Happy Day Race Report...

Can I just say again (with a mix of disbelief and amazement!) - What a long way I've come...
2 years ago, I refused to get out of bed and gave my race bib to someone else for a 10km race.
In November of 2009, I ran my first 10km race and just 3 months ago in October, I ran my 10km PB.
This morning, I joined the Clearwater Bay Chase 10km (photo above taken by a random spectator at around the 9km mark), which is my 'neighbourhood' race taking place along some gorgeous coastal scenery, but with some killer up and downhill stretches. I wasn't aiming for a particular time but thought it would be a lovely variation during a 'easy' week and I would then tag on another 5km or so to round out my week's mileage. I ended up finishing a pretty tough course in 53:37 (setting yet another PB by 20 seconds, which I did not realise until I stopped my Garmin! What a lovely surprise...) and then ran that extra 5km home, along the same hilly route!

Limits and possibility are relative, and are set by the horizons of your mind and heart. I am so glad to have learnt this precious lesson... blessed that this has been shown to me. Today, I also ran without expectation, I simply wanted to do a good solid run and enjoy myself... that may well be the best way to race, don't you agree?

A Singular Resounding YES!

This line came to me as I was running yesterday... and I have been using it endlessly, shamelessly. This is what I will wave madly in welcome of 2011 - a singular resounding YES!

YES to Running challenges aplenty... scary commitments made, I'm all signed up, so I just need to make it happen!
- I signed up for the LA Marathon in March, hoping to tag on my first full marathon and international running event onto the end of a business trip! I also have a backup/potential additional plan in the Sundown Marathon in Singapore in May. I want to ensure that I will manage at least one Full Marathon before mid year!
- I aim to also improve on my Half Marathon and 10km race times over the course of the year.

YES to staying healthy all round...
- With a short training cycle running up to LA, I need to balance up my focus on the finish with the need to make sure I stay well and injury-free... to keep my head about me as I push myself to train hard, but make the tough calls if and when I need to hold back. This is a wise lesson - I envy those who can keep going and never seem to hit their limits... I am still unfolding the layers of yoga wisdom - ambition with acceptance, effort with surrender...
- I will keep up with cross training at least 1-2 times per week, as well as stay diligent with stretching and foam rolling... I'll get my core/strength sessions in 2-3 times per week as well.
- Healthy eating and enough sleep is also priority. Luckily, the diet piece is usually manageable for me, although my sleep quality leaves some to be desired.

YES to keeping things simple... I have numerous other things floating about as I think about 2011... but then I realise that I can only do a few things to do them well. So this year, mindfulness and simplicity will be my only other (non-running) key theme...
- 10 minutes quiet time daily
- TV time will be kept to 5 hours or less per week
- 'Consume less'... simplicity in life for me means 'needing/wanting' less because I already have plenty. This means shopping less, wasting less, using less, but with mindfulness of abundance.

In some ways, I have become someone I never specifically aspired to be but I am glad I am slowly becoming - I stop myself in surprise every so often with the feelings of gratefulness and content and optimism that fill me. I honestly couldn't and wouldn't ask for a single little bit more... a truly blessed and happy space to be in. At this end of 2010, I give thanks.

1:58:33...

36 hours since my very first half marathon... and I am still feeling the after-glow of pride and pleasure. I had said before that I would be proud no matter what the outcome, but beating my stretch goal certainly makes it all the more satisfying. Not that I ever doubted it... but now I can savour the outcome of what it is like to invest daily and slowly towards a goal that I couldn't see before. And I was lucky because I was relaxed and positive for most of the week, and managed to stay quite cheery even at the start line as you can see! Way to go - a vast improvement from my 10k race just a couple of months back!


It was an early (and not very bright) start... was up at 4am and out the door by 4.45. Arrived at Hong Kong Disneyland by 5.30am, which left me with just the right amount of time to get ready. It was a very nice 19-20 degrees celsius - I reckon anything between 15-20 degrees is optimum, easy to get warmed up and acceptable when standing in line without a sweater on, but not too sweaty/toasty by the end of the run.

My plan was conservative - go out nice and easy at a pace of between 6 and 6:30 (min/km) for at least the first 5km and then just play it by ear (hopefully at least holding pace or speeding up depending on how I felt). I don't recall much of the first few km until we hit the waterfront next to the Airport Express trains - this was around the 5-6km mark when I was starting to wonder about where the first water stop was! I stopped at the water stations around 6km, 9km and 15km (the first and last roughly coinciding with my slowest splits), skipping the one in between because I was feeling slightly lightheaded and nauseous around those few kilometers. Fortunately, that came and went for about 5 km before going away for good, after which I was able to step it up - my last 6 splits were comfortably under 5:50 (which, adjusted for the inaccuracy of my footpod, would have been under 5:35).

Here's me powering down the final few hundred meters. Looking nice and strong huh? You miss the painful scrunched up face from this view! :) All things considered, I was feeling good enough to give it a real push!


Very pleased after the finish...
Note on kit - Running Room vest, Lululemon tights (note to self - there was a threat of inner thighs chafing just below where the shorts ended, may need longer tights in longer races), smartwool socks, Mizuno LSD shoes, Nike running pack (for my ipod Shuffle and my Clif bloks).

Time on my watch... (notice the distance, which was about 5% off). Just finishing would have been a PB, so this was a PB with a big smile! This can really get addictive! :)

I haven't been feeling too tired since the race although my quads and knees have moaned a little going up and down stairs. Other than that, I feel like I could be back to my regular schedule in a couple of days... not the best idea, I'm sure. Today and tomorrow are complete rest days, before a light gym session and 3-4kms on Weds. I'm going to start working in earnest on my marathon training plan - I have a few weeks to play around with before it all starts for real again! :) 26 weeks counting down now... the next couple of weeks will be 'training on paper' - finding the best amalgamation of plans that will become MY plan... I'll mainly work off the Runner's World and Furman plans, while picking up tips from Greg McMillan, Hal Higdon and Running Planet etc.

Next up -
Clearwater Bay Chase 10km in Jan 2011
Sundown Marathon in May 2011

Whee!!!!

The streak continues...

Howsabout that huh? :)

Keeping up with the streak of records, this week I NAILED all of the following:

Toughest speedwork session - 14.5 km with 5 mile repeats (8:50- 9 minutes each)
Longest Long Run - 2"03! or approximately 16.5-17km
Highest weekly mileage - 45km

2 more 40+km weeks and then taper, leading up to the Unicef Run for Charity Half Marathon being held at the Hong Kong Disneyland at the end of November. Trying to rest lots, foam roll and stretch, do my core/strength work at least twice a week (would be ideal if I could get it up to three times!), eat really well…

The weather has been on my side too! It’s in the low 20’s in Celsius, with humidity in the 30’s-40’s… the sun was shining all weekend with a good but not too stiff breeze. Somewhat hazy but that’s just Hong Kong. I have a slightly irritated throat now and I think it’s related to running outdoors with the pollution, but again, that’s Hong Kong. I only hope this doesn’t do any long term damage to me…

Feeling good. Trusting time and the effort that’s being put in. Believing that I will do as well as I can. Happy about that.

Personal Bests...

In life and in running, you would like to think that we will touch PBs every now and again. After all, motivation is about making progress... and progress is about stretching to reach those goals, whatever they may be in our lives today.

So I have a couple to share:
1) Long run PB
Yesterday I ran for 1 hour and 52 minutes. I didn't cover too much distance (probably around 14km) but as 'time on feet' goes, I did well. I eventually need to get myself up to 2hrs 15 mins in the next few weeks before tapering down in November. So lucky girl, I will be PB'ing quite a bit in the next few weeks! :)

2) 10km race PB
New Balance Tai Mei Tuk 10k on 10th Oct 2010
I made it in 53:51 (official chip time)/53:57 (personal Garmin time)! 9 minutes faster than my 10k race time in November last year.
How's that for progress - 2008 10k race (slept in and didn't even bother turning up), 2009 10k race (1:03) and 2010 10k race (under 54 mins)!!! What about 2011?!!

I was so nervous and I wanted so much to do well. I did everything 'right' - had pasta for dinner, slept reasonably well, packed and prepared the day before etc. But my nerves made me a bit of a grump on race morning and I found it hard to enjoy myself. It turned out a very 'serious' race... my breathing was harsh, I was pushing quite hard, I felt mildly sick at times... but I made it and surpassed my own expectations!
It's a journey of discovery - learning to toe the fine balance between being focused and goal-oriented, and being relaxed and accepting. While my nerves did not (as far as I can tell) adversely affect my performance, it did not help my enjoyment of my day or of the achievement. It is not wise to get sucked into the spiral of goals and expectations if it leads into performance anxiety and fear.
So Big Pat on the Back, Gen! Carry that confidence over the next few weeks as training ramps up for that final peak before taper. Six and a half weeks to go! I want to be happy on the morning of my first HM, I want to feel excited and open to the day's joys. In fact, I want to have, no, live that attitude more than I need to do a 2 or 2:10 HM.

I love running and racing so much because it's like life. Every PB is backed by hour upon hour of training, by daily decisions ( go for a run or just take a nap?), by the extra core/strength work, by giving up that night out or greasy meal. But every PB takes you a little further than you ever thought you could, teaches you of your potential and all the possibility that lies in store for you. It's about choices, daily dedication, patience, about having a long term plan and trusting the process to get you there even though you cannot quite see the end.

And this is the great equaliser - it's all the same, for you and for me and for every person in this world. No matter how it looks or what the end goal might be, to be a better person (physically, emotionally, spiritually), the power is in your hands. But have faith, be patient and make your choice in every moment of every day. If you want to have an open relationship with a difficult parent, then don't change the subject when a touchy topic comes up but sit with your discomfort and answer with grace. If you want to stop smoking, just focus on saying no to the next cigarette and don't worry about what comes after that. If you want to run your own business, then figure out What and How and take the first step in front of you. If you want to run an ultra marathon, then get out and do your first 10 minute run right now. We live now and the choice is now, so make the right decision and the future will take care of itself. The 2 things that ever stopped people from getting to where they want to is (1) not moving, (2) choosing to go in a different direction!