Just Run Lah! - Singapore's online running community | JustRunLah! - Part 104
 
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5 Running & Fitness Books All Runners Read

Mel
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5 Running & Fitness Books All Runners Read

The wisdom of running doesn’t always just come with spending your time pounding the pavement. Sometimes, it is moments spent curled up on a couch reading a good run book that takes your running a step further. Books may not give you a runners high, but it may give you a different perspective – something for you to contemplate on to become faster and stronger. Here are 5 books every runner must read.

#1 Running With Kenyans: Discovering the Secrets of the Fastest People on Earth

This book unfolds Adharanand Finn’s incredible journey to the elite training camps of Kenya. His goal was to uncover the secrets of the fastest people on earth. Finn travelled to the Mecca of distance running to run with his childhood heroes. It is an interesting read – his take on barefoot running, his running with Olympians, his running with young hopefuls and his practical advice on distance running given the time he spent in Kenya learning from the best.

#2 Alberto Salazar’s Guide To Road Racing: Championship Advice For After Timies From 5K To Marathons

Alberto Salazar has crafted a great name in the running world. Just his name holds so much prestige. Former marathon world record holder, Coach of the Nike Oregon Project, Coach of Mo Farah and 2016 Bronze Medallist Galen Rupp, Jordan Hasay – he really has built quite a name for himself.

This book arms the novice and veteran runners with a great programme to run further and faster. He draws on his experience to offer tailored advice based on his own experiences. He gives advice on how to tailor your own workouts for maximum mental and physical fortitude. Looking to improve your timings? – this is the book to read!

#3 Scott Jurek’s Eat & Run

Scott Jurek has been a dominant force in the endurance running scene. In this book Scott talks about his life as a running champion athlete with a plant based diet. His vegan diet inspired runners at so many levels. His vegan-ism challenges the stereotypes on what an athlete should eat for optimal performance. It is interesting to read how being vegan helped him with his performance. you can even get some of his recipes from his book. This book expands your food horizons. It is a shockingly inspiring memoir.

#4 Meb For Mortals

Meb Keflezighi cemented his legacy with a historic win in the Boston Marathon 2014, in addition to his 2009 New York City Marathon Champion title and an Olympic Silver. How did someone turning 39 beat the best field in Boston Marathon history to come out on top? Meb really showed that old is gold. This book unfolds how Meb implements training, nutritional and mental principles that have guided him through his running career.

#5 The Perfect Mile: Three Athletes, One Goal, and Less Than Four Minutes to Achieve It

Like breaking 2, there was once when running the mile under 4 minutes was considered to be beyond the limitation of the human body. This was considered to be the elusive holy grail of sport. Read about the quest of 3 athletes, defying all odds in pursuit of something everyone deemed impossible. It is an interesting read because the book draws on exclusive interviews and makes the technical stuff more accessible to the reader. You gain a better understanding of the training and analysis involved – lactate counts and fartleks.

5 Tricks to Prevent Pooping During a Race

Mel
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5 Tricks to Prevent Pooping During a Race

Stomach problems – the bane of every marathoner! We runners tend to have to deal with many unique complications and shitting just happens to be one of them. Don’t worry, you’re not alone in dealing with this.

Why This Happens?

When we run, there is a surge of hormones in our stomach lining due to all the bouncing that happens during a run. These hormones affect how often we need to shit and also the permeability of our stomach lining. All these factors combined causes the urge to shit midway during a run. Also blood flow is increased to the muscles – away from our stomach. The decrease of oxygenated blood flow to our stomach may sometimes cause indigestion (of our pre-race meal or gel intake) and hence the urge to defecate.

#1 Improve Your Running Form

Vertical oscillation is how much your body is bouncing upwards when you run. The lower your vertical oscillation, the less your body bounces and the less intestinal jostling there is. This will help lessen the likelihood of pooping. There is also an added bonus. A lower vertical oscillation means a more energy efficient run. Energy is spent pushing you forward instead of pushing you upwards. Many devices these days track vertical oscillation for example the Garmin forerunner 635 or the Garmin Running Dynamics Pod. Try imagining a ceiling an inch above your head when you run and try not to hit when running.

#2 Taper Your Fibre And Fat Intake

Reduce your fibre and fat intake before your are day. Fat slows down digestion. And while running, blood is drawn to your muscles away from your stomach. This may cause indigestion to happen and hence a mid porta-loo break. While fibre is great to keep your toilet habits regular, pre-race jitters and race-length workouts may just cause diarrhoea. So remember, avoid fatty foods like KFC Chicken and the cruciferous vegetable family such as broccoli, cauliflowers and bak choi.

#3 Watch Your Coffee Intake

Photo source: Habitat Coffee

Many runners have a love-hate relationship with caffeine. While caffeine does give us a good kick to keep us high on alert during our runs, it can also cause our gut to go on overdrive. Coffee is associated with 2 other compounds – gastrin and cholecystokinin. These compounds speed up how fast things move through our gut. So make sure your espresso shot is taken at least an hour pre-race. This way, you have time to empty your bowels before race. Checkout the best coffee makers from Coffee Channel to prepare your race day coffee!

#4 Pre-Race Poop

Photo Credits: Wikipedia

The pre-race poop is actually really important. Try to schedule a pre-race poop. This way you till have less food in your gastrointestinal track. We all know blood is diverted away from our stomach when we run. Emptying your stomach means there won’t be indigestion and no mid-race poop.

#5 Slow Down Your Fuelling

Overwhelming your stomach with gels too quickly can cause gastrointestinal problems as well. With limited amount of blood flowing to your stomach to help with digestion, too much food quickly will cause indigestion and thus lead to pooping. Sip your gels slowly. You may take a quarter of a pack of a gel in 15 minutes intervals instead of an entire gel every hour.

Win A Suunto Aviator F Series Chronograph With Singapore International Triathlon 2017

Team JustRunLah!
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Win A Suunto Aviator F Series Chronograph With Singapore International Triathlon 2017

Come join Singapore’s pioneer triathlon event – Singapore Triathlon 2017! Happening on the 10th September 2017, come swim-bike-run the Lion City. With a mini, sprint, standard olympic and kid distance – there is a distance for everyone. Come challenge yourself with this 3 discipline sport!

Register Now and Stand a Chance to Win a Suunto Aviator F Series Chronograph

Great news for JustRunLah! readers! 3 lucky winners will stand a chance to win a brand new Suunto Aviator F Series Chronograph AVW8974G76 when you register for the Singapore International Triathlon 2017.

If you’ve already signed up, just fill in the form below to stand a chance to win! If you haven’t registered, just follow the steps below:

  • Click here to register yourself
  • Fill in the form below to stand a chance to win!

Another piece of good news for our readers!

Register for the Singapore International Triathlon 2017 at a 10 per cent discount! Click below to get the promo code!

The contest has ended – Thanks for taking part!

Inaugural Race of “The Performance Series” Malaysia kicks off with a bang at Penang!

Team JustRunLah!
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Inaugural Race of “The Performance Series” Malaysia kicks off with a bang at Penang!

In 2016, with its slogan #TranscendYourself, The Performance Series (TPS) had brought some 27,000 participants from more than 50 nationalities, aged 6 to 81, through unique iconic landscapes including Oasis / Island, Lake, City, Reservoir and Farm, in Singapore.

In 2017, TPS is now bringing the #TranscendYourself spirit to Malaysia! This time in the inaugural Race 1 of The Performance Series Malaysia edition, 2000 runners brought back with them a unique experience in their running journey while going through the heritage landmark – George Town! Participants were flagged off by Mr Govind, Technical Committee Chairman for Penang Amateur Athletic Association (PAAA) at the break of dawn. The runners then made their way through Penang’s heritage right from the start at Fort Cornwallis.

Participants were in for a treat as George Town is an excitingly diverse city that is crammed with the juxtaposition of locals, expats and travelers. It is truly a food paradise and from backpacker budgets to splurging high society jetsetters there, there is no lack of food options. The run course even brought participants through the heritage buildings as well as the famous murals. It helped runners completely disconnect from the hustle and bustle of the city life.

The event also saw many participants achieving their Personal Bests in this enjoyable route, complimented with the relatively flat roads.

All finishers in 21km, 10km and 5km categories each received a uniquely designed medal. Participants who signed up for the entire series will also be able to piece them together into a collectable set! The Performance Series team hopes that this medal collage will be a symbol of achievement to remind participants how far they had pushed through and encourage them to continue to #TranscendYourself!

Photos are available on the Official Facebook page:

Registration is open for the next races in Kuching and Shah Alam via the Official Website.

Sermona, Martes First In MILO-Urdaneta

Servinio
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Sermona, Martes First In MILO-Urdaneta

URDANETA CITY – Former champions Julius Sermona and Cristabel Martes showed that they can still match strides with the new generation of runners by ruling the inaugural regional qualifying race of the 41st National MILO Marathon Sunday morning (July 16).  They will also lead the first batch of qualifiers for the National Finals set for December 3 in Cebu City.

Sermona, the MILO King way back in 2006 and a soldier in the Philippine Air Force, clocked 1:15:31 in the 21-kilometer race that started at the old City before proceeding to a round trip along the MacArthur Highway and finally ending at the Urdaneta Cultural and Sports Center.  He was followed by Hernani Sore (1:17:21) and Romulo Balinas Jr. (1:20:45).

Martes showed the strength and form that gave her four MILO Queen titles with a time of 1:23:45, almost 24 minutes ahead of runner-up Rowena Valdez (1:47:12) and 31 minutes over third placer Isabel Milagros Quipsie (1:54:10).  So dominating was Martes that she placed fifth overall with only four males faster than her in the field that attracted 12,000 runners.

In last year’s Nationals hosted by Iloilo City, Martes finished in second place to Mary Joy Tabal thus allowing her to match the former’s record of four titles.  Sermona landed in third place behind eventual champion Jeson Agravante.

The next regional qualifier will be hosted by Laoag City a week from now on July 23.  What follows is the highly anticipated Metro Manila qualifier to be held at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City on July 30.

Race Review: MSIG Singapore Action Asia 50 [21KM] (by maylindateo)

Maylindateo
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Race Review: MSIG Singapore Action Asia 50 [21KM] (by maylindateo)

I spent my Saturday morning running MSIG Singapore Action Asia 50 trail race. Road running can be rather boring at times although it’s much easier compared to running in the forest with really brutal terrains. You risk falling down, spraining your ankles, falling trees, suffering cuts or stumbling upon snakes…. But hey! “Life is an adventure, live it! (MSIG Singapore Action Asia 50 slogan).

This trail race was held on 15 July 2017 (Saturday) with 3 race categories to choose from: 10KM, 21KM or 50KM ultra. Race village was at 31 Hindhede Walk open space outside Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Race route would cover Chestnut Avenue, Zhenghua Park, Bukit Panjang Park Connector, Central Catchment Park Connector, Rifle Range Road, Durian Loop, etc.

21KM Race Route extracted from my Garmin

I signed up for 21KM as this was my first trail race. All my past races were all on the road. I was tempted to take up 50KM ultra because of the generous cut off time of 12 hours. However, I backed off after seeing the flag off time which was at 0530 AM which means I had to run in the DARK forest for 1.5 hours before sunrise, with just a headlight. I think I was not ready for that yet. So I went for 21KM which flagged off at 0630 AM. I respect those who braved the dark for this ultra distance. 

I still put on a headlight because the first 30 minutes would still be dark and wore a hydration pack with 2L of water! Official advice was just to bring a bottle of water for 21KM and at least 1L of water in the hydration system for 50KM runners. I was just being “kia si” (afraid to die) or rather, afraid to die of thirst. But hell… no, volunteers at various CPs (Checkpoints) were doing a great job by helping to refill water bottles and water bladders in a fast manner. This was a “no cups” event so own water bottles/hydration systems were mandatory.

I was informed race was cancelled due to stormy weather (Cat 1), when I was eating the super sweet oranges at CP 2. But that kind of weather with just one sound of thunder and some rain was considered as Cat 1? I was not too sure. I was disappointed upon hearing that but the volunteer said we could still continue if we want and some runners also voiced out that they wanted to continue as a fun run. So I was happy again because I could continue and didn’t need to turn back. I came to run the distance I signed up for, I was determined about that. After enjoying the sweet oranges, I carried on running into the trails and had so much fun! There was fallen tree along the trail that blocked the entire path and the only way to get across was to bend really low on a small “exit” pathway to almost a crawl in order to cross it (didn’t take photo). That was amazingly FUN. 

CP2
Fun terrains

Due to the heavy rain on Friday, the trail was wet, muddy extremely muddy and slippery. I nearly sprain my ankle thrice on the rough and rocky terrain but didn’t. I slipped a few times on the slippery and “slopey” course but I was lucky I did not lose balance and fall. I said sorry to the plants for stepping on them in order to avoid the muddy path. I let out a loud “woah!!!” when my right foot sank deep into the mud pool because I was shocked at how deep the mud pool was. My foot submerged entirely into the mud till above the ankle deep. Where would you find such fun (run) on the road? 🙂

Look at the mud line on my right foot to diagnose the depth of the mud.

Although race was cancelled but there were still marshals directing us to the right direction, held our hands and helped us to cross the traffic barrier. Volunteers were still working tirelessly at CPs manning the fruit tables and helped to pump water into my water bladder. Thumbs up to all the volunteers!

I completed my supposedly 21KM race but with slight shortage because my Garmin clocked only 20.4KM. A few other runners on Strava also clocked less than 21KM for this run so I guess the course was shorter?

Someone actually put on the medal on my neck when I crossed the finish line. First time I encountered this pleasant surprise as in all my other races, I had to collect the medal in a plastic small pouch by hand. 🙂

All runners were entitled to packet food and 1 popsicle per person. I chose the chicken teriyaki rice and was told there were chicken cutlet and vegetarian food too. Other runners had nasi lemak which I didn’t know exist at the race village.

Food box and sour plum popsicle
Chicken teriyaki and rice

There was prize presentation on the stage which puzzled me. If race was cancelled, how to determine the winners? 50KM distance was shortened to 21KM (not cancelled) so I guess it was still logical to dictate the winners but 21KM was supposed to be cancelled and why they were still announcing who were the winners? I sat there eating my rice and remained puzzled.  

Upon collecting my bag, I realised my bag was entirely wet and all the extra clothes, towel, money and cards were all wet!!!

MSIG Singapore Action Asia 50 medal 2017 (accidentally dropped the medal on the ground at the RV, which explains the mud).

Bukit Kiara: 5 Runs to Do in this Runners’ Playground

Mel
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Bukit Kiara: 5 Runs to Do in this Runners’ Playground

Whether you are looking to improve your 5km or 10km, the marathon distance or the ultra distance, running on the road or in the trails, Bukit Kiara is the perfect training ground for you. Bukit Kiara has so many different terrains – flat and hills, road and trails, great for so many different types of training.

#1 Easy Run

Running around the Kiara lake gives you 1.1km. On your recovery days, loop the lake for a short 30 – 45 minutes at an easy pace. Remember, recovery runs are a very important but easily forgotten component of training. A true recovery run should not be difficult – this is to facilitate recovery preceding a hard training. Often we runners are obsessed with training volume – mileage. The recovery runs allows us to strike a balance between training volume and training stress – preventing us from overtraining or even injury. 

#2 Speed Intervals

Try this – a 6 x 1.1km with a 3 minutes rest in between each set. This would mean running 1 loop around the lake, 6 times. The saying goes – if you want to run fast, you’ve got to run fast. Speed intervals help improve your speed, your running economy and strengthens your cardiovascular system. So you want to get faster? – it’s time to incorporate speed intervals into your training.

#3 Hill Repeats

From the 1st guardhouse all the way to the top of Kiara hill is an 800m steep climb. Doing 5 sets of hill repeats would be enough to kill you. If you’re looking to do a longer hill repeat, run from the post box all the way up to the top of the hill which will give you a 1.3km uphill climb. Hill repeats are an excellent way to built strength and improve running economy. It also gets you heart pumping.

#4 The Hilly Run

Start at the postbox and run pass the first guardhouse. Continue running your way up to the 2nd guardhouse. Go straight across to do the anti-clockwise loop of Kiara Hill. This is a straightforward hilly loop that will bring you back to the 2nd guardhouse. Upon coming back to the 2nd guardhouse, run back down to the postbox and repeat the loop. Do 3 loops to give you a hilly 15km mid-long run.

#5 Elevation Training

Looking to do some elevation training – hit the trails. Here’s a suggested loop to do. Start from Kiara Park and run up Upper Carnival. Go onto Lung Buster and run along Shriner’s Convention. Then run up twin peaks. It’s a 2km uphill climb all the way up to twin peaks. Run down TNT and then dirty deeds. Run across to boulder and run down to wasteland. Here you hit and uphill gravel all the way back up to the boulder area. Turn left into Snake and Ladders. Take the first right after the bridge and go up Sodomy Up all the way back up to Twin peaks. Then turn left to run along roller coaster all the way back down to lower carnival and back to the starting point. This 6km loop gives you a 380m elevation gain.

It is time to pay Kiara a visit. It’s really an all-in-one training ground.

Looking for other places to train? Check out our Malaysia Running Routes!

 

Common Marathoners’ Mistakes You Should Avoid

Mel
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Common Marathoners’ Mistakes You Should Avoid

The 42.195km distance is becoming more popular these days. But more often than not, the difficulty of running the distance gets lost in translation. The marathon distance is difficult. We runners are always humbled by the distance, and always respecting the distance. With attempting the marathon distance, it is important to train properly. The right choices brings you a greater timing, an injury-free race and thus a more enjoyable race.

Avoid these mistakes and become a stronger and faster runner.

#1 Don’t Forget The Long Run

The Long Run is the most important specific workout to a marathon. The long run helps build up your aerobic fitness and the required endurance for the marathon distance. The biggest mistake you can do is to forget the long runs. Gradually increase the distance of your long runs to ensure you are ready to run the distance on race day.

#2 Too Little Time For Too Big An Achievement

Some people register for a marathon hoping to run the distance in just 10 weeks. They rush their training. It has been said that the fitness to run a marathon should be developed over a course of 16 – 20 weeks. Giving yourself sufficient time to prep for a marathon is very important. This is because with limited time, your training becomes rushed. Your increment of mileage comes too quickly and you risk injury. Remember the rule of thumb – weekly increase of mileage should not be more than 10 per cent.

Respect the distance and put in the time for training. You will see the desired results.

#3 Running Empty

Our body relies heavily on carbohydrates to fuel our body. The problem with carbohydrates is that our body can only store limited amounts in our muscles. Our body is such that we can store sufficient Carbohydrates to fuel us for 1 hour 30 minutes when running at half marathon pace or 2 hours running at marathon pace. Beyond that, your muscles will be depleted of glycogen supply. This means, provided you are a elite marathoner, you will need to refuel your glycogen supply to keep going.

So running empty is a big no. You will experience the famed hitting the wall. Where your mind wants to go on but your body just does not respond. Remember to have something to eat pre-race and fuel yourself during your race.

Read More:

  1. Trail Etiquette For Trail Runners
  2. Everything You Need To Know About Gels 
  3. 6 Tried And Tested Approaches To Recovery 

My Straits Times Run in The City 2017 [18.45km] (by Lingderella)

Lingderella
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My Straits Times Run in The City 2017 [18.45km] (by Lingderella)

This is the fifth year of Straits Times Run and they make it into something bigger such as partnering with SCM offering a package to runners who registered for both the Straits Times Run and Standard Chartered Marathon I registered for both runs ?

There is 3 categories for the Straits Times Run the 18.45km, 10km and 5km. This 18.45km category is because Straits Times is established in 1845 and this is my 3rd year running this category.

Not really a good run as I didn’t have enough rest was yawning for so many times while waiting for the flag off ? Woke up late and I really dreaded waking up and ask myself why am I doing this over and over again? Signing up races and forfeiting a nice weekend morning to nua in bed ? Took Grab down and immediately rush towards the start pen but there’s a holding area and waited quite a while walking at snail pace to enter the start pen as the securities check our race bibs to let us enter the start pen. Ever since I downloaded the Grab app this year, I find the fare quite acceptable and I don’t buy shuttle bus tickets for races anymore since I don’t need to wake up so much earlier to go to the MRT station to catch the shuttle bus and some runs don’t even have shuttle bus at my nearest MRT station ?

Flag off was delayed. By right flag off is at 5am for the 18.45 category but we were flagged off around 5.15am. Don’t know the reasons of the delay, it’s either because of my blurrness in the early morning I didn’t pay attention to what the emcee is saying or it’s the emcee too good at smoking me off ? Thought it would rain as it’s quite cold and breezy but luckily weather is good! It’s very shiok at some parts of the run because it’s really windy though there’s some resistance as we are running against the wind, when there’s no wind it’s so super humid ?

Once flag off, it’s really squeezy and not easy to manoeuvre around. If I use driving a car as an analogy, I’m driving dangerously as I’m weaving in and out and I scared accident ? Don’t want to kena accident like tripped and fall but bo bian just run. Though not aiming to be Mo Farah but kena blocked in running can be quite sian and at the same time I also hope I didn’t block others lah ? But just be a tiny weeny more conscious of the keep left rule will make running more enjoyable right ? Just picture the lanes used for 60km or 80km car then one car drives there at 30km all cars behind will over take right? ? Luckily like after about 4km or 5km then there’s starting to get more space to run.


I was counting down every KM and lucky me to have Willis for the whole 18.45km motivating ? Nearing the water point before 10km, I heard a familiar voice from a far, a very motivating and encouraging voice is cheering for the runners and it’s Coach Arnel from Pinoy-Sg Runners! Really so happy to see him ? And we will be pacing for the upcoming Race Against Cancer in two weeks time and this is my first time running as a pacer ?

Then I was counting down telling myself it’s just another 8km something more! I can do it! Then seriously it’s moments later, 10km distance board says something like this: You are NOT there yet ?

My feelings sort of kena cheated by the map of the route. Though no need to run up the Marina Barrage torturous slopes but once exited Gardens by the Bay East and was guided by the marshals to run the slopes I tio stunned and this emoticon explains it all: ? Bo bian no strength so the whole up slope I walk ? But ok lah, routes subject to changes already stated in the route map ?

Once we completed our run, we collected our finisher entitlements and was given a super cold towel which just feels so fantastic after the run! ? And there’s the 100 Plus cool zone spraying mist of water to cool us down ? Really love big runs as they have big sponsors and logistics is enough. I asked for another can of 100 Plus and the volunteers gave me ?? I think the medals is nice just like the previous two years collecting ?

Race Day Tips & Running with Mok Ying Ren – By Rebekah Ong

Rebekah Ong
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Race Day Tips & Running with Mok Ying Ren – By Rebekah Ong

Photo Credits: runONE/ Steven Teo (@j2meepok)

Ever wonder what preparation is needed to run a good race? For me, I never really thought much about it but after attending last weekend’s (8 July 2017) run clinic; I have to say that I did learn a lot from the tips given. The clinic was conducted by Mok Ying Ren who is managed by ONEAthlete and also a two-time SEA Games gold medalist.

MOK’S SHARING SESSION

[Photo Credits: runONE/ Steven Teo (@j2meepok)]

During the clinic; Mok shared his experiences running the SEA Games Marathon 2013 and also his 1-year training stint with 3-time Olympian Lee Troop in Boulder. He gave us some behind-the-scene insights and the preparation he had to do before actual race day. He also shared race day execution tips which are especially useful to participants who are running in this week’s Straits Times Run in the City (16 July 2017).

Mok’s presentation on race day execution tips was really interesting and informative! I liked the way he broke down and presented the information to the participants. He made it easy to understand and relevant by using simple terms, scenarios and charts. His race day execution tips had two parts: race day morning and race strategy.

[Photo Credits: runONE/ Steven Teo (@j2meepok)]

(A) TIPS ON RACE DAY MORNING

For race day morning Mok emphasised the importance of having breakfast by using simplified glycaemic index (GI) charts. The GI index is a number associated with a particular type of food that indicates the food’s effect on a person’s blood glucose level.  Mok explained that glucose levels in our body go down while we sleep because our bodies still consume energy. As such, there is a need to eat breakfast to refuel our bodies before a race. Foods that are low in GI like whole grain bread was suggested.

Caffeine was also one of the things he noted that would be helpful. Having a little caffeine can boost performance on race day and helps you to stay awake. He also illustrated how much caffeine is enough with some simple calculation.

Mok also touched on warming up before a race. For longer races such as half marathons or full marathons, he noted that light or no warm up is needed – instead start the race slowly at an easy pace and use that as your warm-up. However, for a short race such as the 5km or 10km run, it is important to do warm-up like dynamic stretches.

(B) TIPS ON RACE STRATEGY

In the race strategy part of Mok’s presentation, topics like pacing, nutrition and hydration were covered. I learnt different pacing strategies: positive splits, negative splits and even splits. Mok used different scenarios to highlight the differences between these three types of splits. I think I would try out the even splits in my next race.

As for nutrition, I learnt that it’s good to maintain a good balance of low and high GI foods. As mentioned earlier in part (A), pre-race meals can be low GI food. During a race, however, refuelling should be done with high GI foods such as sports drinks and power gels which are absorbed by the body faster.

Lastly, for race hydration, I learnt that drinking early in the race is recommended but only drink to quench your thirst and not to over-drink. Over-hydration is dangerous as it will cause body salts to get diluted and sodium levels to drop which will cause lethargy, fainting or loss of consciousness.

SURPRISE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

[Photo Credit: The Straits Times]

I really enjoyed the presentation by Mok and will definitely try his tips in my next race. After the presentation, Mok’s manager and co-founder of ONE Management SG, Jed Senthil introduced the runONE team and the athletes managed by ONEAthlete. He also did a short presentation on ONE, followed by a “corporate” video.

Little did we know that video was actually a surprise video of birthday wishes to Mok from family & friends, sponsors & partners who have been supporting Mok! To top it off, a birthday cake was brought in and Happy Birthday was sung to celebrate Mok’s birthday. The surprised look on Mok’s face was priceless.

#RUNWITH MOK

The second part of the clinic was a running session with Mok! Before the run, we had a short break and got to see familiar faces from the runONE community. I had the privilege of having met some members of the runONE Community when I participated in the Baton Run in May this year. It was really nice catching up with them! You can read my write-up on the Baton Run here.

The running session started with simple warm-up exercises led by Mok. This was then followed by a short 20-min easy run. Unfortunately, the 20-min run had to be shortened because of the ongoing NDP rehearsals – it was quite a sight seeing the colourful NDP contingents forming up and the army tanks getting ready to enter the Floating Platform! We covered a total of 1.8km and the session was concluded with some cool-down stretches and other core strengthening exercises.

[Photo Credits: runONE/ Steven Teo (@j2meepok)]

Overall I really enjoyed the run clinic! I definitely learnt loads from both the sharing and running session with Mok. Big thanks to Mok for sharing these race day execution tips! And to the friends from runONE & ONEAthlete, it was nice seeing you guys again! I’m glad that we got to catch up. Hope to see you all at future races!

Kilian Wins Hardrock 100 With Dislocated Shoulder

Mel
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Kilian Wins Hardrock 100 With Dislocated Shoulder

The world’s best mountain runner, King of Endurance Kilian Jornet shows us once again why he is King. The Hard Rock 100 is a rigorous race – a mountain trail race that crosses 100.5 miles of a rugged mountainous terrain.

Defending champion Kilian came in Champion again to score his 4th straight win at this event. No surprises there. But, he did it with an apparently dislocated shoulder. 40 miles in, he suffered a fall and injured his shoulder. We thought his game was over, but boy did he wow us. He ran 60 gruelling miles with his shoulder in a makeshift arm sling.

This is yet another inspiring moment from Kilian. Last year, he finished the race tied with Jason Schlarb – demonstrating the sportsmanship and respect for the ultra sport he has.

With the rise of Jim Walmsley, we wondered whether an American could finally win the UTMB race this year. But, with Kilian’s brilliant performances recently, we can’t wait for the great showdown!

Road Closure On 22 July 2017 for Men’s Health Women’s Health Night Run 2017 by AIA Vitality

Team JustRunLah!
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Road Closure On 22 July 2017 for Men’s Health Women’s Health Night Run 2017 by AIA Vitality

Come the night of 22 July 2017, there will be temporary road closures and disruption on certain main roads around MAEPS Serdang. This would be conducted in stages starting at 6.50pm for the only sanction night marathon in Malaysia, the Men’s Health Women’s Health Night Run by AIA Vitality 2017.

The affected routes will be as below:-

AREA/ROAD CLOSURE TIME
Persiaran Mardi – UPM

Closure from Persiaran Mardi to UPM

 7.50pm-12.00am
Jalan Universiti 1 7.50pm – 12.00pm
MAHA Gate 2 6.50pm
Serdang Hospital

Alternatively please use South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE)

 6.50pm – 12.00am

Going to the race? Bookmark it on JustRaceLah! – The Free App for Runners

Get Ready For 41st MILO Marathon

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Get Ready For 41st MILO Marathon

     THE 41st season of the National MILO Marathon will formally commence this coming Sunday (July 16) with the first of 15 regional qualifying races to be hosted by Urdaneta City, Pangasinan.  The much-awaited Metro Manila qualifier will be on July 30 at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay while the National Finals will be hosted by Cebu City on December 3.

Local organizer Ricky Ballesteros promised another grand spectacle reminiscent of past MILO sporting events hosted by the Queen City of the South. “We have yet to determine a route but we are coordinating with Runrio to make sure it will meet AIMS and IAAF standards,” said Ballesteros during the recent media launch at I’m Hotel in Makati City.

Agravante and Tabal.

Cebu’s very own Mary Joy Tabal will gun for an unprecedented fifth straight MILO Marathon Queen title while Jeson Agravante will defend his MILO King crown against a tough field of Filipino elites and international competitors.  Just like in the past, the MILO King and Queen will represent the country in an internal footrace with the Tokyo Marathon their likely destination.

This year’s theme is “Magsama-sama, Tumakbo, Matuto”.  According Nestle Philippines’ Willy de Ocampo, life is a marathon and it teaches lessons along the way.

As always, each new season will bring in changes so for 2017 the MILO Marathon will bring back the race to the cities of Laoag (July 23) and Roxas (October 1).  Other regional races will be hosted by Angeles (August 6), Tarlac (August 13), Naga (August 27), Lucena (September 3), Lipa (September 10), Tagbilaran (September 24), Iloilo (October 8), General Santos (October 15), Davao (October 22), Butuan (November 12) and Cagayan de Oro (November 19).

Another innovation that should sit well with all runners is that prizes will be given out to the best performers based on age categories.  This means that not only the elite runners will go home with the prizes but also those who match their running prowess with those of their same age category.

Online registration for all races is now ongoing at www.milo.com.ph.  Onsite registration is also available at selected branches of Waltermart and Toby’s Sports.

The 41st National MILO Marathon is made possible by Salonpas, Garmin, Hisense, Manila Bulletin, Maynilad at Waltermart.  The country’s oldest and most prestigious marathon is also endorsed by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and the Department of Education and sanctioned by the IAAF and AIMS.

Why It Is Important To Pay Attention To Your Resting Heart Rate

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Why It Is Important To Pay Attention To Your Resting Heart Rate

There is an abundance of gadgets these days – some more expensive than others. They track your heart rate, your sleep, your steps, you name it. One of the best indicators of cardiovascular health is actually or Resting Heart Rate (RHR). And good news – it does not cost us a fortune to know our RHR. It’s simple, it’s free and provides us great data.

What Is RHR?

Heart Rate refers to the number of times your heart beats in a minute. The number of beats indicates how hard the heart is working to deliver blood through your whole body. As a general rule of thumb, a lower heart rate indicates good health and a higher heart rate signifies otherwise.

Photo Credits: Myhealth

The RHR should be measured in the morning when you wake up. You are capturing one of the most important body metrics. Count your pulse rate in a minute. You will be able to find your pulse on your wrist at the base of your thumb. Count this regular rhythm for a minute. This will give you your RHR. As your kickstart your fitness journey, you can use this as a denominator to base your improvement in fitness on.

The RHR Of An Average Adult

The RHR of an average adult is between 60 – 100 bpm, whereas the average RHR of an athlete is between 40 – 60 bpm. In general, RHR declines when fitness improves. But remember, RHR is affected by a few factors – age, weight, mood, medication, caffeine intake, and also sleep.

How To Improve Your RHR?

Photo Credits: Wareable

Regular aerobic exercise helps improve the cardiovascular system. It helps your heart become stronger and more efficient. The heart becomes stronger and eases the workload on our heart, reducing the number of times it needs to pump in order to send blood through our whole body. So, run regularly, bike regularly or even swim regularly.

How Long Does It Take To See A Difference?

This actually depends on how regular and consistent you are with exercise. If you do it 3 – 4 times a week regularly, you should be able to see a decline within 8 weeks. But kickstarting your fitness journey will definitely allow you to see a decline in a couple of months.

So what are you waiting for? Kickstart your fitness journey and aim for a lower RHR.

Singapore Athletics Partners With Ironman Asia For National Championships

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Singapore Athletics Partners With Ironman Asia For National Championships

Singapore running has just received a boost after world’s leading endurance race organisers, IRONMAN Asia announced a two-year partnership with Singapore Athletics Association (SAA).

The partnership, will see SAA continue to sanction the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, the region’s only International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Gold Label race.

At a grassroots levels, SCSM 2017 and 2018 will double up as the host event for the marathon distance at the official National Championships. where the top competitive local runners across two categories- Singapore Open and Masters, Male and Female will get the opportunity to compete against the best in Singapore to be crowned National Champion.
Team Singapore athletes who have already confirmed participation include Pierre de Coubertin World Fair Play Trophy winner Ashley Liew, 3rd place finisher at SCMS 2016 Evan Chee, Jasmine Goh, Neo Jie Shi, and Fang Jian Yong.

Speaking of the change SAA President Mr. Ho Mun Cheong said “This partnership is a move in the right direction, and will help to further elevate the sport of distance running among competitive runners in Singapore. By hosting the National Champions at a platform like SCSM, our top Singaporeans will get to experience what it is like to compete amongst the elites at a world class event, while vying for the honour of being crowned National Champion.”

Mok Ying Ren is accompanied by Team Manager for Singapore Athletics Association (SAA), Jason Lawrence // Photo credit: ONEathlete

7-time SCMS Singapore Men’s Champion, and Team Singapore athlete Mok Ying Ren (managed by ONEathlete) also welcomed the partnership saying “We’ve had the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon for many years now, and many of us have run this race growing up. The event has grown tremendously both in scale and quality, so hosting the National Championship here makes sense, and will certainly strike a chord with competitive runners in Singapore. I am confident that it would be an opportunity for a finer display of local sportsmanship and emergence of more young local running talents.”

Hosting the National Championships at SCSM will allow participants to enjoy the enhanced race experience, and compete across new race routes which will take them through some of Singapore’s most iconic heritage locations.

En route, runners there will also be a number of improvements with the introduction of new features like mist tunnels, cooling zones, additional and longer hydration points and more entertainment along the route for a better running experience.

Commenting on the partnership, Managing Director of IRONMAN Asia, Geoff Meyer said “This is part of our commitment to developing Singapore as a premier running destination. The race is already seen by local and regional runners as the gold standard, by working with SAA to host the National Championships here, we’re hoping to further develop SCSM as a race for those with a competitive edge.”

Come July, SCSM will unveil runners’ programmes that will help SCSM participants to prepare them for the best race yet.

Registration for SCSM 2017 at www.singaporemarathon.com. Standard Chartered Cardholders will enjoy 15% off registration fee across all categories.

For more information, visit: www.singaporemarathon.com

PTT Run For Clean Energy This July 16

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PTT Run For Clean Energy This July 16

     THE INAUGURAL edition of the PTT Run For Clean Energy will be held this Sunday (July 16) at the Cultural Center of the Philippines grounds in Pasay City. Presented by PTT Philippines, the fun run hopes to promote environmental protection through the use of clean energy.

     Runners can choose between the 10, five or three-kilometer categories.  Fees are set at PHP 500.00 for 10 kilometers, PHP 300.00 for five kilometers and PHP 220.00 for three kilometers inclusive of a race singlet and bib.

     However, running teams or groups of six or more members will be entitled to PHP 50.00 off the registration per runner.  Therefore, fees will be discounted at PHP 450.00, PHP 250.00 and PHP 170.00.

     Entries are now being accepted at Chris Sports located in SM City Manila.  There will also be onsite registration on race day starting at 3:00 AM.

     Lucky participants will also get to take home brand new mountain bikes and mobile phones in the post-race raffle.  All finishers will receive a loot bag of goodies from sponsors National Capital Region Athletic Association (NCRAA), Chris Sports, Leslie’s, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Kabaka Foundation, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Science In Sport, Medicard Foundation, Milcu, Cafe Amazon, Maynilad Water and PTT Lubricants.

     The PTT Run For Clean Energy is organized by Subterranean Ideas.

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