Road to KL-Marathon 2010, 69 days to go

Date: 18th April 2010, Sunday.
Weather: Cannot be better, short drizzle for 10minutes, cloudy after that.

Route: 4 loops of Taman Desa 7.72km loop.

Start time: 6:20am, lack of sleep due to excitement.
Timing: 3hours 34minutes 53seconds.

Fuel:
Pre-run: 600ml water.
During-run: 700ml Gatorade, 500ml water, 1 power gel at km-15.
Post-run: 300ml Gatorade, 600ml Excel, 250ml water.

Pit-stops:
4-minute (at km-15) Gatorade and water re-fill/drink;
1-minute (at km-23) drink/water-refill/power gell;
1-minute (at km-26) drink/walk;

Side Stitch Ghost, erkkk!
It haunted me again, twice!  The Side Stitch Ghost haunted briefly at km-14 (just after the 1km climb), and at km-29 (just after the 1km climb, AGAIN!).  I have very little clues of how it came, how it went away.  What I know for sure is that, it always come after the 1km climb.  It would go away after I burp out some air, involuntarily.  Definitely, it has something to do with air 'trapped' in my digestion system.  I need a stronger belly, I believe.

What's on the plate:
(22/3 - 28/3) 13 weeks to go: 21k (Energizer Night Run 2010 done. Timing: 2hr 23min 15.63s);
(29/3 - 4/4) 12 weeks to go: 25k (26.46km done. Timing: 3hrs 12mins 6s);
(5/4 - 11/4) 11 weeks to go: 21k (23.16km done. Timing: 2hrs 46mins 4s);
(12/4 - 18/4) 10 weeks to go: 29k (30.88km done. Timing: 3hrs 34mins 53s);
(19/4 - 25/4) 9 weeks to go: 21k;
(26/4 - 2/5) 8 weeks to go: 32k;
(3/5 - 9/5) 7 weeks to go: 21k;
(10/5 - 16/5) 6 weeks to go: 35k;
(17/5 - 23/5) 5 weeks to go: 21k;
(24/5 - 30/5) 4 weeks to go: 37k;
(31/5 - 6/6) 3 weeks to go: 19k;
(7/6 - 13/6) 2 weeks to go: 23k;
(14/6 - 20/6) 1 week to go: 16k;
(21/6 - 27/6) Race day!!!

2 LSDs down, 3 more to go, in theory
Though I planned to do 5 LSDs in my training, but if everything turn out fine (finger crossed), I may add another one or two LSDs to the weekend run.  This is to compensate my miserably low weekday mileage... hopefully... hopefully... hopefully running mileage can be 'compensated' just like driving.

Together, we run for a better life
Please join me to run for a better life.  You may do so by:

1.  Signing up for the coming KL-Marathon 2010 to 'run for a cause'.  You don't have to run the Full Marathon.  You can choose to run in the 10km or 21km category.  Should you sign up, please let me know. I will be your second, if not the first, sponsor.  If this is your first time running, me too...!  We can train together.

2.  Contributing a small amount to National Cancer Society Malaysia by sponsoring me for the run.  I need RM20.00 more to reach the RM500.00 quota before 1st June 2010!  A big and humble 'THANK YOU' to those who have sponsored.

How to sponsor
There are 2 ways to sponsor me:

1.  If you would like to sponsor me but not feeling comfortable with on-line transaction, just drop me line in the comments of this blog, I will do the rest.  Please remember to let me know the name you would like to appear on my sponsor-list.

2.  If you are comfortable with on-line transaction, please visit my official profile page at http://www.kl-marathon.com/profile/5255.  Please click on the "DONATE NOW" button on the page, and carry on from there.

Road to KL-Marathon 2010, 71 days to go

Date: 16th April 2010, Friday.
Weather: Slight cooling and humid.

Route: 1 loop of Taman Desa 9.37km route.

Start time: 4:57am (yawn... yawn... yawn...)

Timing: 55minutes 3seconds.

Was trying new approach in running this route, i.e. pushed right from the beginning instead of at a constant moderated pace.  It was proven that the timing is better but very tired at the final 1km climb.

Side Stitch Ghost
Glad that the famous ghost has been absence since the 'count down to SCKLM2010 started'... finger crossed and touch wood!  Have been reading at multiple sources on Side Stitch Ghost.  Been experimenting here and there, but still, there is no conclusion of its sudden appearence and disappearence.  Have no clue of how it comes and how to get rid of it.  More studies and experiements needed.

New toy... The Dual Python
Got the Dual Python... aka Double-Pouch SPIBelt from Choi.  First expression, extremely light and soft.  Like it!  It was really like what Jamie introduced in his blog... a python-crossed.

The belt is pathetically skinny, merely 1-inch wide, before it is filled with prey.

Watch how it expands after swallowing small-belonging much bigger than itself in circumfrance... tha da...

Precisely, a python crossed.  But this one is better, it has two bellies... meaning, two-pouch.

Road to KL-Marathon 2010, 73 days to go

Date: 14th April 2010, Wednesday.
Weather: Hot and humid.
 
Route: 1 loop of Taman Desa 9.37km route.

 
Start time: 4:54am (yawn... yawn... yawn... yawn... yawn...)
Timing: 55minutes 20seconds.

 
I tried to run the 9.37km route in 55minutes, for the first time.  Instead of trying to run at a constant pace throughout, I was trying to run faster at the beginning of the route where the terrain is mostly down-hill and when the legs were fresh.
Pushed for the first hill climb... continued to push for the second hill climb... but started to feel tired and breathless.  Was huffing and puffing after the second hill climb.  Started to took constant but slower pace until water-park u-turn.
At water-park u-turn, km-5, timing was 29minutes.  Still breathless.
Took easier pace for 1 km to reclaim some 'air' before the tough final 1km climb again.
At the final 1km climb, pushed as much as possible... until the workers fixing the under-ground utility installation stared curiously at me when passing them by.  Yes, a few groups of workers were fixing under-ground utility installation, plus an insane running like retard, at the 'wee' hour.
 
For  the record book, this is the first time the 9.37km route was completed in 55minutes, and the first time the route was conquered before 6am... sheer satisfaction!
 
Tougher challenge ahead... the first 30km-er this weekend, finger-crossed.

Road to KL-Marathon 2010, 76 days to go

Date: 11th April 2010, Sunday.
Weather: Hot and humid.

Start time: 6:17am (yawn... yawn...)
Timing: 2hours 46minutes 4seconds.

3 loops of Taman Desa 7.72km route:

Distance covered: 23.16km.

The 7.72km route is relatively flat as compared to the the 9.37km route.  However, like the 9.37km route, there is a 'scary' 1km climb from km-5 to km-6.  I almost always huff and puff after the 1-km hill climb despite the slow pace.  Worse still, the climb is at the end of run.  As I have been running very little (1 run in weekday, to be precise) during the usual working weekday, I tried not to walk up the climb as a form of hill training to compensate for the very low weekday mileage.
For today's run, the final climb of the slope during km-20 was extremely tough.

Fuel:
Pre-run: 600ml water.
During-run: 800ml water, 1 power gel at km-12.
Post-run: 600ml Excel.

For motor vehicle, if we need to travel for 42km, we can pump the amount of fuel we need to cover the whole distance BEFORE the journey.  We don't really need to stop every 10km to pump fuel for the next 10km journey... i.e. "Input_energy = Output_energy + waste".
I am wondering if the same equation is also applicable to human body.  In theory, I can eat all the gels that I anticipated to be needed even BEFORE any run.  I don't really need to bring power gel for run.
For example, if one anticipated he/she need 3 gels for the entire run, he/she can consume all the 3 gels before the run.  The energy provided by the gels, in theory, should remain within the body ready to be burnt.

Don't agree?  So why do runners bother to "carbo load" few days before the Marathon day?

Will experiment this in my next LSD run.  If this is true, I don't need to bring gels in my LSD run, or even during the Marathon.  Hope I am correct.  However, if my experiment proved otherwise, the "carbo load" theory shall be void too.

Another thought... shall we teach our body to run in starvation so that we can perform better during the actual race?  Meaning that, if all the LSD runs are done without gels, our magical body should be able to accustom/adapt to such torture.  On the actual race day, we should be able to perform better with all the pampering with gels and bananas.  If so, then the guru's theory that we should 'learn' to take gels during training run is also void.  Should I torture myself for the training run so that I can 'enjoy' the actual race?  Mmm...

Pit-stops:
2-minute toilet and water-refill;
2-minute drink/water-refill/walk;
1-minute drink/power gel/walk;
2-minute drink/walk.

Side Stitch Ghost:
Absence (thank goodness).

What's next:
(22/3 - 28/3) 13 weeks to go: 21k (Energizer Night Run 2010 done. Timing: 2hr 23min 15.63s);
(29/3 - 4/4) 12 weeks to go: 25k (26.46km done. Timing: 3hrs 12mins 6s);
(5/4 - 11/4) 11 weeks to go: 21k (23.16km done. Timing: 2hrs 46mins 4s);
(12/4 - 18/4) 10 weeks to go: 29k;
(19/4 - 25/4) 9 weeks to go: 21k;
(26/4 - 2/5) 8 weeks to go: 32k;
(3/5 - 9/5) 7 weeks to go: 21k;
(10/5 - 16/5) 6 weeks to go: 35k;
(17/5 - 23/5) 5 weeks to go: 21k;
(24/5 - 30/5) 4 weeks to go: 37k;
(31/5 - 6/6) 3 weeks to go: 19k;
(7/6 - 13/6) 2 weeks to go: 23k;
(14/6 - 20/6) 1 week to go: 16k;
(21/6 - 27/6) Race day!!!

Road to KL-Marathon 2010, 79 days to go

8th April 2010, Thursday, practice.

Start time: 5:05am (yawn... yawn...)

Route: Taman Desa 9.37km.

Timing: 57min 39s.

I was aiming for timing better than 56minutes, was pushing a little bit harder at the beginning.  However, started to feel tired and out-of-breath at km-5.  The remaining 4 kms was struggling, especially during the final climb. Am still not fit enough to push for hill climb.

The Side Stitch Ghost

For the previous few runs of the same route and at the same pace, Side Stitch Ghost had been constantly haunting me during the final 1 km run.  The same ghost came to haunt me during my previous 2 half marathons too, causing great discomfort during the runs.  Was glad that the notorious Side Stitch Ghost did not haunt at this round.

I suspected the ghost was due to my weak belly or too much fluid intake in one go.  I am experiementing new water intake sequence... i.e. small regular sips rather than bigger gulp in one go.  Will see if that helps.  Time is running out before the '30km' human comfort-limit.

Road to KL-Marathon 2010, 83 days to go

Date: 4th April 2010, Sunday.
Weather: Drizzled for first 5 minutes. Cleared up after that.

Start time: 5:49am (yawn... yawn...)

Timing: 3hours 12minutes 6seconds.

Route:

2 loops of Taman Desa 9.37km route:

1 loop of Taman Desa 7.72km route:

Distance covered: 26.46km.

Fuel:

Pre-run: 325ml 100Plus.

During run: 300ml water, 800ml Gatorade, 1 Power Gel.

Post-run: 1.5ml Spritzer mineral water.

Pit-stops:
2-minute toilet break;
2-minute 7-eleven Gatorade intake break;
2-minute water/walking break;
1-minute water/walking break;
4-minute water/walking break.

What's next:
(22/3 - 28/3) 13 weeks to go: 21k (Energizer Night Run 2010 done. Timing: 2hr 23min 15.63s);
(29/3 - 4/4) 12 weeks to go: 25k (26.46km done. Timing: 3hrs 12mins 6s);
(5/4 - 11/4) 11 weeks to go: 21k;
(12/4 - 18/4) 10 weeks to go: 29k;
(19/4 - 25/4) 9 weeks to go: 21k;
(26/4 - 2/5) 8 weeks to go: 32k;
(3/5 - 9/5) 7 weeks to go: 21k;
(10/5 - 16/5) 6 weeks to go: 35k;
(17/5 - 23/5) 5 weeks to go: 21k;
(24/5 - 30/5) 4 weeks to go: 37k;
(31/5 - 6/6) 3 weeks to go: 19k;
(7/6 - 13/6) 2 weeks to go: 23k;
(14/6 - 20/6) 1 week to go: 16k;
(21/6 - 27/6) Race day!!!

Road to KL-Marathon 2010, 86 days to go

1st April 2010 (Happy April Fool Day), Thursday, practice

Start time: 5:15am (yawn... yawn...)

Route: Taman Desa 9.37km.

Timing: 56min 44s.

Refuel

Water: Nil

Battery: Nil

Side stitch

nil (thanks goodness...)