A key element of any long distance training plan is the long run. Usually done on the weekend because it takes a long time and recovery is needed afterwards. And it gives you the pleasure of lots of eating afterwards and a well deserved afternoon nap!
Every Saturday for the last few months, I have woken up early, at the latest 05H00, and got myself ready for it. A cup of bullet proof coffee, a handful of nuts, load my running vest with water, energy shots, cellphone, some cash for emergencies, and I am ready to hit the road!
To fit in runs for 20 to 35 km's require some planning so you don't hit endless traffic lights or pedestrians that break your rhythm. That is why getting up early is crucial, you can avoid the morning rush and "bend the law" by crossing lights on the red. Also, it is cooler in temperature and have the virtuous feeling of running past late night revelers stumbling out of bars and clubs.
One of my frequent routes takes me down the shopping heaven/hell that is Orchard Road. I love running through the crazy early Christmas scenery marveling at all the reindeer, elves and, for some obscure reason, mushrooms!
My last few long runs have all involved some kind of drama. There was the planned 35k East Coast Park that ended up with me being crippled with diarrhea after eating a dodgy energy bar. I ended up with 30k in 3h running time but it involved numerous pit stops. An easy 30k hurt really badly after I killed myself the previous day on the bike. A 25k that was mostly done in a yuuuge thunderstorm and made the pavements very slippery, and I ended up falling hard!
My last big run this Saturday became a mental exercise rather than a physical one. I had developed a spasming muscle in the left calf from running to much in wet, slippery conditions in the last two weeks. (Barefooting is tricky on slippery hard surfaces as I am continuously tense waiting to arrest any fall, and my muscles don't relax and so get very stiff)
20 minutes into the run, my calf started spasming badly and 10 minutes later I was stopping to massage it but to no avail. I turned around in a furious mood as I had got up at 04H00 for this run, and proceeded to hobble back home. As I got close to home, a violent thunderstorm broke but I do love running in the rain even if it is slippery. I decided to do a 10k loop near my house so at least I would have a two hour run for my troubles and stop me from feeling grumpy the whole weekend. My calf muscle was loosening a bit and I could run slowly, and I would only be, at most, 5km from home, so could walk back if things got serious.
I also reminded myself that things like this could happen on race day and I would have to deal with it. And this was the last crucial run before I started tapering so I would have to time to deal with any injuries.
And then two hours turned into 3 hours when I decided to run Rifle Range Road which I had never run as a road run. And then 3 turned to 4. Ended the run with 37km under the belt. Not the speed I was hoping for but my average pulse rate was 130 bpm which is comfortable, and I got the big boost of confidence that I could do the marathon barefoot come what may. And that is the main reason to do long runs, the mental confidence that you can tackle the distance.
My legs were fine on Sunday but my calf was like a block of wood and very sore to the touch. After seeing the physio, I might have a small tear, but with some needles being poked into me, excruciatingly painful pressure point massages and rehab exercises, I should be OK for the day.
And I have done the training!! Now it's just rest and light exercise for the next two weeks and then race day!
Monday 21 November 2016
Sunday 13 November 2016
Sungei Boloh- Looking for Crocodiles!
Sungei Boloh is probably Singapore's wildest park with free swimming crocodiles, a more basic atmosphere and being right up North away from the bustling city. And Yes, there are definitely Crocs here, I have seen four in four previous trips!
But the main reason was to run a new place with some great running friends and it turned out to be one of the most relaxing runs this year with lots of laughter and chatting. Perfect after my (very) long run yesterday.
But the main reason was to run a new place with some great running friends and it turned out to be one of the most relaxing runs this year with lots of laughter and chatting. Perfect after my (very) long run yesterday.
The Serious IN Running Group
Hugo, the run leader, showing the route.
Organic domes shaped like fish baskets? - it has be Singapore!
Looking over the Straits of Johor towards Malaysia
 |
| Mangrove Swamps everywhere but no crocodiles |
 |
| Bite me! |
Only this poor little fella........
Thank you Trisha for the use of your photos! And to Hugo for organizing a fun run!
Tuesday 1 November 2016
How do you start Barefoot Running?
After last week's post on the Why would you choose to run barefoot? , Here is the How to Start?
Working on the premise that "knowledge is like an onion, there always another layer" this is going to a brief overview. Future posts will go in greater detail.
You might have read articles that discuss barefoot running which mostly mention that you should transition into it, by wearing minimalist style shoes, by starting on grass or the beach, by doing strengthening exercises etc.
These articles are always written by people who do not run barefoot at all. The hard truth is that there is nothing you can do to prepare yourself for running barefoot, except running barefoot. And by barefoot, I mean no foot covering of any sort.
An important concept is proprioception. For barefoot running, this means that the soles of your feet tell your body what is happening. They feel your position, movement and acceleration. Think about picking up an object with your hands. You do not have to consciously think about your hands movements, how the muscles in the arms tense and relax to move the object, how your torso stiffens and moves if the object is heavy and you need to counterbalance the weight. Your feet will do this all for you and they know how, if you let them just get on with the job. But to activate the feet and soles, you must start with bare soles.
A good idea is to spend as much time as possible barefoot around the house. Try picking up Lego pieces with your toes. Feel the different textures between tiles, wooden floors and carpets. If you have a garden spend time there barefoot. (A future blogpost will discuss dangers going barefoot but, trust me for now, it is so small that you can safely ignore any perceived dangers)
And now for the part where most people get it wrong- select a hard, flat surface like a pavement or a path through a park. If you choose to start on a soft surface like grass or beach sand, you will have bad technique. All you have done is changed a soft, cushion sole for a soft, cushion surface. Your feet will be unable to tell you if your stride is wrong so you will continue to make the same mistakes.
Standing barefoot on your chosen hard surface, start jogging gently in one spot. Naturally your body will be doing it with slightly bent knees and landing on the front of the foot. Now lean slightly forward from the ankles, not the hips, and move forwards. Keep that gentle jogging movement taking small, quick steps as if you are running on ice or hot coals. And there you go, you are now a barefoot runner!
That is all there is to it. But don't go to far! Lots of people love that effortless and free movement so they set off for a half hour or more, and then the next day their calves will be like blocks of wood. At most, only run 500m at the beginning. Do not run the next day if you are feeling sore. Remember that you have not properly used the muscles in your feet and calves before.
The muscles in your calves are using eccentic movements to control your body weight. Eccentric movement (or contraction) is when your muscles are lengthening at the same time that they are under stress. You might have come across this when doing squats in the gym or feelig very sore the next day when hiking downhill. This is a totally different movement from concentric contractions which is most gym work. But don't worry, the body quickly adapts if you give sufficient stimulation and rest.
What we have now done is make the feet, calves and knees the cushion for the body. The hard surface stops us from landing on our heels, which would be too painful, and helps give feedback via our soles to our body.
In the next blog post, I will discuss cadence (how fast your legs rotate), using the strongest muscles in your legs to run with, and correct body posture.
Congratulations on making it so far!
Working on the premise that "knowledge is like an onion, there always another layer" this is going to a brief overview. Future posts will go in greater detail.
You might have read articles that discuss barefoot running which mostly mention that you should transition into it, by wearing minimalist style shoes, by starting on grass or the beach, by doing strengthening exercises etc.
These articles are always written by people who do not run barefoot at all. The hard truth is that there is nothing you can do to prepare yourself for running barefoot, except running barefoot. And by barefoot, I mean no foot covering of any sort.
An important concept is proprioception. For barefoot running, this means that the soles of your feet tell your body what is happening. They feel your position, movement and acceleration. Think about picking up an object with your hands. You do not have to consciously think about your hands movements, how the muscles in the arms tense and relax to move the object, how your torso stiffens and moves if the object is heavy and you need to counterbalance the weight. Your feet will do this all for you and they know how, if you let them just get on with the job. But to activate the feet and soles, you must start with bare soles.
A good idea is to spend as much time as possible barefoot around the house. Try picking up Lego pieces with your toes. Feel the different textures between tiles, wooden floors and carpets. If you have a garden spend time there barefoot. (A future blogpost will discuss dangers going barefoot but, trust me for now, it is so small that you can safely ignore any perceived dangers)
And now for the part where most people get it wrong- select a hard, flat surface like a pavement or a path through a park. If you choose to start on a soft surface like grass or beach sand, you will have bad technique. All you have done is changed a soft, cushion sole for a soft, cushion surface. Your feet will be unable to tell you if your stride is wrong so you will continue to make the same mistakes.
Standing barefoot on your chosen hard surface, start jogging gently in one spot. Naturally your body will be doing it with slightly bent knees and landing on the front of the foot. Now lean slightly forward from the ankles, not the hips, and move forwards. Keep that gentle jogging movement taking small, quick steps as if you are running on ice or hot coals. And there you go, you are now a barefoot runner!
That is all there is to it. But don't go to far! Lots of people love that effortless and free movement so they set off for a half hour or more, and then the next day their calves will be like blocks of wood. At most, only run 500m at the beginning. Do not run the next day if you are feeling sore. Remember that you have not properly used the muscles in your feet and calves before.
The muscles in your calves are using eccentic movements to control your body weight. Eccentric movement (or contraction) is when your muscles are lengthening at the same time that they are under stress. You might have come across this when doing squats in the gym or feelig very sore the next day when hiking downhill. This is a totally different movement from concentric contractions which is most gym work. But don't worry, the body quickly adapts if you give sufficient stimulation and rest.
What we have now done is make the feet, calves and knees the cushion for the body. The hard surface stops us from landing on our heels, which would be too painful, and helps give feedback via our soles to our body.
In the next blog post, I will discuss cadence (how fast your legs rotate), using the strongest muscles in your legs to run with, and correct body posture.
Congratulations on making it so far!
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