Sunday, August 31, 2008

Quest to my Marathon Sub-4 hours! And Nike human Race

Marathon Pacer's Training Run

Meet up with the Marathon Pacers on saturday for their 20 km training run in ECP. The run was started at ard 0645 after waiting for the runners to arrived. Did a warm up run for 2 to 3 km before increased my pace for rest of the distance. On the returning route to the starting point, my thighs begun to cramp. Had to slow down my pace in order not to aggravate the cramps. Cramp is always a problem in my LSD training run, will have to find the root course of this problem. Nevertheless, i finished the run in 1 hour and 50 minutes, just before the scorching sun could fully arose from his "sleep". It was a good LSD run as the companionship of the marathon pacers provided endless movitations throughout the run. Will meet them up again on the following week as this coming week LSD training run will be held in Macritchie Reservoir (MR25 30 km progressive run).

Nike Human Race

The sky started to pour in the afternoon, as i'm still pondering on whether to go for the Nike Human race. Decided to go ahead with the race after the rain started to subside. Meet up with DO, Ronnie and the rest of the sgrunners at the Cenotaph at around 1430. The race started at 1620 and the CBD area was soon filled with "Red" runners. As this was my recovery run, i got off with a very slow pace and got to enjoy the music along the route. Overall, the run was well organised and the water stations were sufficiently placed. But the running route along the Singapore River was at times slippery and narrow. Nevertheless, this race was for Charity.

Sgrunner's group photo

The Human Race Finisher item

Finisher Bracelet

Check out the top three from respective categories here.

The men 1st place winner was almost 2 mins faster than the runner-up.

Check out his profile : Johan Jauhari (IND)

Friday, August 29, 2008

14 more weeks to Singapore Marathon!

Here is the 2nd attachment of The Straits Time marathon guide:


Some of the Sgrunners' members had organized the Marathon Pacers Training, below are the schedule for the week:

Week 1

Tuesday, 26/8: 7 - 12km, River Promenade. 1815 hrs. Led by Team FatBird.

Wednesday, 27/8: 7 - 10km, International Business Park. 1800 hrs. Led by Team FatBird. (Or cross training)

Thursday, 28/8: 7 - 12km, River Promenade. 1815 hrs. Led by Team FatBird.

Friday, 29/8: Rest.

Saturday, 30/8: 20km Easy, ECP Skating Rink. 0630 hrs. Led by David Tay / Team FatBird.
Route: Skating Rink -> Playground -> NSRCC -> Skating Rink.

Sunday, 31/8: Recovery. 5 - 7km Easy. OTOT.

Click here for the update to the training schedule.

Will be joining them for the run tomorrow as i begin my quest to Marathon sub 4 hours!

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Seminar : Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon Workshop Series II - 6th Sept

Received this email from the Standard Chartered Marathon Workshop organizers. Seem like this workshop is overloaded with participants.

Dear Participants,

Thank you very much for your registration for SCSM Workshop Series II - Running Injuries... Can you "run" through them?

Kindly REPLY to this email to confirm your attendance & registration, by Wednesday 3rd Sept.

As we have a long waiting list of participants wanting to attend this workshop, a non-reply assumes that you will not be attending. Hence, your spot will be opened to another participant who is able to attend.

The workshop begins promptly at 3pm. All participants are to be seated by 2:50pm. Your co-operation is much appreciated.

Programme for the Day (3 to 5pm):

1. "Running away from Injuries- Common running injuries" By Ms Sharon Lim, Physiotherapist from Alexandra Hospital .
~ Learn about common running injuries (runner's knee, ITB friction syndrome, shin splints and others) and how to prevent them.

2. Personal experience of injuries sustained and how an adidas sponsored athlete dealt with it? By Mr Fabian Williams

3. Tracking Your Progress and Practical Session By Dr Tan Swee Kheng

Please remember to bring your running shoes and outfit for the practical session.

See you all on Saturday, 6th September!

Take good care and have a wonderful weekend!

Running with you,
Dr Tan Swee Kheng
Kinesiologist, Movement Specialist

Will have to decide whether to give up my slot by 3rd Sep......

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Seminar : Let Your Running Do the Talking!

More Seminar coming your way!

Date: Saturday, September 13, 2008
Time: 8:30am - 5:30pm
Location: Republic Polytechnic, LR-W5

'Let Ur Running Do The Talking' is aimed at the novices to the experienced. Learn how your body regulates its temperature during long runs, when to use your fast twitch and a brief insight to the kinds of shoes that are suitable for your feet.'

Title: Let Ur Running Do The Talking
Date: 13 September 2008, Saturday
Time: 0830-1730hrs (with lunch and tea breaks)
Cost: $50 (general public), $38 (students)

Targetted Audience: General Sporting public, Running
Enthusiasts, Serious
High Performance Athletes/Coaches

Panel of Speakers:
- 2 sports scientists from DSO
- A speaker to speak on sprinting.
- A speaker to speak regarding distance running and distance training.
- A basic insight to physiotherapy.
- Product speakers from Adidas and Smith Optics.

So, what are you waiting for? Registration for the symposium is already open.
For more details, visit www.redsxtreme.com or email us @ enquiries@redsxtreme.com
Alternatively you can contact Nurul @ 93866949 or Gwen @ 91267721

Seem interesting ....

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Newton Running Shoe

Finally, the Newton running shoes will be available for purchase.

Newton running shoe at keypowerintl

Barefoot running -> Forefoot running -> Less injury , Greater efficiency & Forward motion.

Will be adding the Newton running shoes to my running shoes collection.

Newton running website.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Army Half Marathon 2008

Woke up at 0330 in the morning. Was targeting to compete the run with no injury and sub 2 hours. Have my prerace breakfast which consists of breads and ham coupled with a cup of hot milo.

Reached the Padang at around 0530 and was searching for familiar faces in the vicinity. Managed to find Cheow from sgrunners as we waited for more familiar runners. The sky started to rain for about 15 minutes but stopped just in time for the race.

The race started at 0630 and the esplanade area was soon filled with Half marathon runners. As i reached the initial stretch of ECP route, i could see quite a number of Foreign Army (Mainly Indian and Thai Armies) runners on their return route along ECP. I wonder when can i achieve their running pace....

Planned to finish the 1st half of the race within an hour but could not find the 11 km distance marker in order to calculate my pace. As i moved along, i saw Alber from the Safra Mount Faber running club. Decided to follow him throughout the rest of the run. Took out my one and only powergel for consumption at around 13 km. I had to slow down at around 14 km as i felt that my stomach was "yelling" for help. Was pondering whether to continue the run or take a break in the toilet. Had to choose the latter after seeing the extremely long queue at the toilet near the ending route of ECP and knowing that i won't be able to continue to run after the toilet break. Fortunately, my tiredness overshadowed my stomach-ache.

The route from the ECP to Marina Barrage was undulating and soft as i struggled to maintain my pace. Felt that the ground was absorbing my energy. Managed to catch Brokierunner from sgrunner at one of the water points and followed her till Marina South where i started to increase my pace. As expected, the Marina Barrage provided the runners with beautiful scenery. I upped my pace at the last 500m as i could imagine myself as Usain Bolt running in the Olympic (Caught the Olympic fever). Hopefully, i can get perfect finishing photographs as i almost come to a standstill near the finishing point in order to pose for the many photographers.

Crossed the finishing at around 1 hr 55 mins +, which was similar to my previous AHM timing. Saw Dreamrunner at the finishing area as we waited for more sgrunners. As usual, we had our group photo taken at the Cenotaph.

SgRunners AHM 2008, Courtesy Amaranthine

Will be looking forward to the Standard Chartered Marathon training in the coming weeks!

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Countdown to Beiijing Olympic Men's Marathon and AHM 08!

9.5 Hours more to the Men's Marathon.

Click here to check out the participants!

8.5 Hours
more to AHM 08.

Weather Forecast for tomorrow morning :

Cloudy with showers with thunder affecting many areas in the morning.

May have to run in the rain if the sky continue to rain till tomorrow. Let's pray for the rain to stop.....

Friday, August 22, 2008

Pre Race Tips

2 more days to AHM 08, here are some tips on logistics for pre race from The Competitive Runner's Handbook :

• The logistics of race day are likely to be more complicated and stressful than for shorter races, especially in big city events. Often the start and finish aren't in the same place. Double-check how you'll get to the starting line and home after finishing. Have a backup plan in place for anything that could go wrong: the car doesn't start, you miss the bus to the start, and so on.

• Runners tend to do stupid things at the last minute out of nervousness. Whether it's trying out a different workout, switching to fast-looking new shoes, or stuffing yourself with a magical food or supplement, if you're not used to it, don't do it. Avoid introducing anything new into your life during these final weeks, such as starting a new job or work project, moving or remodeling. These changes will take away needed mental energy .

• At least a month in advance, pick out the shoes and clothing you'll wear. This gives you plenty of time to break them in. Only the lightweight, quick footed runners should consider racing shoes for marathoning. Lightweight trainers are the best choice for most marathoners; regular trainers for those pounding the pavement more than four hours and for heavier runners. Feet swell over the marathon distance, so make sure shoes don't feel too tight. They should be broken in, but still have most of their cushioning ability. Aim for 50 to 100 miles on your shoes, including your last long run, and then set them aside for marathon day. I'm extra careful. I'll get two pair of shoes broken-in and set them aside just in case something happens to one set.

• Use your last long run and race as a full dress rehearsal. Practice carbo-loading with the foods you intend to eat for energy in the days and hours before the marathon. Before and during these runs, drink the same sports drinks that will be available on the course and eat the same sports gels or other fuels you'll consume during the marathon. Wake up and run at the same time of day you will for the marathon. Wear the same clothes; shoes, too, if they're training shoes. If you'll be using lightweight trainers or racing shoes for the marathon test them for part of the long run, then switch to more¬cushioned training shoes to minimize injury.

• Carbo-load and hydrate properly, but taper off caloric intake slightly as you cut back mileage to avoid unnecessary weight gain. About 100 calories equals a mile.

• Avoid catching a last-minute cold or flu. This is a common problem. Although you're in peak marathon shape, your immunity may be down. How to minimize getting sick at this crucial time? Taper early, get enough sleep, wash your hands often, and keep away from as many potentially germ-carrying people as possible.

• Cut out cross-training and weight training over the final two weeks to more completely rest.

• As you taper, you'll have lots of extra time and energy. Too many runners use it to clean out the garage, et cetera. Stick to less physical ways to spend your time by reading a book or go to the movies and save every ounce of extra physical energy for the marathon. Don't waste mental and emotional energy either. Avoid tasks requiring prolonged heavy thinking, or producing stress.

• Stay off your feet as much as possible the last three days and on marathon morning. Sight-seeing is a problem for runners who travel to an exciting place, such as New York. Plan your trip so you can stay for a few days after the race. Enjoy sight-seeing once the stress of the marathon is out of the way .

• Avoid the premarathon hoopla. Don't spend hours at prerace clinics, exhibits, and so forth. Attend a few of them for a few minutes to enjoy the atmosphere, but don't spend a lot of time on your feet. Hanging around large crowds at prerace events tends to make you more nervous and drain off energy. In the last two days, minimize your contact with others. Hang out with a few calm, confident, supportive friends and relax .

• Organize your support crew. They can pass you flu¬ids and fuel, and cheer you on at strategic spots such as the top of a big hill, the 20-mile mark, and 1 mile before the finish line. Encourage lots of people to be on the course to give you a cheer. Review how you will meet running partners at the start, and friends and family at the finish area.

• If you want the crowd along the way to give you an extra boost, wear something distinctive. Print or write on your singlet a name or slogan to give spectators something to cheer about. I've run along with "Go Mo," "Marathon Mom," "Elvis Lives," "Texas," "Fast Grandpa," and "Slow Motion" among others. They all seemed to thrive on the crowd cheering them on. Our Greater New York Racing Team singlets elicit plenty of "Go New York" shouts. Believe me, it helps .

• Throughout the marathon countdown, think calm. Focus on staying relaxed. Expect to feel edgy as the big day approaches. This is normal and happens to all marathoners. Your body has energy to spare, and it misses the hard training. You will have to deal with withdrawal symptoms at the same time you are coping with prerace anxiety. Don't start worrying about losing your fitness and panic. You are not losing fitness; you are ready. There is nothing you can do now to improve your fitness, but you can make training errors or mental mistakes that could mess up your race.

Will be having a lot of rest today and tomorrow!

Quote of the day :

"I'm Lightning Bolt! I am not Flash Gordon or anybody. My name is Bolt, Lightning Bolt."
- Usain Bolt (JAM), 100m and 200m World Record Holder.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Dean Karnazes The Ultramarathon Man

Dean Karnazes had published his second book titled "50/50: Secrets I Learned Running 50 Marathons in 50 Days -- and How You Too Can Achieve Super Endurance!" This book relates to his challenge in The North Face Endurance 50, also known as the 50/50/50, was fifty marathons in fifty states in fifty consecutive days,which begin with the Lewis and Clark Marathon in St. Louis on September 17, 2006, and finishing with the New York City Marathon on November 5th. There is also a film about this challenge titled "Ultramarathon Man", which will only be shown in USA.

Left- Dean Karnazes's latest book. Right - His first book


The film UltraMarathon Man: 50 Marathons • 50 States • 50 Days

Will be ordering his new book, cant wait for the book to arrive!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Update to the Men's Olympic marathon

Some update to the Beijing Olympic Men's Marathon (From marathonguide.com)

Kenyan marathon star to replace injured Cheruiyot at Olympics


www.chinaview.cn

NAIROBI, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's athletic officials said late Saturday that world marathon champion Luke Kibet who had been selected as a reserve will replace injured Robert Cheruiyot in the men's marathon squad.

The 29-year-old Cheruiyot pulled out of the Beijing Olympic Games on Saturday after aggravating a thigh injury he first sustained in Italy.

Cheruiyot won last year's inaugural world marathon masters, a combination of the world's top marathons.

Three-times London marathon winner Martin Lel and Samuel Wanjiru will also run for Kenya in the Olympic marathon on Aug. 24.

"I first injured my thigh while training in June but I had been told it would clear but instead it came worse and especially when doing my speed work. And Friday I made the decision to step to withdraw from the team, because I did not want to travel not fully fit to represent my country,"Cheruiyot said.

Kibet who left the country late Saturday is expected in the Chinese capital Sunday along with world half marathon record holder Samuel Kamau Wanjiru and London Marathon champion Lel who will carry the Kenyan flag in the race on Aug. 24.

Kibet who was set to travel anyway as a reserve expressed his sympathies to Cheruiyot after receiving the sad news from Cheruiyot.

"I am sorry that an injury has prevented Cheruiyot from competing in Beijing because he wasreally looking forward to it. I have been trainingfor Berlin marathon so am ready and I will do my best to represent my country in Beijing."

"Luckily, we got Kibet's visa only on Friday and he will now travel. He is an able replacement going by his past track record and it is a blessing that Kenya is blessed with so much talent," Athletics Kenya spokesman Peter Angwenyi confirmed the change by telephone.

Cheruiyot said he was sad to see his chances of running in Beijing go up in smoke.

"I have never trained so hard in my life. I gave it my all but unfortunately it has come to this," he said. "I am so sad because i wanted to show Kenyans that what I can achieve for them."

He attributed his injury to too much training. "I think I overtrained in Italy and my body could not take it anymore," he said.

Editor: Xinhuanet

Baldini uncertain to defend Olympic marathon title

BEIJING (AP) -Stefano Baldini of Italy is uncertain whether he will defend his Olympic marathon title Sunday.

The Italian injured his right thigh Friday and has not been able to prepare in ideal conditions for the concluding event of the track program at the Beijing Games.

"I haven't trained for three days and my morale is down,'' the 37-year-old reigning European champion told Italian reporters Tuesday. "I'm going train four times. If I have a relapse I won't be able to race. It would be a huge disappointment.''

Breaking News : USAIN Bolt of Jamaica had won the men's 200 metres gold medal to complete the sprint double in a new world record time of 19.30 seconds. He totally dominates the 100 and 200 metres. What an amazing sprinter.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Vertical Marathon 2008

Fancy running vertically instead of the normal running styles? Try the Vertical Marathon 2008 which is going to be held at Swissôtel The Stamford, Singapore.

About The Event - Event Information
Swissôtel Vertical Marathon 2008


Date: Sunday, 16 November 2008
Time: 7.30am
Venue: Swissôtel The Stamford, Singapore
Organised By: Swissôtel The Stamford, Singapore

The Challenge

Take up the challenge of climbing Southeast Asia's tallest hotel - Swissôtel The Stamford, Singapore! Challenge yourself to the gruelling 73-storey vertical race up the 1,336 steps.

It's the original Swissôtel Vertical Marathon which started in 1987!

A Guiness Book of World Records was set by Mr Balvinder Singh in 1989 in 6min 55secs.

Event Categories

Men's Under 20
Women's Under 20
Men's 20 - 29
Women's 20 - 29
Men's 30 - 39
Women's 30 - 39
Men's 40 - 49
Women's 40 - 49
Men's Above 50
Women's Above 50
Men's Open
Women's Open
Corporate Race

Registration Fees

Register before and on 21 September 2008 and enjoy early bird fee of S$35 per participant.

Registration fee after 22 September 2008 will be at S$44 per participant.

Participant's Entitlement

  • Goodie Bag which will contain the Event T-Shirt and a host of other novelties.
  • Finisher Medal for every participant who completes the race.
  • Race Certificate with time recorded.
Race Day

Since the first Swissôtel Vertical Marathon, the race has attracted top local and international athletes such as Ben Pulham, Adrian Mok, Pedro Ribeiro and Australia's Suzanne Elizabeth Walsham and Jeremy Horne.

The Swissôtel Vertical Marathon 2008 promises to be an even more challenging and competitive race to the top!

Adrian Mok - Finished 3rd in this event in 2004 and no new comer to endurance races - an adventurer racer, marathoner, ironman - Adrian is eyeing the record.


Ben Pulham
- Hailing from New Zealand, Ben is a full time triathlete based in Singapore. Ranked 112th in the World Triathlon ranking, Ben won the race in a blistering time of 7min 34sec in 2004.


Jeremy Horne - Meet Jeremy Horne - 1999 New South Wales Distance Runner of the Year, 2002 Australian Marathon Champion, 3rd in 2000 World Stair Running Championship, 2003 Champion in the Sydney Center Point Tower Run-up and Australia's representative in the 2006 World Marathon Teams Championship, Jeremy is eyeing nothing less than a ticket to New York to compete in the Empire State run up.

Pedro Ribeiro - Champion in 2003, 2005 & 2006, 4th in 2004 and conquered the Empire State building in 4th place this year and 10th place in 2004. An engineer based in Macau, Pedro will be flying in from Macau to compete again. Witness Pedro fly up the stairway onto the helipad of Swissôtel!

Suzanne Elizabeth Walsham
- Champion in 2006 & 2007, Suzanne went on to win the Empire State Building Run-up in 2007 & 2008. A native of Australia residing in Singapore, she represented Australia in the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

When is the closing date?

By noon of 16 October 2008. Late entries after the closing date will not be entertained.

Click here for more details.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Army Half Marathon 08 Race pack

Went to East Coast park for a Long Slow Distance (LSD) 18 kilometers run with the Standard Chartered Marathon Pacers. It was a good run as i wasn't feeling any more sharp pain in my knee, but my fitness was slightly poor as i was struggled to keep my pace constant during the last few kilometers. Normally i would run at a constant pace throughout a run. Will be hoping to do well in the coming AHM 08 and finish the race without any injuries. Collected the Army Half Marathon race pack yesterday. This time round, the organizers provided all the runners with a runner's guide book. The guide book also provides the latest route map labeled all the water stations. Here are some of the information from the guide book:

ABOUT

SAFRA SINGAPORE BAY RUN
& ARMY HALF MARATHON 2008

The SAFRA Singapore Bay Run and Army Half Marathon (SSBR & AHM) is into its 17th year. To be held on Sunday, 24 August 2008, this year's run promises participants a great experience as they speed across the iconic Benjamin Sheares Bridge, and run pass various local landmarks.

Grown more popular over time, the SSBR & AHM attracted as many as 70,000 participants, making it the biggest mass running event on the local sports calendar.

This year, runners can look forward to an enhanced running experience. They will be treated to a scenic route starting at Esplanade Drive and will finish their race at the Padang. For the first time, runners of the 21 km route will be the first to run across the Marina Barrage, which is one of the latest development at the Marina Bay area. This development is also significant as it marks the first competitive run across a barrage in Asia.

There will be performances en-route to cheer on runners. The performances are separated into two themes - (i) Ethnic & Cultural and (ii) Young, Vibrant and Energetic. These performances include bands, percussion groups and cultural performances, designed to enthuse the participants further.


Cover page

Running routes for the AHM


Map of the Carnival

Back page

As for the AHM 08 T-shirt, the designs, material and color are the differences as compared to previous year AHM.

AHM 08 t-shirt

The Design at the back of the shirt:



My running bib:


6 more days to AHM 08 .....

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Beijing Olympic Women Marathon

Constantina Tomescu of Romania had won the Gold medal!

She broke away from the lead pack at 20 Km and never looked back.


Gold - Constantina Tomescu 2:26:44
Silver - Catherine Ndereba 2:27:06
Bronze - Zhou Chunxiu 2:27:07

Paula Radcliffe seemed to be injured and finishing 23rd in 2:32:38.

Live update (Official Beijing Olympic Site - At 5 km intervals) : Here

Friday, August 15, 2008

Countdown to Beijing Olympic Women Marathon!

Countdown to the Beijing Olympic Women Marathon : 1 Day 9 Hrs

The event will begin at 0730 (GMT +8 hrs), held at Beijing National Stadium.

More coverage on Women marathon can be found here (MarathonGuide.com).

"He who is lost in his passion is not as lost as he who lost his passion" - Mr Andre Chiang, Taiwan-born French trained chef now at Jaan restaurant.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

World records in Olympic swimming - Technology or Pure Strength

Was wondering why were there so many swimming new world records set in the Beijing Olympic? It seen so easy to break the previous world records by the swimmers in the Olympic. Here is one of the articles from The New York Times which discussed about technology used in the pool.

From THE NEW YORK TIMES ;

August 12, 2008
As Swimming Records Fall, Technology Muddies the Water
By JERÉ LONGMAN and GINA KOLATA

Correction Appended

BEIJING — He swam so improbably fast, making up so much ground in a foaming, desperate attempt to reach the wall first in the 4x100-meter relay, that Jason Lezak not only won a gold medal for the United States on Monday, but he also helped to shatter the world record by nearly four seconds.

That race alone would have provided an astonishing day of swimming at the Summer Olympics, but it was the third world record of the morning and the seventh in three days of competition. An eighth record was set later Monday, matching the total number broken at the 2004 Athens Games.

Two world records were set Tuesday — Michael Phelps in the 200-meter freestyle, and his American teammate Aaron Peirsol in the 100 backstroke — making it likely that the total will eventually surpass the 14 established at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Not only are world marks tumbling, but some are being lowered by staggering margins.

Advances in training techniques, pool design and swimsuit technology have contributed to the increases in speed for swimmers, who also enjoy financial incentives that allow them to remain in the sport longer than they would have two decades ago, when the Olympics were restricted to amateurs. If Phelps breaks the record of seven swimming gold medals won by Mark Spitz at the 1972 Munich Olympics, he will receive a $1 million bonus from Speedo, the swimsuit manufacturer.

“When you pulverize the world record by more than three seconds, that is remarkable and is only happening very seldom when four superstars are at the peak of their performance,” Orjan Madsen, the German Olympic swimming coach, said of the 4x100 relay record of 3 minutes 8.24 seconds.

At the same time, some swimming officials are questioning whether the multitude of records devalues each one and whether human performance is being unduly aided by technology.

And, as with other Olympic sports, there can never be any certainty that performance-enhancing drugs are not involved. As history has shown with the disgraced track star Marion Jones and revelations about swimmers from the former East Germany, passing a drug test is no guarantee that banned substances are not being used.

“When technology is used in a sport, it is important to be in control of the way it is being developed and where it might lead us,” Claude Fauquet, the technical director of the French swimming federation, said in reference to swimsuit technology.

Fauquet has called for more debate about the use of Speedo’s LZR Racer, the latest advance in the full-body suit craze popularized in the last eight years. The Racer has been worn in the setting of about four dozen world records since its introduction in February. The corsetlike suit is made by ultrasonic welding instead of stitching, can require a half-hour to put on and shoehorns the body into a more streamlined position.

Critics suspect that the suit aids buoyancy in the water, in violation of performance-enhancing rules set by the international swimming federation, known as FINA. Alberto Castagnetti, the Italian national swim coach whose team wears a rival brand, has equated the Racer with “technological doping.” Some say the suit can boost performance as much as 2 percent; that can mean the difference between a gold medalist and an also-ran.

“I think sports have to keep up with technology,” said Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe, who set a world record Monday while wearing the Racer in a preliminary round of the women’s 100-meter backstroke. “It’s a great suit. For me, putting the suit on, mentally, it’s time to go fast.”

More sophisticated pool design has also helped to dissipate wave action. The pool in Beijing is three meters deep, compared with two meters for many racing pools. The added depth is designed to lessen resistance.

For major international competitions, like the Olympics, the pool is 10 lanes wide, instead of 8. The two empty outside lanes serve as buffers, keeping the waves from ricocheting, dispersing them instead to a gutter system that is flush with the surface of the water. The plastic buoys that serve as lane dividers are designed to direct water downward instead of outward. The nonskid starting blocks are meant to facilitate a propulsive takeoff, similar to track and field, which can shave valuable ticks off the clock.

“If I had to design a pool, this is what it would look like,” said Brendan Hansen of the United States, who was fourth here in the 100-meter breaststroke after winning three medals in Athens.

Still, no one can say what is accounting for all of the records, said Anton Kajlich, whose firm, AntiWave, contributed equipment to the Olympic pool.

“Everybody will claim a different thing,” Kajlich said. “The old-timers believe it is really the swimmer and the coach.”

Rebecca Adlington of Britain, who won gold in the women’s 400-meter freestyle, said every swimmer expected to lower his or her times during the intensity of an Olympic year. After swimming the second leg of the victorious American relay team, Garrett Weber-Gale said adrenaline and determination were bigger factors than technology.

“It has more to do with the four of us than the pool,” he said. “I think the pool is fantastic. But I think we had an awesome race and we were pushed by the French and the Australians. I think we all just came together.”

As swimming becomes more popular, it attracts better athletes, who often stay in the sport for more than one Olympics and have access to increasingly sophisticated sports science. Swimmers who once concentrated mostly on endurance now spend up to 50 percent of their training on refining the technical aspects of kicking, pulling, breathing and body position, said Genadijus Sokolovas, director of sports science for USA Swimming.

American swimmers here are accompanied by four sports-science experts. Each race is videotaped. Immediately after a race, each swimmer has an ear pricked to test for lactic-acid levels. After a warm-down swim, video analysis is made available to monitor stroke counts, distance per stroke, split times, and the biomechanics of takeoffs and turns.

The nature of swimming allows athletes to perform in more events than, say, track, providing more opportunities for stars to set world records. Sprinters in swimming tend to train much longer distances than sprinters in track, gaining superior aerobic capacity. They also perform in a horizontal position, which allows easier circulation of oxygen and nutrients through the blood, and they do not pound their muscles, tendons and ligaments, thus gaining quicker recovery.

The suits they wear will probably become even more sophisticated, perhaps to facilitate muscle contraction and improve kicking power, said Sokolovas, the sports-science director.

“I wish I could compare results from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s to the current results to know exactly how they are improving because of the suits, technology and training,” he said. “You probably can’t stop technology from coming into any sport. If athletes want to swim faster, technology will always be there. I don’t see it as bad. It’s good for the popularity of swimming. It gets more people interested in sport. And what is the goal of sport? A healthier nation.”

Karen Crouse contributed reporting.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: August 14, 2008
An article on Tuesday about the factors driving record-breaking swimming performances at the Beijing Olympics, including those by Michael Phelps, omitted a passage in some editions at the continuation. It should have read, “If Phelps breaks the record of seven swimming gold medals won by Mark Spitz at the 1972 Munich Olympics, he will receive a $1 million bonus from Speedo, the swimsuit manufacturer.”

Apparently, the Speedo LZR RACER suit reduce the swimmers' racing times by 1.9 to 2.2 percent. Hopefully some sport apparel makers can invent a running tight or suit that will reduce runners' fatigue level and improve running timings tremendously.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Countdown to Beijing Olympic Marathon!

Countdown to the Beijing Olympic Marathon

Men : 11 Days
Women : 4 Days

Latest news :

Noguchi won't defend her marathon title

The defending champion had been ruled out of the competition due to a thigh injury. My forecast result for the women marathon is still valid as i had predicted that the both the Men and Women defending champions will be out of the contender for top 3. From my previous post:

Here are my forecast results :

Men

1 Martin Lel, Kenya
2 Samuel Wanjiru, Kenya
3 Ryan Hall, US

Women

1 Gete Wami, Ethiopia
2 Chen Rong, China
3 Paula Radcliffe, GBR

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

What is Over Training?

Is my sudden increase in running intensity that contributed to my knee injury/strain? I am clueless in finding the cause of my knee injury/strain. Maybe it was due to the intervals training that i had just implemented in my running program for the Singapore marathon. Or am i over training? This boiled down to the understanding of over training.

Below are some of the abstracts of a seminar which i had attended long time ago:

Are You Over-Training?
By Dr Low Wye Mun

Do you love your sport? Are you working just as hard as you can to improve your performance? Hours of dedicated effort according to a carefully constructed training programme ... and yet, feeling as If things are just not quite right? Feeling a little lethargic, more tired than usual, and just needing much more effort to get going?

Well, you could have reached the point when your body is telling you that the effort you are putting in has out-stripped your resources. In a word, you may be over-training. In order to ensure that you stay in the bes1 physical and mental shape for your sports, read on and find out the what, why and how of this discouraging condition.

What is OVER-TRAINING ?

• As an athlete, you train in a way that shifts your body's daily physical state beyond its normal everyday level of functioning. Carefully regulated and controlled, such intensive demands made of your heart, lungs, muscles and joints become the training stimulus that allow you to reach towards improved performance.

• Occasionally, the amount of training you do (as measured by frequency, intensity and duration) may go beyond the body's ability to adapt to the stresses imposed. You may thus "over-reach." This may form part of your training and competition cycle, and provided that you have proper recovery from these episodes of over-reaching, your performance development will continue without much problems.

• For example, you may be taking part in the regular local cycling races as well as in regional races. If these races are outside of your normal pattern (e.g. your first ever 4-day tour race event), you physiologically reach further than ever before. If there is no let-up in training Of competition preparation after that event, your body does not have the chance to adapt and recover, and you risk entering into the zone of relative physical and mental overload called "over-training". This is one situation when more is better does not hold.

How do I know if have over-trained?

• The over-trained body responds with disturbances of several functions of the body including those of the nervous system, hormones and the immune system. While no two people will respond in exactly the same way, there is a general appearance of signs that things are not well. These can cause the active sports person to become quite depressed that their hard work is not resulting in improving performance.

• The trick to managing what can be a confusing and defeating period in your sports career is to recognize the signs that say you have over-trained. You may not have all of these signs, but if your exercise and sports performance is dropping. and you have some of the other symptoms listed, you may indeed have over-trained.

Signs and Symptoms of Over Training

Poor or decreased performance
  • Loss of muscular strength
  • Decline in endurance
  • Drop in exercise capacity
  • Decreased co-ordination
Troubling physical & Mental sensations
  • Increased muscle fatigue
  • Muscle soreness at lower levels of exercise, and persisting after exercise
  • Raised heart rate (pulse) at rest and during exercise
  • Loss of interest and drive to exercise
  • Feelings of staleness & lethargy
General health disturbances
  • Loss of appetite & body weight loss
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Increased minor illnesses (e.g. sore throat, coughs, colds, allergic reactions)
Will be visiting the Doctor tomorrow! Hope that it is just a minor strains.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Let's Begin Marathon Training!

Around 17 weeks to the Singapore marathon. I still remember that there were a series of marathon training articles published in the Straits Time paper on every Sunday, 15 weeks before the Singapore Marathon 2007. I managed to get hold some of the articles and decided to share among my readers. Hopefully, the Straits Times will publish such articles again with the countdown to the Singapore Marathon 2008!


15 weeks before Marathon


Click the image for viewing the article.

‘If you want to win something, run 100 metres. If you want to experience something, run a marathon.’ - EMIL ZATOPEK.
The late Czech runner was the 1952 Helsinki Olympics triple-gold medallist in the 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon

Sunday, August 10, 2008

The Straits Times 090808 Get Hard-core

Missed the PI run series 2 this morning as i am nursing my knee injury. Had not been running for the past few days due to swelling in my knee. Nevertheless, the morning weather was almost perfect for a run as the skies were covered by clouds and the air was cooling.

Read the Saturday (090808) Straits Times which "talks" about building up Core muscles for running. Here are the abstracts from the articles "GET HARD-CORE" by Jeanette Wang :

WHEN it comes to running fast, it is what is inside that counts - literally.

While most runners will clock up miles conscientiously to improve their times, they tend to forget the importance of building a strong core.

Yet that is essential because it improves one's running economy and also reduces injury, says former Singapore Athletic Association senior consultant coach Guy Ogden.

In fact, it is a must before embarking on a training programme - not just for running but for any sport, notes the former European Masters 10 km road champion.

Think of it as building a house on a good foundation.

Core muscles are generally buried under other muscles, including those in your abdomen, back and hips.

A runner with weak core strength is physically unstable and runs inefficiently, such as having his upper body moving sideways, says Ogden, also an osteopath.

What's more, he is at greater risk of injury, because the body tries to compensate for these inefficiencies.

Ideally, rather than trying to stabilize these unnecessary movements, all the force a runner produces should go to-wards propelling him forward.

A strong core does the trick.

"Running inefficiently increases the demands on a runner's cardio system. Having a strong core gives you better running economy, so you use less oxygen to run at a given speed," says Ogden, who coached the Vietnam national athletics team in 2001 and 2003.

The best thing about this? You can reap the benefits of core conditioning just by spending 10 minutes on a few exercises before training.

These were developed by Kelvin Giles, who coached track and field athletes in Britain and Australia to the Olympics in the 1970s and 1980s.

Ogden's training group, Athlon Running - who include top Singapore marathoner Vivian Tang and ultra-marathon winner Fabian William - swear by the exercises before their warm-up jogs.
Here, Ogden demonstrates three static exercises : the bridge, the sit-up and the single-leg squat that activate the essential muscle groups needed for running.

By the way, Ogden, 64, who has a personal best of 2h 24min for the marathon, still competes and can knock out 19-minute 5km races with ease.
He is hard-core.Are you?

Single-leg static squat




THERE are two positions for this pose.In the high position, the thigh and calf of your grounded leg should form a nO-degree angle. In the tougher medium position, the angle should be 90 degrees.Your head should be up, chest up, back straight and butt out.Viewed from the front, your ankle, knee and hip should be aligned.Your free leg should be ahead of the body.
Hold each position, once on each leg, for 10 seconds at a time. The goal is to hold the position without any ankle, knee, hip or trunk distortion.Ensure that you give yourself plenty of recovery between, each position attempt.
The Bridge


Supine Bridge

Front Bridge

Side Bridge

THE bridge is the basic building block of core'strength and stability work, says Ogden, It develops horizontal stability a prerequisite before 'one moves on to vertical stability.
Start off holding each pose for 30 sec-onds and build up to two minutes - a target that should take about three to four weeks to reach.

For all poses, your head should be in a neutral position, lower abdomen "drawn in", gluteus activated and shoulder blades retracted ("down and back").

Ensure that your body always forms a straight line. Your hips should not be too high or low and your back should not be rounded.

Begin in the front bridge position, with only forearms and toes touching the ground.
Next is the side bridge. Turn on your left side and support your body only with your left fore-arm and left foot.

Your support arm should be at 90 degrees to the body and your free arm by your side. Repeat on the other side.

The final pose is the supine bridge, where your body is facing up, with only your arms and feet on the ground.

Once you reach the target of two minutes for each exercise, you should take each pose to the next difficulty level, starting again at 30 seconds and building up to the target. Do the poses with straightened arms for a, tougher exercise. Then, lift one leg in the air for added difficulty. Finally, do the poses with your toes resting on an exercise ball instead of the ground for the ultimate challenge.

60-degree static sit-up



SIT with your knees bent and lean back, so that your back makes a 60-degree an¬gle with the ground.Your lower abdomen should be drawn in, shoulder blades drawn down, and arms kept across the chest.Ensure that your back is kept straight, not roun'ded, and your hips are up, rather than slumped.Hold the position for 30 seconds at first, then build up to two minutes.


"Running inefficiently increases the demands on a runner's cardio system. Having a strong core gives you better running economy, so you use less
oxygen to run..."

GUY OGDEN, former European Masters lOkm road champion and former Singapore Athletic Association senior consultant coach

Will be trying out all these exercises before my runs!



Saturday, August 9, 2008

New Balance Real Run 08

Running on the sand is always not a pleasant feeling to run on. You can feel the numerous of sands moving in your running shoes and the level of toughness is increase tremendously. But you will enjoy the feeling of conquering the toughness once you have complete the race.

Welcome to REAL RUN 08 where one will enjoy running on the trail, sand, taxiway and road. This year real run will once again held in the
Changi Exhibition Centre, which held the Singapore Air show, as the event was held in Sentosa for the Year 2006. There will be 2 different distances for the runners to choose which are 10 km and 15 km. I was puzzled that the 10 km race starting time is earlier than the 15 km race. Normally, the longer distance will start before the shorter distance. Maybe the organizers want the runners to enjoy the morning sunshine and heat (The Changi Exhibition Centre is located in the Eastern area of Singapore, which will be the sun rise direction). The only complains i had for the previous year Real run will be the heat and sunshine. It was very hot at the last few km.

Real Run 08

Date : 19 October 2008, Sunday

Venue : Changi Exhibition Centre, Aviation Park Road

Flag-off : 7.30am (10km) & 7.45am (15km)

10km – 4km Trail + 0.6km Sand + 5.4km Taxiway / Road
15km – 4km Trail + 0.6km Sand + 10.4km Taxiway / Road


Running Routes

Registration

S$30.00 per person (Every runner will receive an exclusive New Balance Lightning Dry T-shirt, a goodie bag and a chance to win attractive prizes in the lucky draw).

Entitles the participant to an exclusive New Balance Lightning Dry T-Shirt, a goodie bag and a chance to win attractive prizes in the Lucky Draw
.

Training Run

A Training Run will be held prior to the Race Day, to familiarise participants with the route and to advise you on preparations for the run, including running shoe trial provided by New Balance Singapore.

Lead runners will guide participants along the entire 10km and 15km route. Beginners are encouraged to test out the NEW cross terrain route. A short safety briefing will be conducted by the organising committee before the commencement of the training run at 7.30am sharp.

Date : Sunday, 05 October 2008
Time : 0730
Venue : Changi Exhibition Centre

• The Training Run is free for participants.

Prelude

All participants are required to collect their Race Packs, which include a Race Bib and Race Chip at the New Balance REAL Run Prelude 2008.

Date : Friday to Sunday, 10 to 12 October 2008
Time : 10am - 8pm
Venue : Velocity @ Novena Square

All participants are required to bring along their confirmation e-mail / official receipt to collect their New Balance REAL Run 2008 Race Pack.

Race Chip Tag

For participants who do not require the Race Chip*, please exchange it for a Chip Tag at the New Balance REAL Run Prelude 2008.

* The Race Chip is used for recording individual timing. Individual timing will not be available upon the return of Race Chip. Goodie Bag with Race T-shirt will only be issued upon return of the Race Chip OR Chip Tag on race day.

What’s available at Prelude?
  • Race Pack Collection Booth
  • Island-wide Bus Ticket Booth. Click here for bus information.
  • Sponsors' Booth
  • Race Information Booth
  • Race Chip Tag Exchange Booth
Run to Here for more details.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

The 2008 Olympic Games had official started on 080808, a very auspicious numbers. Actually the Olympic games kicked start 2 days ago with the women soccer games. Will be looking forward to the marathon competitions which will be held on the 17 and 24 August 08 for the women and men respectively. Going to miss watching both competitions LIVE as i will be running in the RunNUS and AHM 08 on both the marathon dates. Both the Athens 2004 olympic games gold medalists will be defending their title against a very strong fields. I will expect both the marathon "king" and "queen" be dethroned by new gold medalist.

Here are the previous Olympic games medalists:

Men

1 Stefano Baldini, Italy 2:10:55
2 Mebrahtom Keflezighi, US 2:11:29
3 Vanderlei de Lima, Brazil 2:12:11

Women

1 Mizuki Noguchi, Japan 2:26:20
2 Catherine Ndereba, Kenya 2:26:32
3 Deena Kastor, United States 2:27:20

All the medalists from the women catergory will be racing against each others while only the men's gold medalist (Stefano Baldini) will be racing.

Here are my forecasted results :

Men

1 Martin Lel, Kenya
2 Samuel Wanjiru, Kenya
3 Ryan Hall, US

Women

1 Gete Wami, Ethiopia
2 Chen Rong, China
3 Paula Radcliffe, GBR

The Kenya Team will have the strongest fields in the Men competition as it includes Martin Lel (The World Marathon Majors winner) , Samuel Wanjiru (Half-marathon World record holder) and Robert Cheruiyot (Three-time Boston Marathon winner 2006 to 2008). My favourite runners are Jeremy Wariner, too bad he's a 400m competitor not a marathoner, and Ryan Hall. Can't wait for the days to come ..........


Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Swing KPE run

Fancy running along an underground tunnel expressway? On 14 Sep 08 will be once in a lifetime opportunity. KPE (Kallang-Paya Lebar) Expressway will be closed to all motorist and open to all runners. But i wonder what are the feelings like running in a tunnel. Most likely to be hot and humid, not forgetting the sweaty smell or body odour from our body.

Date : 14 Sep 08 (Sunday)
Time : 0700 to 1300
Venue : KPE expressway

Swing KPE running routes

The full length of the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) will be opened to motorist on 20 Sep 08. To celebrate the completion of the longest underground vehicular tunnel in South East Asia, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is organising the Swing KPE, to provide an opportunity for the public to enjoy exciting activities at the KPE tunnel. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to run in the KPE tunnel before it opens to traffic.

The event will be held on 14 Sept 2008 (Sunday) morning. There will be a 10-km competitive run and a 5-km non-competitive run. The programme is as follows:

10km Run

This is a competitive run held entirely in the KPE tunnel for the first time in Singapore . There are 4 categories for this event.

10km Men's & Women's Open Category
10km Men's & Women's Veteran Category

Attractive cash prizes will be given to the top ten winners.

5km Walk & Run

Join us for the fun walk and run event with your family and friends. You will enjoy walking through different stations with special KPE messages and effects.
Guinness World Records – Largest Lantern Parade

Be a part of this record breaking feat!!

It’s really simple.

All you have to do is hold a lighted lantern while doing your run or walk for 1.6km of the route while running in the tunnel. For the fun experience, part of the tunnel lights would be dimmed as you switch on your lantern lights for a unique ambience for your run.
Come join us and break the Guinness World Records and be a part of the largest lantern parade in the world!

Carnival Ground

Games stalls, inflatables, stage performances and buskers! What more can you ask for? Support your family and friends in the longest underground tunnel in South East Asia!!

Goodie bag


Runner's entitlement
And more goodies
• Certificate of Participation
• KPE sticker
• KPE Towel
• Other sponsored items

Run to here for the website!

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Recovery from exercising

Has been feeling very tired after work and the tiredness had prevented me from running efficiently. Something has to be done or else this fatigue feeling will jeopardize my AHM race, which i am gunning a timing of under 1hr 55 mins. I recalled that one of the seminars that i attended, talked about the art & science of Recovery.

Here are the abstracts of the seminar :

The Art & Science of Recovery

What is RECOVERY?

• Exercise at all levels of intensity acts to do one thing to the body: it depletes it. The depletion includes your energy stores (muscle glycogen, blood glucose and fat products in your blood), hormones, and muscle structures. In other words, you use up the body's valuable exercise resources.

• In order to return to training and to continue conditioning your body to meet your exercise goals, it is important to create time and take active steps to bring about a re-building of the depleted body resources. This is what recovery is all about. This is especially important if you are intending to exercise intensively or for long durations soon after an exhausting bout. This could be a multi-stage bike race, or triathlon competitions that are only 2-4 weeks apart (e.g. the Port Dickson tri less than 3 weeks after the OSIM event).

Why bother with it ?

• In the very simplest terms, to keep you physically exercising at the level that you want to. Even more importantly, to allow the body's systems to re-charge sufficiently that your mental edge remains honed to that fine sharpness you desire. A blunted edge comes about from insufficient- recovery and can come back to haunt you in these ways: staleness, loss of interest, reduced physical ability, decreased exercise tolerance. Yes indeed, the first steps towards over-training.

• A good approach to recovery will ensure that the quality of your training and competition is high. This will contribute to you feeling satisfied with your efforts and achievements, and bring about continued confidence in your chosen endurance sport. Good recovery also enables you to exert greater overall sense of control of your exercise destiny.

When should I think about this ?

• You should consider recovery at both macro- and micro-levels. An example of a macro level would be a period of training preparation time (e.g. a week or month), or the period between competitions on your race calendar. A micro-level consideration would be after a single very or exhaustive workout.

• At the macro level, the depletion of resources has arisen as a systematic and progressive wearing away that parallels your rigorously planned training program. It is not the single mind-blowing training session that is involved here but rather the accumulated effect of all the sessions combined, and possibly inclusive of the race.

• The micro recovery level answers the body's aching need following that supremely challenging training session, back-to-back training sessions in some training camp, or the actual huge effort put into the competitive event

What are the steps i should take to recover properly?

• First of all, ensure that you take account of your macro and micro needs. Maintain an awareness of these using a training/race calendar that allows you to visually assess the cycles you are going through. Akin to the periodisation approach to training, this will help you to plan for recovery periods and make these a part of your training plan.

• Now consider the elements of the recovery: nutrition, structure regeneration, inflammation reduction, hormonal, and mental.

• Nutrition involves replacing the resources that you have used up in your prodigious attempts to go faster and stronger. This includes particular emphasis on replacing the following nutritional depletions: carbohydrates to re-build muscle glycogen, and minerals and electrolytes (from sweat loss). The best time to re-build glycogen stores is within the first 3 hours after exercise as this is when the rate of glycogen storage is highest. Such storage remains elevated in the next 21 hours but not at the same rate as what has been called the "critical re-energizing window."

• For some of athletes, there are barriers to be overcome to meet this immediate post-exercise nutrition need. This includes not feeling hungry or not having the correct nutrition available. Positive steps must be taken to overcome these. Have nutrition available. If you can't stomach eating (another intended pun), then drink your nutrition (energy drinks, carbohydrate mixes).

• If you are quite lean (meaning your body fat content is low), you should also ensure that your energy replacement includes a balanced diet that has FAT and protein in it. Your overall energy needs are higher than someone who has not discovered triathlons yet. So meet your higher energy needs and balance the sources of your energy: about 50-60 % from carbohydrates, 15 % from protein, and up to 30% from fat.

• 'Reducing your physical exercise is a good idea for 4-5 days after that punishing race. This does not mean just lying around doing nothing, although that may be the order of the first day or so after completing. You will want to spend time actively stretching those tired and tight muscles, and by the 4th or 5th day, a light spin on the bike or some easy laps will help to keep your mind happy while you rest the muscles, tendons, joints and bones of your body. This is what is called "relative rest" with components of "active recovery".

• The recovery period is a useful time to catch up with equipment maintenance matters. And in the tong run, these really do matter. Clean the saltwater out of your running shoes, wash your bike and lake it to the shop for tune-up if needed. Wash those hard-worn heart rate monitor straps.

• And finally, there is massage. Do i detect some glee out-there? The aim of massage to tired aching muscles is to relieve the tension that has built up in the muscles, as well as to assist in the removal of chemical substances that build up during exercise or as a result of cell activity during exercise. So just as top cycling teams bring their own masseuses to races (especially cycling tour competitions), you can help your body along with some judiciously administered massage.

Recovery is something you should invest your effort into as much as you do your training preparations. It is an integral part of restoring your body to a condition which allows you to enjoy regular and continuous challenging training and competition.

After going through all this informations, i felt sleepy z z z z z z ......

Monday, August 4, 2008

Interval Training

Recently, i started to include interval trainings into my running routines. All my interval training had been conducted on the tracks and this training is to improve my anaerobic capacity.

So What is Interval Training? Here are some of the informations i gotta from one of my many running books.

Interval Training

History

The 1st scientific approach to interval training was developed during the 1930s by German cardiologist Dr Hans Reindell. He used it to strengthen the hearts of some of his patients. Subsequently, he teamed up with Woldemar Gerschler, a coach and exercise physiologist, to research this training method. The key to improved fitness was controlling the rest intervals, thus they named this training "interval training". Over the years, coaches have come to call this actual speed runs "intervals".

Benefits

Intervals at race pace and faster can improve several key factors to racing success, including aerobic capacity, anaerobic tolerance, lactate threshold, running economy, muscular strength and power, and the efficiency of fast twitch fibers. It also train runners to concentrate and constantly monitor runners' body.

Method

Warm up -> Speed -> Recovery (E.g. Heart rate decreases to 120 BPM) -> Speed -> Cool down

As for the Speed, runners can try to run an intervals of 400m, 800m, 1000m or 1200m at 5km pace. For recovery, jog at a pace that is approximately 2 to 2.5 minutes per miles slower than 10 km pace.

6 steps to intervals training

Determine
  1. Your fitness category
  2. Goal of the workout
  3. Interval distance
  4. Interval pace
  5. Quantity of intervals
  6. Recovery of the intervals.
Currently, i am running intervals of 800 meters at a pace that is slightly faster than my 5 km pace. Will be increasing to 1 km intervals during next week running.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Book Review : Trail Running : From Novice to Master

Just finished reading this book borrowed from the library-NLB. This book contains a total of 173 pages and provides detailed informations on trail running. I would like to recommend this book for those participating in the North Face 100 race. Here are some of the highlights from the book:

Front cover

Chapter 1 : Introduction

Chapter 2 : How to discover new places to run

Chapter 3 : Basic training principles that can help you become a better trail runner and some on the trail drills. Specific techniques for tackling downhills and uphills.

Chapter 4 : Important of recovery, how to cool down and stretch properly. Learn how sleep patterns, massage, icing, and nutrition work to keep you healthy and fit.

Chapter 5 : Basic navigating and map-reading skills. Learn how to stay safe on the trails.

Chapter 6 : Common injures and first aid.

Chapter 7 : Explore the world of ultra running and adventure racing.

Back cover

Was overdue for 2 days, have to return this book soon.....

Friday, August 1, 2008

More updates on PI run 2nd series

Received an email about information on PI run 2nd series:

PEARL IZUMI PURE RUN SERIES 2008 - 2ND series

Venue: Kallang Riverside Park
(Near SRI MANMATHA KANUNESHANAR INDIAN TEMPLE, towards Lavender MRT Station)

Date: 10th August 2008, Sunday

Reporting Time: 6.00am

Race Flag-off Times:

0700 hrs WOMEN OPEN 20km
0710 hrs MEN OPEN 20km

* Important note: Runners must collect 2 bands, LIME GREEN (at 10km) and Red (at 15km). As it is the same checkpoint serving 10km & 15km, runners are responsible for ensuring they obtain 2 different coloured bands.

Getting to Race Venue:

a) Buses: Refer to the map behind for details
b) MRT: Kallang MRT or Lavender MRT
c) Taxi
d) Car: Free parking Kallang Riverside Park


PRIZE PRESENTATION

WOMEN OPEN – Top 3 winners 10.30am
MEN OPEN – Top 3 winners 10.40am
*All winners are expected to report 15 minutes earlier at the stage. Prize winners are requested to assemble at the waiting area next to the stage.
**Time subjected to change.

OTHER INFORMATION

a) Race Bib - RFID Tag
- Runners are required to collect their race bibs* (with RFID tag) from Key Power Int'l from 30/07 to 02/08. (Mon –Fri 10am – 6pm & Sat 11am -5pm) closed on PH/Sun
- Runners are allowed to keep their bibs after the race.
- Runners will NOT be allowed to participate in the races without their bibs.
- Separate bibs will be issued for the 3rd series.

b) Pre-race information:
- All participants are advised against the consumption of alcohol within 24 hours of their race.
- If you were to fall ill 7 days prior to the event, please seek an advice or clearance from your personal doctor before starting the race.
- Please ensure that you are well-rested and well-hydrated on day of race.
- You are advised to dress lightly for the race.
- There will be bag deposit services at the race venue, but the organizer will not hold any responsible for any items lost.
- To reduce pre-race anxiety, please familiarize yourself with the site plan and the running route. You may refer to race route map attached at last page.
- Please proceed to the run start area 15minutes before the scheduled start of your wave.
- A grace period of 10minutes after the commencement of the race will be given for latecomers. Anyone who reports later than this grace period will not be allowed to participate in the race. Latecomers should be aware that their timings would have commenced when the race begins.

c) During the Race:
- All participants must wear his/her race bib clearly on the front of their running tee at all times during the race. Any participant without a race bib will not be allowed to take part in the race. Running with bare torso is not allowed.
- Water points are located at the 5/18km and 10/15km mark.
- Medical points are located near the finishing area. The Organizers reserve the right to remove any participant deemed physically incapable of continuing the race.
- No pets, push prams, skate boards, skate scooters, inline skates etc are allowed on the race course.
- Support vehicles or pacers are not allowed.
- Runners must run on the designated path for the entire route. Failure to do so may result disqualification.
- Runners who are unable to complete the race before the road reopens are to run to pavement after which all runs taken on the road will be strictly prohibited.
- All participants are required to keep the park clean at all times.
- Please note that wet weather arrangement:
In the event of heavy rain, lightning and other inclement weather, the event will be delayed. Participants or non-participants alike may seek shelter at the Meeting area.
Once the weather has cleared and participants may return to the event area.
Should the inclement weather last beyond 8.30am the organizers reserve the right to delay or cancel the event at its discretion.
The event will not be postponed to a later date.
Organizers reserve the rights to alter or cancel the event in view of inclement weather.

d) After the Race:
- All participants must collect all their belonging before the event end.

The Organizers reserve the right to amend the rules and regulations without prior notification.

Happy Racing!

Race Venue

Will have to collect 3 Race bibs for the next 3 Races within the next 3
consecutive weekends. Phew!

This weekend - PI run series 2
Next weekend - Run NUS

10 - 12 August 2008 - 3pm to 9pm
NUS Sports and Recreation Centre

The following weekend - AHM 08


SAFRA Toa Payoh
15 August 2008 - 12.00pm to 8.00pm
16 & 17 August 2008 - 10.00am to 6.00pm

Full of races for this month!