26.2 miles of the NYC Marathon

First 3 miles

The Verrazano-Narrows bridge. I couldn't help but run a little in the beginning since everyone else was running. I quickly made my way to the bottom deck of the bridge, away from the side (to avoid the urban legend of yellow "rain" from the top deck). As soon as I was in the safe zone, I started walking. During my last training run, I did try out my running pouch. The pouch wasn't full so it felt snug on back and wasn't bouncing around. But during the race, with a full pouch, I felt it bouncing up and down as I ran. Annoying but there's nothing I could do about that now.

It was uncomfortable to be just walking since everyone else was running pass me but I decided I'd rather be slow than aggravate the IT band trying to run up the bridge at the very beginning of the marathon. I was also aware that running up the bridge would take a lot out of me. So I just walked and tried to keep up with an elderly man in a green windproof jacket and holding a stick. I only passed him when I was safely at the top of the bridge and I started running a little but when I slowed down to walk, he would walked pass me.

When I got to the bottom of the bridge, I took off the throwaway long-sleeve cotton shirt that I had on and left it by the road side. I passed a barefoot Japanese runner holding a big flag. He stopped and posed for photos with spectators by the side of the road.

Miles 4-13

I wasn't expecting many people to call out my name so I thought I'd try to keep count of the number of times I hear my name being called. I lost count immediately. I used my interval watch and kept to "run 1 minute: walk 2 minutes." But occasionally the cheering and music were so loud that I couldn't hear my watch beeped. Hearing the loud cheers made me want to run longer which I did. After my watch beeped (1 minute run was up) I would decide to run to the next stop light instead of walking immediately. I think by around mile 5 or 6, I realized that I still have a long way to go so I'd better keep to my strategy.

I raised my hands when I heard my name being called.
I high-fived little kids by the side of the road.
I tried to pass and eventually passed a man wearing a miniature Eiffel Tower.
I tried to pass and eventually passed a joggler (a person who runs and juggles at the same time).

Halfway point (13.1 miles)

Ran through the checkpoint in the middle of the Pulaski bridge, checked my Nike pacing band and I was right on pace.

Mile 14-15

Feet started to hurt, especially the balls of my feet. Maybe I should have worn thicker socks. Chatted with a middle-aged man whose pace was similar to mine. Then it was up the Greensboro bridge. Almost everyone was walking up the bridge. Since there were no spectators on the bridge, it was quiet...an eerily quiet march of the walkers. And then I felt a twinge in my left knee...ITBS flare-up! I think this was one of the most disappointing stretch of the marathon. I wasn't sure if I could continue running or if I should just walk the last 10 miles. Walking 10 miles would take a lot of time :( Said many short prayers for God to keep the ITBS away. And I also felt a pre-cramp on the back of my right knee/calf. At the medical station in the middle of the bridge, I asked for and then ate a packet of salt

Mile 16-19

1st Avenue (Manhattan) was supposed to be the stretch with the most and the loudest spectators but I was too caught up in mind with the ITBS flare-up to enjoy the spectators. Besides by the time I got to 1st Avenue there weren't as many spectators around compared to when the elite runners ran by that area. I decided to keep to my "run 1 minute: walk 2 minutes," but when I ran I made sure I ran fast. After a while I realized my left knee wasn't hurting badly, it was just a twitch uncomfortable when I ran.

It was a funny sight because most of the slow people were either walking or running slowly and here I was running fast passing many people and the crowds was excited to cheer on the lone fast (or slightly faster...hehehe) runner. But when my 1 minute was up, I would start walking so it would seem like their cheers didn't spur me on :) It did but I had to keep to my strategy.

Mile 20-22

Tough stretch. It's all a blur. Feet hurt, exhaustion. I walked a lot and was around 2 minutes behind according to the Nike pace band.

Mile 23-25

The stretch to the entrance to Central Park seemed so so long. Occasionally my mind was in a haze. Hmmmm... I wonder if this is what hitting the wall feels like. I had to eat another energy gel to get some sugar in me. I was rather worried that I might faint. When I was running, I kept chanting to myself, "Run and not faint, run and not faint, run and not faint." It is actually "run and not be weary, walk and not faint" but "run and not faint" worked. Or I'd keep running this line in my head, "Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord." Both taken out of context :D but I needed something to keep my mind focused.

Saw Christine and Ivan cheering and taking pictures. Raised my hands and kept running.





Last 1.2 mile

I wanted to keep running but couldn't sustain it, had to walk and run. 300 yards to finish line, I had to walk to conserve some energy so that I could run across the finish line.





I saw the finish line around the corner and started running. There was a group of 4 male runners in front of me. I tried to stay back from them so that my finish line photo would not be obstructed but they were rather slow so I couldn't run fast across the finish line.



Finish line

6:00:12 - I am a marathoner!

NYC Marathon 2009: From the expo to the starting line

Expo (Friday)

From NYC Marathon 2009

I went to the Marathon expo on Friday afternoon. Got my bib, a long-sleeve technical shirt and the goody bag. I really like the shirt, can't wait to wear it on my next run.

From NYC Marathon 2009

The goody bag wasn't much of a "goody" bag. A bottle of water, a bag of almonds, lots of paper stuff, a key chain, a small bag, a pocket-sized anti-bacterial spray... that's about it. I went around the expo and tried some powerbar samples, got some adhesive fabric-like nametag to write my name on, got a fake running photo taken at the New Balance exhibit, and got a customized 6:00 pacing band from the Nike exhibit. Took the free shuttle bus to Paragon Sports and so happened, Deena Kastor (a top American women marathoner) was in the store signing autographs. So took a detour and lined up to get an autographed poster of her. She wrote: Ailsa, Reach for the stars!

From NYC Marathon 2009

Last minute preparation (Saturday night)

To bring or not to bring? Long sleeve or short sleeve? Thin socks or thick socks? Sunblock? Sunglasses? So many decisions to make...

Then it is time to pin the bib on the shirt. Wrote my name on the fabric name tag and stuck it on my shirt. Attached the timing D-tag on my shoes. Turn back the clock on my watch and cellphone, set the alarm for 5:30am. Made my peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwiches. And went to bed by 11pm and tried to get some sleep...

From NYC Marathon 2009

Race day (Sunday)

5:30am - Woke up, quickly got ready, took some pictures, double-checked that I didn't forget anything.

From NYC Marathon 2009

From NYC Marathon 2009

6:25am - Left my friend's place for the Roosevelt Island tram station. Took the tram, walked a few blocks to the subway station and took the train to the ferry terminal. Saw several runners with their UPS bags in the tram. Saw many more runners at the subway station. Ate half a sandwich and drank some Gatorade on the way.

7:10am - Arrived at the ferry terminal. Lots and lots of runners there. I found a seat and ate a banana.

7:30am - Started to line up at the door to the ferry but had to wait around 15-20 minutes before I got on the ferry.

7:50am - On the ferry, ate the other half of my sandwich, drank more. Runners everywhere. I even saw a girl with Lehigh sweatpants on but didn't get to talk to her.

8:22am - Arrived at Staten Island. The staff/volunteers were directing the runners to the right exit to get to the bus. They were using words like "runners" and "marathoners" and I couldn't help but smile. They are referring to me as a marathoner. In actuality, at that moment I was still a would be marathoner :)

8:28am - On the bus. No more seats, had to stand. A lady nearby was complaining that she had to stand...haha.

8:45am - Arrived at Fort Wadsworths. From then on it was the march of the runners. Walked, stopped, walked some more. So many people.

9:10am - Arrived at the Green waiting area. The first thing on my agenda was coffee! And then got 2 powerbars. Placed a trash bag on the floor and sat down to get some last minute preparation done. I thought I had time but then I heard the announcement that the runners would have to place their bags in the UPS trucks before 9:30am. With that, I started pulling out stuff and made some last minute decision of what I have to carry with me during the race. Decided to keep the "throw-away" jacket and pants (warm clothes that are worn till the very last moment and then left behind at the start area) and stuffed them in my UPS bag. At 9:40am, heard the cannon for the first wave start. Excitement was in the air. Everyone cheered! After that, paid a visit to the potta-potty and as predicted...no toilet paper but I was prepared. Before I knew it, the announcement came on for all runners in Wave 3 to get to their respective corrals. Had a few more bites of another sandwich, ate another banana. Pour some gatorade into a small bottle (I wanted to have something to drink during the first 3 miles). Another march of the runners took place. Walked, stopped, walked, stopped.....

10:08am - In my corral, had to use the potta-potty one last time :) Left behind the throwaway hoodie. I had on my long-sleeve wicking shirt and another throwaway long-sleeve cotton t-shirt on top. Wore a pair of gloves. Had on my running hat. Four powerbar gel packets in my back pocket. In my spibelt pouch: a clifbar (energy bar), cellphone, Metrocard, credit card, tissue paper, lipbalm. In my front pocket: the pocket-sized antibacterial spray and sunglasses. Turned on my Garmin watch and waited for it to lock on to the satellites. Everyone was super excited!

10:20am - The cannon for wave 3 start went off..BOOM! The New York, New York song started playing. Since there were so many people, we had to slowly shuffle towards the starting the line. Crossed the starting line...time to race!

60350

That's my bib number.

I think there will be a race tracker thing online on Sunday morning. I can't find the link now but you may be able to find that by going to http://www.nycmarathon.org/ on Sunday morning.

Time to pack...

Marathon weekend is almost here. Tomorrow I'll be taking the bus to NYC and heading to the expo to pick up my bib number and goody bag. I should be packing right now but I'm still lazing around. The past few days have been pretty busy research-wise and I haven't been resting well. I didn't do any running this week, went for a spinning class on Monday and that's it.

Charging my cellphone, Garmin watch and iPod now. I'm not planning to bring my iPod or camera to the race. I think my mind would be too caught up in the "fun" or more likely the "agony" of the run that I won't be in the right mood to snap pictures. But I'm pretty sure there will be many things that I will see on Sunday that I will wish I had my camera with me.

I'm bringing some of my own food to NYC: bread, peanut butter, strawberry jam, banana, clif bars (white chocolate macadamia). All that will be for breakfast on Sunday morning. There will be bagels at the start area but I'm not a fan of bagel with nothing...tough, chewy, dry bread :P

Now I need to decide if I should bring my laptop with me - to NYC, not to the race!

I was watching a Runner's World video last night. Ryan Hall's advice is to be in the moment and not worry about the miles ahead of me. I'll try my best to follow that advice.

Here's a video that shows the NYC marathon course:

Oct 25: Run/walk 8 miles

Distance: 8.01 miles
Duration: 1:49:23
Pace: 13:40/miles

The very last long run before the marathon!

Run 1 minute: walk 2 minutes, except for the last mile which I ran the whole way.

Oct 23: Run/walk 5 miles

Distance: 5.06 miles
Duration: 1:10:11
Pace: 13:52/mile

Knees felt ok. I ran continuously for the last mile.

9 more days....

Oct 21: Run/walk 3 miles

Distance: 3.12 miles
Duration: 39:18
Pace: 12:35/mile

October 20: I'm still running....

Yup, I'm still in training for the NYC marathon, I just haven't been good with logging my runs here. Here's a summary of my training "runs" since the last update.

October 1

Distance: 4.03 miles
Time: 1:05:42
Pace: 16:18/mile


October 4

Distance: 13.14 miles
Time: 4:00:02
Pace: 18:16/mile
Comments: Since my left knee was still iffy, I decided to not run but put in the "on my feet" hours that I needed. I mostly walked the whole 4 hours except for towards the end when I realized that if I wanted to complete a half-marathon distance in 4 hours I would have to run a little bit, which I did. I walked on the trail (which left me with soggy shoes), the road and the track. That was a looooong walk!


October 6

Distance: 3.32 miles
Time: 50:19
Pace: 15:07/mile


October 8

Distance: 4.7 miles
Time: 1:07:60
Pace: 14:28/mile


October 11

Distance: 16.14 miles
Time: 4:23:49
Pace: 16:14/mile
Comments: My longest run ever. If this was the NYC marathon, I would have made it from Staten Island all the way into Manhattan. But still 10 miles to go! I mostly did "run 1 min: walk 2 min" then decided to push a little bit and went "run 2 min: walk 2 min." Unfortunately by mile 14 I could feel the IT band started to ache. It wasn't bad so I continued on but by mile 16 I felt a sharp pain on the outer lateral side of my left knee and with that I ended my long run. I was thinking I was going to try for 18 miles, but 16 miles was still good.


October 14

Distance: 5.05 miles
Time: 1:13:08
Pace: 14:28/mile


October 19

Distance: 9.02 miles
Time: 2:05:53
Pace: 13:58/mile
Comments: Less miles during the last 2 weeks before the marathon. I was trying several run-walk combinations to see what works. Run 1 min: walk 2 min. Run 1 min: walk 1 min.
Remarkably I wasn't faster when I did "run 1: walk 1" compared to "run 1: walk 2." My left knee felt a little uncomfortable when I ran down a slight downhill :(

So the game plan for marathon day is:
1. Run 1 min: walk 2 min (over and over and over)
2. Run at a faster pace during that 1 minute because slow jog aggravates the IT band.
3. When the 2 minute walk starts, walk slower to catch my breath and when ready, pick up my pace to a fast walk.
4. Avoid running uphills or downhills. That will mean I'll be walking over the Verrazano-Narrows bridge at the starting point.
5. For the first 16 miles, stick to "run 1 min: walk 2 min" no matter what and not to go at it harder/faster. The goal is to cross the finish line without limping.

September 26: Run/Walk 1.5 hours

Week 13 (first run): Run/Walk 1.5 hours

Saturday (3:25pm)
Distance: 4.80 miles
Duration: 1:12:58
Pace: 15:12
Shoes: Nike Lunarglide
Weather: Cloudy, 17C

Caught a cold on Tuesday and spent the whole week nursing that cold and I'm still not over it yet. Today, I finally went out for my first run since last Sunday's long run. I did "run 1 minute: walk 2 minutes." ITBS pain did not flare up but I definitely felt the IT band tighten went I ran up a hill.

It's counter-intuitive, instead of running slow to avoid pain, I have to remind myself to go fast to avoid the pain.

With the NYC marathon about one month away, I have pretty much raised the white flag, surrendered, and crawled away from the grueling marathon training.

I may try a 4-hr run/walk for the next 2 weekends. Probably using a light routine like today's "run 1 minute: walk 2 minutes." If I can survive this last month with no ITBS flare-up, I may attempt a "run 1 minute: walk 1 minute" on marathon day. Worse come to worst, I'll walk the whole marathon.

September 20: Run/Walk 2 hours

Week 12 (long run): Run/Walk 2 hours

Sunday (6:52am)
Distance: 8.46 miles
Duration: 2:00:19
Pace: 14:13
Shoes: Nike Lunarglide
Weather: Sunny, 7-12C, 78-99% humidity

Because the run was so long the temperature climbed up 5C in that time. It was really misty this morning.

ITBS flared up!

Even at the beginning of the run, the left knee was tight. I did "run 3 minutes: walk 2 minutes." After an hour on the track, I went on the road and I tried to walk all the uphills and downhills and tried to run only on flat surfaces but my left knee was definitely slightly aching. I had to remind myself to not run through the pain, so I walked on the road a lot.

I went back to the track for the last 30 minutes trying to keep it slow. I reduced to "run 2 minutes: walk 2 minutes" but I couldn't run 2 minutes without the knee feeling real tight, so I reduced to "run 1 minute: walk 2 minutes." Even then it was achy to run 1 minute. Towards the last 10 minutes or so I got so sick and tired of slow achy running, I decided I'm going to go fast for the remainder of the time. Surprising the knee actually felt better running fast then slow. Well, I completed the 2 hours, slightly disappointed that the ITBS was still around and that I couldn't do much running on the road.

I really miss running up and down the tree-lined roads -- running wherever regardless of slope or incline or surface type. I really miss my care-free slow running!

The left knee was slightly sore and walking down the stairs produced some slight pain but otherwise I could walk with no pain.

I went to church then went to lunch with some friends. On the way to the restaurant while walking on some sloped pavement, I felt two sudden sharp pain just below the left knee on the outer lateral side. After that I had to walk slowly with no sudden jerks or I would feel more pain :(

Came home from lunch. Iced the knee, elevated it, did some stretches, took a long nap. Knee feels better now.

I don't think I'll ever recommend a friend to try to run a marathon. I never envisioned when I signed up and paid $171 that I had voluntarily placed myself in the Catch-22 marathon training/injury trap. Maybe I should plan to just walk the whole NYC marathon.

So what's in store for next week?

First run: Run/walk 45 minutes on the track...Run fast 2 minutes: walk 2 minutes.
Second run: Run/walk 1 hour on the track...Run fast 2 minutes: walk 2 minutes.
Third run: Run/walk 45 minutes on the road...Run fast 1 minute: walk 2 minutes.
Long run: Run/walk 2:30 hours on the track/road....Run fast 1 minute: walk 2 minutes.

Plus more ice, stretches and foam rolling (I'll write about this another day).

September 18: Run/Walk 45 minutes

Week 12 (third run): Run/Walk 45 minutes

Friday (11:07am)
Distance: 3.25 miles
Duration: 45:21
Pace: 13:56
Shoes: Nike Lunarglide
Weather: Partly cloudy, 16C, 89% humidity

Now that the temperature is falling, I can run late morning/afternoon. This is good, I can run after I get back from research work and there are not many people all over the place. With very few cars in the parking lot, I could safely run there.

I kept to mostly running on asphalt for this run. Still running 3 minutes: walking 2 minutes. My left knee was ok for most of the run. It only started to feel tight towards the last 10 minutes of the run. I guess the ITBS is not totally gone yet.

I was tempted to skip a short run this week but managed to keep to the schedule. I cannot afford to skip more runs at this stage of the training schedule.

For this Sunday's 1 hour 45 minutes run, I plan to keep to "run 3 minutes: walk 2 minutes". Even though I feel ready to run again after walking 1 minute, I think I should stick to walking 2 minutes for the long run. I'll probably spend an hour on the track and less time on the road. If my left knee is ok after 1:45, I'll push for a 2-hour long run.

September 17: Run/Walk 60 minutes

Week 12 (second run): Run/Walk 60 minutes

Thursday (5:51pm)
Distance: 4.29 miles
Duration: 1:05:25
Pace:
Shoes: Nike Lunarglide
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 17C, 68% humidity

Reminder: Do not venture out to the track or trail on Thursday evenings!

Cross country season is on. I went out for my 1 hour run on the track but I was met with a whole bunch of college runners in training. They were everywhere: Running clockwise and counter-clockwise on the track; running across the parking lot; running on the wrong side of the road.

Needless to say I was very intimidated by the sight of them (even in my rocket science shoes!). I decided not to venture onto the track and kept walking to search for another place to run, preferably a soft and flat surface.

And I kept walking and walking. After about 30 minutes of walking and searching, I decided I should just get back to the track and get some of my running in. When I got back to the track, the athletes were gone. But there wasn't much light left, so I only managed 30 minutes of run 3 minutes: walk 2 minutes.

No left knee pain.





My rocket science shoes.

September 16: Run 45 minutes

Week 12 (first run): Run 45 minutes

Wednesday (11:01am)
Distance: 3.49 miles
Duration: 45:05
Pace: 12:55/mile
Shoes: Nike Lunarglide
Weather: Cloudy, 17C, 74% humidity

This was a surprisingly pleasant run. Kept to the "run 3 minutes: walk 2 minutes" schedule. Went on the running track, spent 25 minutes running clockwise and 20 minutes counter clockwise. Put on the ITB strap.

And no ITB tightness! My left knee felt good during the whole run. The only time it felt a little "off" was when I ran slowly across the football field towards the end of the run. Some people with ITBS said that their knees hurt more when they run slowly as opposed to fast running.

September 13: Run 1 hour

Week 11 ("long" run): Run 1 hour

Sunday (7:53am)
Distance: 4.52 miles
Duration: 1:00:09
Pace: 13:17/mile
Shoes: Nike Lunarglide
Weather: Partly cloudy, 17C

I've decided to drop mileage training and go by time instead. This way, even if I have to walk a lot, at least I'm getting the time on my feet in and I won't feel dejected if I can't get in such and such miles on a certain day.

I started out doing "run 4 min: walk 1 min" but after about 15 minutes I felt that it was a little too tough on my knees and decided to drop to "run 3 min: walk 2 min." That gave my left knee some time to recover after the short run.

I had on my IT band strap. Although it felt like it was sliding down my thigh but it was actually staying in place quite well. But I wasn't not sure if it was really working. The IT band started to feel tight but it wasn't painful. The run/walk helped a little. The knee did feel sore and tight after the run.

I did the whole run on the running track. Running on the track is one long boring exercise. Just round and round and round. Mentally it's much harder to run 1 hour on the track than it is on the road. At the moment, I don't think I should be pounding on the asphalt yet, plus the roads here have a lot on tiny uphills and downhills, so for my left knee sake I'll endure the track for now.

I went back to using the Nike+ sensor. For some crazy reasons, the Garmin refused to sync to the Garmin Center software. I should send them an email.

Anyway, since I'm going by time now, I don't need accurate measurement on the distance I covered. Whenever I see the pace provided by Nike+, I'll just remember that I'm much slower than that.

For the coming week, I'm thinking I'll work on this schedule:

1st run: Run/walk 45 minutes
2nd run: Run/walk 1 hour (try 15 minutes on the road)
3rd run: Run/walk 45 minutes (try 15 minutes on the road)
Long run: Run/walk 1:45 hours

September 9: Run 3 miles

Week 11 (first run): Run 3 miles

Wednesday (5:49pm)
Distance: 3.00 miles
Duration: 43:50
Pace: 14:36/mile
Shoes: Nike Lunarglide

My left knee was sore and hurting for many days after that painful 12-mile long run. I took more than a week off to let that knee recover. For the first few days, it was painful to go down the stairs. My left knee was so stiff that I was walking funny. I had to walk many minutes before the knee warmed up and then I could walk almost like a normal person. I had to ice my knee and did a lot of stretches.

I finally went for a trial run on this day. I bought an ITBS strap but when I tried it on it was very tight and it felt like it was slipping down, so I put on a jumper knee strap on my left knee instead.

Ran on grass, my left knee felt ok. Then moved on to asphalt, knee was still ok. Then went on a slight downhill and the lateral side of the left knee started to feel tight again. Not wanting to aggravate it again, I just walked the rest of the half mile.

So I'm kind of in a limbo now. I have not been able to keep up with the marathon training schedule. If I did, I'd probably get injured again. If I didn't, I'd really really suffer on marathon day.

Looking at the marathon schedule, I guess I'll have to throw that out of the window and just hope for the best.

All I know is that I can deal with the tiredness and soreness of long runs pre-August 30 but if I had to endure that ITBS pain during marathon day, I'd drop out.

I guess the plan now is:
1) Let the knee get better
2) Don't run through ITBS pain again
3) Try my best to avoid situations/terrains that may trigger the ITBS pain (run on grass or the running track for the mean time)
4) Stretch the IT band and strengthen specific muscles
5) Slowly try and build up the miles again
6) If I had to, I'll just walk through most of the marathon
7) I've been getting lazy and it's getting harder to go out for any run. It's a mix of laziness and fear of injury. I should start the training schedule again. I have to start getting out there, even if I can't run, I should get the time on my feet in.

August 30: Run 12 miles

Week 9 (long run): 12 miles

Sunday (6:13am)
Distance: 12.00 miles
Duration: 3:14:01
Pace: 16:09/mile
Shoes: Saucony Omni Ultimate 7
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 17-19C, 95% humidity

Most painful run ever!

I started with 3 miles on the running track and that was ok. And then when I moved on to the roads that's when the soreness and pain on the outer side of my left knee started. It was really difficult to run. I tried the run 6 minutes: walk 1 minute, but once I stopped running and walked it was even more painful to start running again.

Looking back, I probably should have quit running by mile 5. But at that time I really wanted to get 12 miles in. So it ended up being a very slow and painful long long long run.

I'm guessing I'm experiencing the Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS). I will take a few days off, ice my knee few times a day and do some stretches to hopefully help get rid of the ITBS.

I definitely did not enjoy this run.

August 26: Run 6 miles

Week 9 (second run): 6 miles

Wednesday (6:06pm)
Distance: 6.01 miles
Duration: 1:22:49
Pace: 13:47/mile
Shoes: Nike Structure Triax+ 12
Weather: Partly cloudy, 28C, 57% humidity

Compared to the Asics, the Nike shoes really feel light and bouncy. But the outside of my left knee was sore during and after this run. It seems like the aches and pains will always be my constant companion during this training period.

August 25: Run 4 miles

Week 9 (first run): 4 miles

Tuesday (6:56pm)
Distance: 4.00 miles
Duration: 52:48
Pace: 13:11/mile
Shoes: Asics GT2130 Trail
Weather: Partly cloudy, 27C, 58% humidity

After skipping so many runs my legs felt like lead. During the first 2 miles, my left knee felt uncomfortable every time it pounded on the road. I have to get back into my running routine and keep it consistent.

The weather is starting to cool down now.

August 23: No run

Still on vacation.

August has been a very difficult month for running. I've been skipping runs left and right.

August 21: No run

On vacation.

August 20: No run

Too busy to run.

August 18: Run 4 miles

Week 8 (first run): 4 miles

Tuesday (6:54pm)
Distance: 3.23 miles
Duration: 38:10
Pace: 11:49/mile
Shoes: Nike Structure Triax+ 12
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 29C, 62% humidity

My fastest average pace ever! The Nike Structure Triax+ 12 is officially my fast shoes.

I was going to push today's run till tomorrow. It has been a hot, hungry and tiring day. Came home after 3pm, ate an egg sandwich and a handful of roasted almonds then took a long nap. When I woke up, it was still a little too early for dinner, I was still a little hungry but decided to wait a while for dinner.

Then I looked out the window and it was cloudy outside. No bright sun. I checked the weather and there's supposed to be a thunderstorm on its way here but it'll only get here in over an hour so I still have time to get the 4 miles in. Ate half an energy bar, some water, and off I go.

I felt remarkably fast today. While I was at the running track, there were 5 people walking and I was the only one running. That made me feel even faster!

At mile 2.5, I had a gulp of water at the water fountain and then noticed really dark clouds towards the south. Then I saw lightning bolts. The storm was still quite a distance away but I was not taking any chances (didn't want to die being struck by lightning while out running) so I started to sprint home. Unfortunately I had to run towards the storm to get home. When I was almost home, I saw a couple taking a leisurely stroll away from the building. I was thinking, "Are you crazy? You should head for shelter now!"

Anyway, couldn't get the 4 miles in but since I was almost sprinting a long way 3.23 miles will do.


Shoe Reviews:

The Nike Structure Triax is my "fast" shoes. But somehow it doesn't feel supportive enough. I'm comfortable running in them for my short runs on paved roads but not my long runs. And I wouldn't wear them running on trails either, I feel like I could twist my ankles in them. Part of the reason I'm avoiding using them for long runs is due to the one time that I wore them for an 8-mile run and develop the metatarsal pain that took about a week to go away.

The Saucony Omni Ultimate 7 is my long run shoes. But lately I'm suspecting that this shoe is too supportive for my left foot even though it has good support for my right foot. My left leg is my dominant leg. If I have to hop on one leg, it would be the left leg. For a long time, whenever I feel soreness after a run or develop some sort of pain, it would always be my (weaker) right knee that hurts. However, lately it has been my left knee that feels wacky after my long runs.

The Asics 2130 trail is my muddy shoes. If I have to run in muddy trails, I'll use them but it is neither fast nor cushiony.

Yup, I've been reading too many runners world online forums.

August 16: Run 11 miles

Week 7 (long run): 11 miles

Tuesday (6:15am)
Distance: 11.01 miles
Duration: 2:38:30
Pace: 14:24/mile
Shoes: Saucony Omni Ultimate 7
Weather: Sunny, 19-23C, 74% humidity

This had been a lazy week for running but I couldn't miss the long run. Set my alarm clock for 5:15am. When it rang, I was in the middle of a crazy dream and kept thinking why is the alarm clock ringing?! Then it struck me, it's time to get ready for the long run.

It was still dark and quiet outside. Put on my contact lens, got my coffee and peanut butter and jam sandwich, and sat down for a very early breakfast. Soon, the birds started waking up outside.

Applied sunblock (it was still dark outside...crazy!), change into my running gear, packed my bottles of gatorade and water in a cooler with ice packs, synced an additional 2 podcasts to my iPod, and then I could see light outside.

Drove over to the campus sports parking lot, parked underneath some big trees, and it was time to run.

Run 1 mile, walk 1 minute for the first 3 miles.
Run 6 minutes, walk 1 minute for the last 8 miles.

After 6 miles, I ran up to the water fountain by the stadium restrooms. I was looking forward to taste test the Powerbar Strawberry and Banana energy gel when 2 big puppies came bounding up to me and jumping all over me. On ordinary days, I would have been ok with seeing 2 puppies but I got kind of annoyed this time. They were both wet and would not stop pawing at me (they pulled my earphones off) and their owner was nowhere to be seen. I had to quickly gulped down the energy gel. When I saw the owner, I gave her an annoyed, "Can you get your dogs off me?!" Even then the dogs were still all over me and at the same time growling at each other. I quickly went inside the restrooms to avoid the dogs and also to use the facilities. They were gone when I came out.

Three things I noticed during this run:

1. My legs (feet, ankles, knees) were getting really achy during the last 2 miles. This is the first time I reached this level of soreness during a run.

2. My car at the parking lot (where I can see it) was sort of a source of comfort. It's like I'm not far from something familiar and ice-cold drinks are in there!

3. I can run listening to podcasts. I listened to 2 Andy Stanley's podcasts (recommendation from my brother) and some music through the 11 miles. Since I'm just using the iPod to get through the boredom, and not to pump me up to go faster, podcasts worked fine. At least there will always be something new to listen to during the long long long runs.

August 14: No Run

More laziness....

August 13: No run

Laziness....

August 11: Run 4 miles

Week 7 (first run): 4 miles

Tuesday (5:50pm)
Distance: 4.00 miles
Duration: 52:36
Pace: 13:08/mile
Shoes: Saucony Omni Ultimate 7
Weather: Partly cloudy, 28C, 62% humidity

Since I didn't complete the week 6 program last week, I'll have to repeat the week 6 program this week.

Hot and humid, not ideal running weather.

August 4: Run 4 miles

Week 6 (first run): Run 4 miles

Tuesday (7:18pm)
Distance: 4.00 miles
Duration: 52:53
Pace: 13:12/mile
Shoes: Nike Structure Triax+ 12

I just realized I didn't log this run in.

August 8: Run 6 miles

Week 6 (maintenance run): 6 miles

Saturday (6:58pm)
Distance: 6.01 miles
Duration: 1:19:17
Pace: 13:12/mile
Shoes: Nike Structure Triax+ 12
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 24C, 53% humidity

This has been a crazy week. I took a mini vacation to NYC, missed most of the weekday short runs and didn't think I should handle an 11-mile long run, so I just did an extra long short run. I'll have to redo this week's schedule again next week.

On the bright side, the Eagles training camp will be ending soon and I can reclaim the track and parking lot again.

August 7: No run

Took a running break.

August 6: No run

Went to NYC for a mini vacation.

August 2: Run 10 miles

Week 5 (long run): 10 miles

Sunday (4:42pm)
Distance: 10.00 miles
Duration: 2:29:26
Pace: 14:56/mile
Shoes: Saucony Omni Ultimate 7
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 23C, 90% humidity

Long runs are tough!

It's not just the physical and mental stress of the long run itself, even scheduling the time to do it and also taking into consideration the weather can be just as tough.

I had planned to run early this morning. But it started to pour at around 4am and continued on for a long time, so I slept in. I was going to push the long run to Monday morning but at around 4pm, the weather looked pretty good, so I decided to just get it done today.

I drove over to the parking lot so that I could keep the extra bottles of water and gatorade in my mini cooler and have easy access to them. Plus I won't have to walk through the muddy trails to get to the road for my run.

Finally, I managed to get out for my run. Then 4 miles into my run, it started to drizzle. But I was not going to abandon another run so I just kept running. Thankfully it was just a light drizzle and it stopped after some time.

I tried the GU chocolate outage flavor and I definitely liked the salty Powerbar gel better.

August 1: Abandoned 10 mile run

Saturday (6:23pm)
Distance: 1.69 miles
Duration: 40:24
Pace: 23:52/mile
Shoes: Saucony Omni Ultimate 7



Weather.com is so wrong!

According to them, it's supposed to be sunny, 27C, 68% humidity, 0% (ZERO) chance of precipitation.

I got all my long run stuff ready (i.e., 1 extra bottle of gatorade, 1 bottle of water, both kept with ice packs in a mini cooler in my car). Put on lots of sunblock. Had my handheld bottle with gatorade and an energy gel in the pocket.

When I went out, it was surprisingly cloudy and cool. And then 7 minutes into the run it started to rain. I ran into the empty Eagles press tent and waited. After 10 minutes, the rain stopped and at that time, my goal was just to run until the sun set and that's it. It wouldn't matter if I didn't hit 10 mile. But 3 minutes later I could hear more rain coming towards me and this time I ducked into the sheltered corridor of the tennis center. I was pacing the corridor to get more "miles" in. After another 10 minutes of pacing, the rain stopped but there was still dark clouds above. I decided to abandon the run and headed home :(

I guess I'll have to wake up at 5:20am tomorrow to get that 10 miles in.

July 31: No run

I've been feeling really exhausted lately. It's the heat and humidity and laziness. I skipped the 3 mile run scheduled for today.

July 30: Run 5 miles

Week 5 (second run): 5 miles

Thursday (5:57am)
Distance: 5.15 miles
Duration: 1:08:56
Pace: 13:22/mile
Shoes: Asics GT2130 Trail
Weather: Partly cloudy, 21C, 95% humidity



I'm the parking lot runner!

When this satellite picture was taken, so happened there was an event at the arena, so the parking lot was rather full. When I started my run this morning there wasn't a single car in the lot. At the end of my run, there were 2 cars in the lot.

I like running around the parking lot. It's quite flat when compared to the roads around here and I can duck underneath the shadow of the trees for some reprieve from the sun. Since all I need is more miles, the parking lot is one way to get that in. And when I run early in the morning, there are hardly any cars there.

As for the run, I kept it slow and steady today. I basically did the run 1 mile: walk 1 minute thing. Ended my run with no extraordinary aches or pain. It was very humid though but the light breeze helped some. I saw the sun rise over the horizon.

July 28: Run 3 miles

Week 5 (first run): 3 miles

Tuesday (7:07am)
Distance: 3.06 miles
Duration: 43:34
Pace: xx:xx/mile
Shoes: Nike Structure Triax+ 12
Weather: Partly cloudy, 19C, 85% humidity

Last night I decided I should add some "speed"work to my running routine. The plan was to run one lap around the track at a faster than usual pace and then walk half a lap and repeat that 4-5 times.

I did a slow jog to the running track and went round the track once to hit 1 mile. The Eagles training camp staff were already there sitting underneath a tent. The blow-up giant stuff for kids were already up. It felt really awkward running there but I was going to stick to my plan. Just as I was starting my first fast lap, a staff came over and told me that the track was closed and kicked me out of the track. I'm beginning to not like the Eagles!

In order to stick to the plan, I used the Garmin to set up intervals of 0.25 mile fast run: 0.13 mile walk and did the running on the cross country trail.

Today's run was a mess.

July 26: Run 9 miles

Week 4 (long run): 9 miles

Friday (7:05am)
Distance: 9.00 miles
Duration: 2:14:05
Pace: 14:53/mile
Shoes: Saucony Omni Ultimate 7
Weather: Cloudy/Light Rain, 22C, 77% humidity



Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe....which of these gels should I take during my long run today?

I chose the Powerbar Vanilla. My very first carbohydrate energy gel. After about an hour of running, I had that with some water. It was salty, sweet, with a slight tinge of medicinal taste. The salty part surprised me most. Not too bad. Now I'll have to wait till next Sunday to choose my next flavor to try.

I kept to the run 9 minutes: walk 1 minute plan. I didn't want to end up with last Sunday's pain on the right foot again so I was doing to my slow shuffle and did not speed up at all. My knees felt sore the first mile and then my shins felt sore the second mile. At the end of the run, my knees were sore again. And 5 hours after the run ended, my calves felt crampy. However I did notice that I wasn't huffing and puffing during this slow shuffle run. And I did manage to keep the metatarsal (ball of foot) pain away or at least I didn't aggravate it.



Lastly, the Philadelphia Eagles have landed on my marathon training ground. For the next 3 weeks, I'll have to end my runs before the Eagles fans start arriving (probably around 8:15am), which is fine during my short runs but I'll have to be out of the house really early for the long runs.

Today, I underestimated my slowness. Went out a little late, took so long to complete 9 miles (elite marathoners would have completed 26.2 miles in that time), and ended up being very late for church.

July 24: Run 5 miles

Week 4 (second run): 5 miles

Friday (6:03am)
Distance: 5.00 miles
Duration: 1:07:08
Pace: 13:25/mile
Shoes: Asics GT2130 Trail
Weather: Cloudy, 17C, 80% humidity

This morning was cloudy, gloomy, misty and humid.

It was a tight squeeze to run 5 miles in the morning before heading off to research work. I'll have to leave even earlier for the run if I am to have enough time to get ready for work.

July 23: Run 3 miles

Week 4 (first run): 3 miles

Thursday (6:12am)
Distance: 3.00 miles
Duration: 38:00
Pace: 12:38/mile
Shoes: Saucony Omni Ultimate 7
Weather: Cloudy, 19C, 77% humidity

After 3 days of rest, my right foot is returning to normal. It's not like it was hurting really bad the past few days, it was just that I didn't want a small ache to develop into something serious.

Today, I ran mostly on the rubberized running track.

These two fawns were right outside my apartment when I came back from the run.

July 21: No run

My right foot was still sore so I decided to skip today's run.

The pain in the ball of foot below the 2 and 3 toes that I was experiencing at the end of Sunday's long run is either Morton's neuroma or Metatarsalgia. I've learned my lesson. I'll take it slow from now on and not set any time goal.

July 19: Run 8 miles (Running Schedule)

Week 3 (long run): 8 miles



Sunday (6:49am)
Distance: 8.01 miles
Duration: 1:44:49
Pace: 13:05/mile
Shoes: Nike Structure Triax+ 12
Weather: Sunny, 17C, 75% humidity

Week 3 completed!

I decided to go back to the Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer program instead of the Higdon. The longest long run in the Non-Runner's program is 18 miles and that should take me about 4 hours and I think that is long enough for me.



But since this program is 16 weeks but I started at 18 weeks before the marathon, I'll have to insert 2 additional weeks of training in there somewhere.

Today's run was ok. For hydration and fuel, I brought along 20oz (600ml) of Gatorade (US version of 100plus) and 3 Clif-shot blocks (energy sugar gummies). I started off really really slow. Ate the 3 Clif-shot blocks around mile 5 and didn't like it much. The gummies were sticking to my teeth.



By the time I passed mile 6, I realized I had to speed it up in order to finish in 1 hour 45 minutes. I don't know where that time limit came out from, I thought I was going to take it easy for long runs. Anyway, my run 5 minute:walk 1 minute strategy went out the window and I just tried to go as fast as I could sustain.

I think I sprained the middle toe on my right foot. The area below the right middle toe still feels sore.

July 17: Run 3 mile

Week 3 (third run): 3 miles

Tuesday (8:30pm)
Distance: 3.00 miles
Duration: 36:45
Pace: 12:13/mile
Shoes: Saucony Omni Ultimate 7
Weather: Partly cloudy, 22C, 78% humidity

Knees felt better today. No discomfort at all.

July 16: Run 4 miles

Week 3 (second run): 4 miles


The sky looked something like this this morning.

Thursday (6:00am)
Distance: 4.00 miles
Duration: 52:37
Pace: 13:08/mile
Shoes: Saucony Ommi Ultimate 7
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 19C, 75% humidity

Hot and humid weather on its way back. Pretty soon I'll have to run only in the early mornings. But the weekday runs will slowly increase in mileage and that would mean I'll have to leave the apartment even earlier if I am to return home by 7am.

My knees, especially the right knee, still feel a little sore from last Sunday's long run. And I could feel blisters developing on both feet and it's always at the exact spot on both feet.

July 14: Run 3 miles

Week 3 (first run): 3 miles

Tuesday (6:43pm)
Distance: 3.00 miles
Duration: 37:09
Pace: 12:22/mile
Shoes: Nike Structure Triax 12
Weather: Sunny, 23C, 38% humidity

July 12: Run 7 miles

Week 2 (long run): 7 miles



Sunday (6:48am)
Distance: 7.00 miles
Duration: 1:35:42
Pace: 13:40/mile
Shoes: Saucony Omni Ultimate 7
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 19C, 77% humidity

Second week of training completed!

It was difficult to get out of bed this morning:

There's going to be many cars on the road (because of the US Women's Open final day) and I may have to run on the trail, and I'll have to run up all those hills and since it rained last night, my shoes are going to get wet...
Maybe I'll run this evening instead...
Maybe I'll run tomorrow morning instead...

Turned out that there were not that many golf fanatics at 7-9am. I could run on the road safely.

Since I ran 6 miles last Sunday, this long run was easier on me psychologically. I knew I would survive it. I had the same strategy as last week: first 2 miles (run 1 mile, walk 1 minute) and last 5 miles (run 5 minutes, walk 1 minute). I told a friend that the "run 5 minutes: walk 1 minute" really helps me because instead of focusing on 5 miles, I just focus on running that 5 minute interval.

Other than 2 moments where I felt some discomfort on my right knee, the run was smooth sailing.

The best part was at the very end when I completed my 7 miles and I turned around and started walking home...I felt like I had accomplished something great!

July 10: Run 3 miles

Week 2 (third run): 3 miles

Friday (10:17am)
Distance: 3.00 miles
Duration: 39:01
Pace: 12:59/mile
Shoes: Nike Structure Triax 12
Weather: Sunny, 20C, 71% humidity

Nothing remarkable about today's run. I finally figured out the cars and school buses that have been roaming the area are here because of the U.S. Women's Open Golf Championship. The cars park in the spectator lot, the school buses take the spectators to the Saucon Valley Country Club. This Sunday will be the final day of the championship. When I go for my long run this Sunday, I'll wear the 2009 U.S. Women's Open cap that I bought for $1 at last year's Move-out sale.

July 9: Run 3 miles

Week 2 (second run): 3 miles



Thursday (6:15am)
Distance: 3.11 miles
Duration: 37:31
Pace: 12:03/mile
Shoes: Saucony Omni Ultimate 7
Weather: Partly cloudy, 14C, 74% humidity

Wonderful weather to run in! No walking breaks today. I felt I could do without it.

I definitely should get to bed earlier if I plan to wake up at 5:45am to run.

I need to be more careful in terms of putting on sunblock (face, ears, neck, arms) before I go running outdoors. A friend of mine who takes long walks and long bike rides just told me that she had some cancerous cells removed from her cheek recently. That sounded really scary.

July 7: Run 3 miles

Week 2 (first run): 3 miles

Tuesday (10:10am)
Distance: 3.00 miles
Duration: 38:12
Pace: 12:43/mile
Shoes: Asics GT2130 Trail
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 21C, 56% humidity

I was planning on an early morning run but when I still couldn't fall asleep at 2am, I knew waking up at 5:45am would be tough, so I decided to go for the run after I returned home from research work.

Nothing remarkable about this run. Legs felt so heavy.

July 5: Run 6 miles

Week 1 (long run): 6 miles

Sunday (7:20am)
Distance: 6.01 miles
Duration: 1:21:59
Pace: 13:38/mile
Shoes: Nike Structure Triax+ 12
Weather: Mostly sunny, 17C, 64% humidity



I survived my first long run thus completed my first week of training!

The first 2 miles was tough. I kept thinking of the miles that I have yet to cover. My legs felt really heavy.

Things started looking up after I covered 3.5 miles. When I hit mile 4, I felt like a load has just been lifted off my shoulders and I picked up my pace a bit.

My strategy for the first 2 miles: run 1 mile, walk 1 minute. For the last 4 miles: run 5 minutes, walk 1 minute.

I was pretty decked up with gadgets during this run: garmin 305, interval timer watch, and iPod. I also brought along a water bottle filled with 16oz of gatorade and took a gulp after every mile.

Maybe I should have ran more and walked less, I don't know. I think I just wanted to complete the 6 miles and end up feeling pretty good, which I did. My legs survived the pounding, no extraordinary pain of any sort.

July 3: Run 3 miles

Week 1 (third run): 3 miles

Friday (6:13am)
Distance: 3.10 miles
Duration: 38:47
Pace: 12:30/mile
Shoes: Nike Structure Triax+ 12
Weather: Partly cloudy, 17C, 94% humidity

Another early morning run, even earlier than the last morning run. This time I left my iPod at home. The use of iPods is discouraged during running events, so I thought I should start weaning myself off music during my training runs. It was quite tough since all I could hear was my labored breathing, I'd rather hear music!

The grass were wet with dew and my shoes and socks ended up being soaked as well.



I'm beginning to really like the Nike Structure Triax+ 12 a lot. I can still remember the intense pain they caused my right foot the first time I wore them. I was almost limping home after the run. And once I was home, I had to ice my foot and I was still limping around for a few hours. Now that I've broken them in, I have to say I feel pretty fast (or not so slow) in them.

July 1: Run 3 miles

Week 1 (second run): 3 miles



Wednesday (5:54pm)
Distance: 3.11 miles
Duration: 41:11
Pace: 13:15/mile
Shoes: Saucony Omni Ultimate 7
Weather: Mostly sunny, 25C, 62% humidity

I hadn't plan to run today. Today was my spinning day but only 2 persons turned up so the instructor canceled the class and gave us a free pass for another class instead. Came home and quickly went out for my second run of week 1. Instead of sticking to the roads, I decided to go on the trail (just for a different gps map photo). The trail has always proved difficult--all the hills and valleys. Look at the elevation "map" below.

June 30: Run 3 miles

Week 1 (first run): Run 3 miles



Tuesday (6:29am)
Distance: 3.0 miles
Duration: 38:43
Pace: 12:53/mile
Shoes: Asics GT2130 Trail
Weather: Mostly sunny, 18C, 40% humidity
Route: Tennis courts to the stadium and to the trail by the stream.

My first ever early morning run!

The evening's weather forecasts are always a little off so I decided to try and run in the morning and just get the marathon training run out of the way. Left the apartment at 6:20am and came home at 7:13am. I had to rush around to get ready and leave home for research work by 7:45am. Next time I'll need to leave earlier if I plan to keep up with the morning run routine.

June 21: Run 4 miles

Preliminary training program: Run 4 miles

Sunday (6:22pm)
Distance: 4.0 miles
Duration: 51:19
Pace: 12:49/mile
Shoes: Asics GT2130 Trail
Weather: Mostly sunny, 23C, 68% humidity
Route: Trail by the stream to the stadium, on the road all the way pass the tennis courts to the track and then back on the trail to the stream.



Whenever I decide to run without walking, I always end up going really slow because I don't want to burn out, but I still end up feeling like it's a lot of effort for such slow running. So today I decided to incorporate some short walks and a water stop during my run. I took three 30seconds walks (miles: 1.4, 2.2, and 3.1) and took a large gulp of water at the water fountain by the stadium (mile 1.4). I believe the water stop and walks helped me cope with the running mentally.



At first I thought I will follow the 16-week Non-Runner's Marathon Training but after reading some forums and checking out other beginner marathon training schedules, I think I'll use the Hal Higdon's Novice 1 18-week schedule instead. I like that the long runs progressively get longer for 2 consecutive weeks and then drop back a little during the 3rd consecutive week. There's some breathing room once in a while.

June 19: Run 5K

Preliminary training program: Run 5K



Friday (7:30pm)
Distance: 3.10 miles
Duration: 41:11
Pace: 13:15/mile
Shoes: Asics Foundation 8
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 22C, 71% humidity
Route: Trail by the stream to the stadium, round the soccer field, on the road all the way to the tennis courts
(Look at the awesome satellite view of my running path!)



I bought a cool new running gadget: the Garmin Forerunner 305 (GPS enabled trainer). Since I'll be slowly building up my miles I thought I should get something to make sure I am actually running those miles. Even though I have the Nike+iPod and I did calibrate the sensor at the running track, I wasn't sure how accurate that was.

So this evening, I happily charged up my new gadget, went out for a 5K run with both the old and the new running gadgets. To my somewhat horror I find out that I'm actually even slower than what I originally thought I was.

When the Nike+ congratulated me for running 5K (3.1 miles), the Garmin only registered 2.8 miles. I ended my run when the Garmin finally showed 3.1 miles, by then Nike+ registered 3.45 miles. The icing on the cake was when Paula Radcliffe (Nike+) congratulated me for running my fastest ever 5K at 37:02. But according to the Garmin, I actually completed the 5K in 41:11. Wow, what an expensive way to measure my slowness...

I should stop worrying about my speed or lack of it and just concentrate on staying healthy and injury-free all the way to the marathon finish line. What I really need to work on is to maintain an appropriate level of enthusiasm and not despair over the craziness of training to run 26.2 miles.

One last thing, I wore a pair of thicker socks with the Asics Foundation this time. No blister.

June 16: Run 5K

Preliminary training program: Run 5K



Tuesday (6:33pm)
Distance: 3.12 miles (5.01km)
Duration: 37min 32sec
Pace: 12min 2sec per mile
Shoes: Nike Structure Triax+ 12
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 18C, 72% humidity
Route: Tennis courts to the soccer field and back (mostly road running)

Great running weather today. Cloudy and cool. Unfortunately there was a graduation event happening at the arena so there were lots of cars in the area.

I used to run mostly on the cross-country trail but since the NYC marathon is a road race I had to switch to the road to get use to that.

June 14: Run 5K

Preliminary training program: Run 30 minutes



Sunday (6:33pm)
Distance: 3.11 miles (5K)
Duration: 36min 29sec
Pace: 11min 43sec per mile
Shoes: Asics Foundation 8
Weather: Mostly sunny, 23C, 63% humidity
Route: Trail by the stream to the soccer field to the tennis courts (trail/road running)

Instead of running 30 minutes, I was inspired to run 5K by a friend who just completed her first 5K yesterday.

I was rather surprised that my pace was exactly the same as my last run. Not sure if I was expecting a faster or slower run. At the very least, the beginning of each run feels a little easier now. There's this small steep hill by the stream that used to take my breath away (literally) but now I can chuck along up that hill and not feel like I have to stop and walk.

I also felt the beginning of a small blister on the arch of my right foot. Blame it on the shoe!

June 12: Run 30 minutes

Preliminary training program: Run 30 minutes



Friday (6:01pm)
Distance: 2.56 miles
Duration: 30min 2sec
Pace: 11min 43sec per mile
Shoes: Asics Foundation 8
Weather: Partly cloudy, 25C, 67% humidity
Route: Trail by the stream to the stadium to the tennis courts (trail/road running)

It's too sunny and there's this dark cloud to the west. It's too humid. Maybe I'll skip today's run and go out tomorrow morning instead. Let me check tomorrow morning's weather...7am, 18C, Humidity 81%...Hmmmm cooler but more humid. Maybe I'll try an early morning run. Set my alarm for 6am and be out running by 6:30am. Sounds like a good idea....NOT!

That's the battle I was fighting before I finally made myself go out for today's run. I doubt I'll wake up at 6am to run. At least not for the moment. Later on, when I have incredibly long long runs that will take me hours, I'll have to make myself wake up at 5:30am just so I can catch some cooler temperature.

It was mostly cloudy when I started the run and then halfway through the sun came out full force. The humidity plus the direct sunlight plus the heat rising from the ground made this run rather hard to bear. Definitely took some effort to finish the run. I was very glad when the 30 minutes was up.

June 9: Run 30 minutes

Preliminary training program: Run 30 minutes



Tuesday (3:08pm)
Distance: 2:52 miles
Duration: 30min 4sec
Pace: 11min 55sec per mile
Shoes: Asics GT2130 trail
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 23C, 75% humidity
Route: Trail by the stream to the stadium to the tennis courts (trail/road running)

Was undecided whether to run today. There was a heavy thunderstorm this morning and there's still heavy clouds in the sky. With the rain, the trails must be muddy and I don't like to run on muddy trails. Finally at 3pm, decided to just go out and catch the 30min run before the 4pm forecasted rain passes by. Got to learn to go out for my training runs in spite of the weather or mud.

Surprisingly, it wasn't muddy at all, just one muddy spot which I had to skip over. The air was really heavy. It was nice when the occasional breeze came by. The rain never came.

This run felt like it took less effort than previous runs.

NYC Marathon 2009

This is my NYC Marathon 2009 training blog.

I'll try my best to document my training runs. 146 days to go!

June 6: Run 30 minutes

Preliminary training program: Run 30 minutes



Saturday (7:38pm)
Distance: 3.13 miles
Duration: 37min 14sec
Pace: 11min 53sec per mile
Shoes: Nike Structure Triax+ 12
Weather: Sunny 23C
Route: Tennis court to the stadium and back (road running mostly)

I think I finally broke in the Nike Structure Triax+ 12. My right foot hurt really bad the first time I ran in them. I probably had the laces on too tight. After loosening the laces and spending several days walking around in them, they felt really nice. No more pain or discomfort while running in them. I like the road feel of this shoe.

Today's run was nice. Sunny and on the cool side. Managed to keep side stitches at bay.