Training report: Training week 14, 15 & 16, MURA Challenge68 Route LSD

After the communication and arrangement with the house chores on Saturday, I totally dive into the heat training sessions. This week, I started the Saturday training only 10am. I spent 3 hours under the hot sun and the body was doing fine for the first 20km. After that auto defenced mode turned on and the body was heading to wherever the shades were. The racing attire was confirmed from this training. The NIKE We Run 2011 short sleeve t-shirt plus 2XU compressed short.

Week 14	Program	Done	Remark
Mon	Easy 9.7km	Easy 4.3km
Tue	Strength 2x 5km	Strength 2x 5km	Shorter recovery
Wed	Rest	Rest
Thu	Tempo 14.5km	12.6km	11km in tempo pace
Fri	Easy 9.7km	5.1km
Sat	Easy 16.1km	27.5km	Started 10am,  heat
Sun	Easy 16.1km	22.1km	Hill training
Total Done		83km

Training week 15 started with an easy run. The strength training is getting tough too mainly due to the fatigue were yet recovered from the weekend training. Special agenda was arranged for Saturday as the Sunday Challenge 68 route LSD was postponed, I will be looping in the stadium at noon time for heat training! The ultra-lady Fujii planned to do some crazy 9 hours LSD for her coming 12 hours race, so I joined her for some fun in the UM track. Arrived the stadium around 12pm, but it was occupied by some other event. We only started around 2pm. First 5km I was sticking very hard to my 6min/km long run pace. But after that, I need to cool down in the toilet because the heart rate went above 165BPM. The heat was unbearable. I was probably thrown the white tower if I did this training alone. But now as there was someone else in the training, I had no choice but to continue. I was still managed the pace until 15km, until I ran into the wall. The stomach filled with too much of water/Gatorade and I can’t swallow any food. I was dried and emptied. I even struggled to run 1 complete lap of 400m track. Seriously I need to relook into my hydration strategy, in this kind of heat condition. Finally, 30km done and 4 hours gone, I called it a day. But the ultra-lady still continued strongly. She over took me around 18km and never looked back. Obviously I still need lots of training in order to embarking ultra-running.

Week 15	Program	Done	Remark
Mon	Easy12. 9km	4.3km
Tue	Strength 3x 3.3km	Strength 3x 3.3km
Wed	Rest	Rest
Thu	Tempo 14.5km	10.6km	9km in tempo pace
Fri	Easy 11.3km	Rest
Sat	Easy 12.9km	30.1km	Started 2pm @ UM
Sun	Long 25.8km	13.6km	Easy pace
Total Done		72km

I was traveling on business in week 16. No running for the 5 days cause I was having some light fever. In fact the whole family was downed by fever and flu. Reached home on Friday night and still got some light fever (37degC) before my short workout. Lucky, the body temperature dropped to normal that evening. Decided I will still join the MURA LSD in Genting Sempah. 

The training run started around 5:45am and took the Challenge68 race route. It was 17km descending, then u turn and heading back to where we started. My game plan for the actual race was to cover this section in 4 hours. Hence I flied down the descending with 5.6min/km pace and completed the way out in 1:40. The main challenge came after the u turn, 17km incline. I was still go on with the planned pace until 11km ascending. Shifted gears to try out the run-walk strategy and I decided to call it a day after completed total of 30km. Saved the best part for the actual race day. Walked back to where we started, with a training of 904m elevation gain in the bag. Overall this part of the route is very fun to run. I am glad that I joined this rehearsal because I will not able to enjoy the scene come the actual race day.

Week 16	Program	Done	Remark
Mon	Easy 9.7km	Rest	Sick
Tue	Strength 4x 2.5km	Rest	Sick
Wed	Rest	Rest	Sick
Thu	Tempo 16.1km	Rest	Sick
Fri	Easy 9.7km	Rest	Sick
Sat	Easy 16.1km	5.2km
Sun	Easy 16.1km	33.6km	MURA Route LSD
Total Done		39km

Now, with another 2 weeks to the race, I finalized my game plan. The 8 hours finishing time look realistic now and I am sure I will go out hard to get that.

Meanwhile, I also signed up another short race even, the Kuala Kangsar 15km run. This year, the date shifted to 29 November and heard some changes in the starting point too. But one thing not changed, the cheap registration fees, RM20 for 10km and 15km. With the finisher package are similar to a full marathon event, the cheap registration fees make it really attractive. This is one of the small town race that very well organized and highly recommended if you looking for something difference compared to the usual KL/Selangor races. Click on below link to register.

Play hard! Race hard!

Training report: Training week 12 & 13, Heat & Hills Training

With the ambitious to add in the evening run, I started week 12. But lately the evening rain ruined the plan. Also I made effort to spend time with the kids for them to pick up bicycle. So the evening run session now backed to the shelf. May be one day I will need it. The high light for the week was the first heat training. The Saturday long run completed between 8-11am. Been quite a while I didn’t run around under the 10am sun in Malaysia. Most of the races will finish by 8 to 9am. The body responded to the heat and I had to slow down to keep the core temperature low. I ran with the Nike 2011 Run t-shirt, compress short, cap and the sunglasses. Totally burned down by the heat and all I can do on Sunday was an easy 15km run.

Week 12	Program	Done	Remark
Mon	Easy 9.7km	Easy 9.5km	2 sessions
Tue	Strength 4x 2.5km	Strength 2x 2.5km	Not enough time for 3rd repeat
Wed	Rest	Rest
Thu	Tempo 14.5km	12.5km	11km in tempo pace
Fri	Easy 9.7km	6.4km
Sat	Easy 16.1km	23km	Started 8:15am
Sun	Easy 16.1km	15km
Total Done		75km

Training week 13 started with a day off to give extra time for body to recover from Saturday’s heat training. Did the Strength repeats and tempo run without any issue (except for not enough time to complete the planned distances as usual). Come weekend, I forgot how badly the heat training can be, and started another session on Saturday. This time, I started after sending the kids to their art class, 9:40am. The run continued to 12:30pm. I was going with long run pace for the first half. After 10k I had to drop to 6.5min pace, subsequently walking after 18k. I wanted to give up, but managed to convince myself to stay under the hot sun, checked 19k, 20k, 21k then 22k. I walked most of these last sections. Very slow, but the training objective achieved. I used the blue long sleeve t shirt from Seoul Marathon. Felt too hot under the sun and too heavy when soaked with sweat. I preferred to run lighter.  

Week 13	Program	Done	Remark
Mon	Easy12. 9km	Rest
Tue	Strength 3x 3.3km	Strength 3x 3.3km	Recovery cut short to 400m
Wed	Rest	Rest
Thu	Tempo 14.5km	11.8km	10km in tempo pace
Fri	Easy 11.3km	4.3km
Sat	Easy 12.9km	22.7km	Started 9:40am
Sun	Long 25.8km	22.2km	Triple Hills route
Total Done		73km

The body responded better to the heat this time. I still felt the heating impact on Sunday when I wanted to start the long run in triple hills route. I decided not to push, just took easy pace around 6.5min, and focus to concur the hills. The Petronas station at the Hartamas end reopened, but I didn’t plan for any replenishment. I ran with my 2x 500ml Gatorade bottles, one with water and the other 100Plus with chia seed. Had a great run and practiced some descending skill.

After this hills training, I think the Plan B for R68 is more realistic. I will find out myself on the MURA R68 route racee on 19 April (2nd part from Genting Sempah to Bentong hot spring). I was also doing few running sessions with the Bare Access to condition the legs to getting use to go with some shoes. I should be surviving with VFF, but after 20km they will be soaking with the sweat and very wet, causing potential blister issue. Bare Access on the other hand, very well ventilated, hopefully with the DryMax socks it will keep the feet dry.

Today the Osaka Marathon 2015 (25 Oct 2015, 3 weeks after SCKLM) opened for registration. I registered the marathon, but still not sure if I will actually joining. The entry will be selected with ballot system and announcement will be made on June. This is the 2nd largest marathon event in Japan (after Tokyo). With the Japanese currency weaken recently, running in Japan seem to be more affordable. May be this will be my first marathon in Japan if I was selected.

Meanwhile, 5 more weeks until the R68 challenge. There will be another set of back to back heat training plus hill training this weekend. Have fun!