt better, I can slowly go for my runs without it.  I tried the Patellar Tendon Strap from Protec and it did help without restricting my movements.

Despite these fears, I’m not going to pull out from this event. I will put in the effort to keep up with the training requirements and complete the race on event day. I’m not setting a time goal for this event but my main aim is to cross the finish line before cut-off timing. I will listen to my body and not push till the limit at the expense of suffering permanent injuries.

 Training…

Training for this half marathon is not an easy one. I have been slowly trying to increase my weekly distance to get myself prepared mentally and physically. As a guide I am also following the training plan provided by Dr Mok Ying Ren on the NTUC Income Eco Run website.

[Photo: Training Plan for 21.1KM by Dr Mok Ying Ren from NTUC Income Eco Run website]

Weekends are the long distance training and I’m glad that I have my running buddy, Cheng Yee, to accompany and motivate me to push onwards. I’m still not used to keeping at a constant speed and I get tired out really easily. The suggested timings for these long distance trainings range from 80 minutes to 120 minutes. This is a big change from my normal weekend routine because normally I will just do a quick 5 KM run but now it’s not about speed; it’s about endurance especially with the increase with distance and time!

Besides the increase in distance, I have also started doing some fitness interval training exercise. These exercises are meant to compliment the running and to work out the other parts of the body. Workouts include exercise such as push ups, a variety of planks, sit-ups, lunges etc. According to some running articles, these workouts yield better performance and also help you stay injury free.

[Photos from some of my training runs]

So to sum up, this half marathon is really like pushing my limiting and conquering my fears. It is an uphill task but it’s something I want to do. I will continue to write about my 21 KM training progress and my thoughts on it. Till my next write-up! Stay strong and go the distance!

“If it’s worth it, you won’t give up. If you give up, you’re not worthy. … Truth is, everything is going to hurt you; you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for.” – slight tweak of Bob Marley’s insights.

Fresh from the previous Gunung Nuang Ultra Challenge 2017, I thought I was ready for my first ever 100km, in the form of Titi Ultra 2017.

I was told to ‘keep chill and relax’, to ‘run the way we’ve trained’, to go over the map and route elevations, to rest well, to eat properly, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

‘You wish and I wish; but Allah does what He wills’.

At the eleventh hour, things happened. As they would, of course. They just had to happen at the very last minute.

But I digress, and no use to cry over spilled milk now.

But it sucked. Big time.

And I sulked. Big time.

But thanks to the never-ending support, love and encouragement from family and friends met and made for life – I’ve got through and here’s the account of my first ever DNF (Did Not Finish) status.

“He is not breaking you; He is training you. Learn to recognise the difference and your heart will change” – Yasmin Mogahed

D-day : Waterview Restaurant, Hulu Langat, Selangor – a hot-then-turned-drizzling-which-became-rainy afternoon.

I was a nervous wreck up until we were all at the starting line. Bumping into fellow runner buddies seemed to calm me down a bit.

Still, all I could feel was ‘I’m so nervous, worried, anxious and it feels like a herd of buffaloes are in my tummy’. (well, the actual version is rather X-rated, but don’t worry JustRunLah, I’ll keep this piece clean).

‘Don’t worry, we’ll run and end this together’. And with a pat on my back, we were all ‘let go into the wild’.

“Real life is more complicated than a slogan on a bumper sticker” – Zootopia.
And the real, first time 100km ever run is getting more real than ever.

The organisers have set on upholding the safety regulations – in which all runners must adhere to, including putting on the headlights, safety vests and blinkers from 7pm – 7am.

But not all played by the rules. I might be a (self-proclaimed) rebel, but when it comes to running safely – I followed what’s instructed.

Better be safer, than mightily sorry later.

It started off okay at first, going slow and steady up the hills, posing happily for the photographers to capture our souls.

And then it rained. And we could see thunders and lightnings added to the background.

But that wasn’t the major hindrance.

We might have figured out the distances between the Check Points (CP), but we neglected the Cut Off Time (COT) for each of them.

We took our time to get to the U-turn for 100kmers, where I was already half-asleep and knackered.

Communication is the fuel which keeps the wheels of a (running) relationship, well, running – that was the plan.

I didn’t know what happened then, but my lips were shut tight and I was eerily quiet while sleep-walking to get to the other CP.

Which was out of character, as I am known as a chatterbox who wouldn’t stop talking – only to those who know me well.

There were several ‘I-could-have’ thoughts that came into my head:

– I could’ve kept going by telling anecdotes and stories as agreed upon.

– I could’ve tried to push myself at least to slow jog until the next crucial CP.

– I should’ve been more alert not to be in the state of dazed and confused.

– I shouldn’t have stopped for a break by the roadside.

– I shouldn’t have let negative things consume me, which include not letting my mind to play tricks on me, especially while running in the dark, gloomy roads.

And at around KM78, we were picked up by the ambulance, taking us to the ‘sweeper van’, when the next CP was just a kilometer away.

The waterworks just kept flowing, I was a crybaby.

‘The biggest competitor of your life is looking right back at you, in the mirror.’

Consumed with remorse and guilt, I felt I had let my loved ones down.

But there they were, feeling immensely proud that I didn’t give up and kept pushing until stopped by the officials for not meeting the COT.

There they were, feeling so relieved and glad that I was safe and (not-so) sound – with all organs and limbs still intact.

There they were, feeling I have achieved what I thought was impossible.

There they were, showering me with love and words of encouragement.

“I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was.” ― Ransom Riggs

I might be so hard on myself for my first DNF status, but I was made realised of the silver lining of the incident.

My first ever DNF was filled with unforgettable memories – some were captured on camera, while others were etched in my mind and heart.

And so I’ve got to KM78, at 13 hours and 25 minutes – short of 22KM and around 4.5 hours more before the COT for 100kmers.

It was a bittersweet experience, made bitter by myself, and made sweet by others.

And the reward – was even gratifying, in the form of finger lick’ good stuff!

Thanks for the memories TITI ULTRA, I’ll see you next year!

Wonderful shout-out to fellow runners, friends met and made along the way, and hard-snapping photographers Rany Tan, AKU, WONG, Seven Chiam Hooi See Photography, MY Runners, CH Lim, and you, and you, and you-know-who-you-are!

Hello everyone, my name is Andy and this is my first blog post with JustRunLah!
2017 Sundown will be my first Marathon too!

If you are a first time Marathoner, a few questions might follow you along your running journey. Yes, I am still having these self-doubts, even when we are only days away from Sundown Marathon 🙂

Am I training enough for 42.195km?
Am I happy with my own efforts?
Am I READY for a Marathon?

Then I heard from regulars that even if you are running a Marathon for the 3rd or 10th time, you will still have doubts, as 42.195 KM is a r-e-a-l-l-y long distance!

Allow me (a novice runner) to share a few points which I pickup up along the training journey:

1) Enjoy the training routine, celebrate your own development and improvement.
Your fitness will definitely improve. Week by week, your stamina and pace will improve, you will be tired too but recovery is easier and faster.

2) We all have only 24 hours a day, Family, Work and other commitments keep us busy and we sometimes sacrifice REST (and sleep). This is the most neglected component in my training routine, it sucks when we fall sick and have to train harder again.

3) Running is tough, but finding SPARE TIME to run is even harder! When I am trying to clock the mileage for a Marathon (40 to 50 KM per week), you can literally count the number of hours needed.

4) Have Fun! Be it running with friends or enjoying a new route (sightseeing), it makes it easier to pass time (literally). If you need additional fuel and motivation for your running adrenaline, follow JustRunLah!’s fellow runners’ experiences 🙂

5) I joined all 5 TPS (ThePerformanceSeries) 10 KM in 2016. Although my personal best never went under 60 minutes, but it did build my appetite for more runs. Having said that, 42.195 KM is a huge difference from the 10 KM race!

Apart from getting some tips from friends, I pick up more tips from YouTube (Go ahead and laugh at me hee hee). Marathon is not something which we can attempt without training, you need to start preparing at least four to six months beforehand.

You might read up some YouTube or Google some of this running terms (and there are many terminologies out there!) :
– Breathing, Running style, Hydration, Injury prevention, Stride, Eat (gel) and nutrition, Tapering,  Recuperation etc.

The first thing I did for myself was to come up with a training plan, and STICKING to it. (How long, how fast to run in the weeks before race day etc).

Some will recommend non-running exercises like Cross, Hike, Steps, Yoga Pilates or Aerobics to train other muscle groups. This will enhance our overall running performance, by having stronger core and flexibility (eg).

6) Join the lead-up runs (with pacers) organised by your Running event.
After all your training, this is the moment to validate whether you are ready for the race.

It is not about running Fast or even strong, but maintaining a constant (and comfortable) pace.

As this is my first Marathon, any timing below 6 hours is an achievement for me. I will be trying to run with the 5.30 pacers. Mathematically, if I can maintain a pace of 7.30 Min/Km, then I should be good 🙂

Then again, you will read that the real Marathon starts at 30 KM (the WALL).
And I am not sure how my body will adjust to running at 3 or 4am in the wee hours :p

My running journey has just started. By keeping fit myself, I hope to motivate my family to keep fit too. Cheers to many more running milestones down the road.

You can read more about my 42.195 KM Marathon motivation and bucket-list here or Instagram #Training42Sundown2017. Wish me Luck !