PBIM 2009 : Here We Go !

My most anticipated race of the year and one that I actually diligently prepared the most for. I was in such a frenzy on Saturday in anticipation of the race that I got enough rest. I left in the wee hours of the morning to pick another few runners(i.e. Chiat & Apple) whom were running the race as well. These are seasoned two triathletes whom were participating in the race.

We reached about 1:00am and wandered around and deposited our bags. I was munching on my power bar and sipping on my GU dehydration mix. Somehow or rather I was feeling more dehydrated that I should eventhough I was sufficiently drink throughout Friday and Saturday. So it was weird to say the least.

Our Chief Minister Mr. Lim Guan Eng was gracious enough to be present to let the runners off for all categories, that was indeed a pleasant surprise. So after around 3:00 am, we were all lined up at the starting line. The Half Marathon category seemed to have quite the participation from all ages, it was large group to say the least.

At 3:30 am sharp, we were off, yippee !!! I was running with Chiat and another of his friends. Apple and her running partner were scheduled to start 15 minutes later. We started turning into the bridge when I started feeling a sharp pain on my Achilles on my left leg, this persisted all the way. At the 19mile, the pain was too overwhelming and I had to resort to walking/running for the last 3 miles :(.

My fueling strategy did not quite work up to my expectations as I did not stop at any water station and relied solely at my water bottles. Something not right somewhere, need to revisit this. When I reached the finish line, its was nice to see Chiat and Apple cheering me on to finish strong. I crossed the mat and heard the beep beep but at the same time my heart sank.

I was really disappointed with the outcome as I put a lot of time into my training. One part of part of me was sad but another part was searching to look at what went wrong and see how the next time could be a different experience altogether. Nevertheless it was a fun experience being able to run along side other friends and enjoying the true spirit of the marathon !

My Results : 2:58:48 (Champion Chip Net Time)

Half Marathon Video by http://runwitme.blogspot.com

Well its back to the drawing board to carve the next the big plan for 2010 , till then the adventure continues ! :)

Nike+ Enhancements, Love it !

The new Nike+ Enhancement looks great ! :) , caught me by surprised when I uploaded my training data to Nike+, smooth interface, more granular look into your runs. Still some quirks though (i.e. Twitter integration issues) but it time is should be fixed. A much welcomed change and improvement to the Nike+ site. Looking forward to more enhancements

USM-Bukit 5 Miler Route

Rest Days by Bart Yasso

Run Fast, Run Strong by Bart Yasso

Newton Gravity : First Impressions !

My new trainers have arrived as I am retiring my NIKE's from the running scene. It's my NEWTON Gravity ! I loved the packaging(i.e. recycleable box that it came with, very nice indeed ! :) It's was supposed to arrive tomorrow but I thrilled when I received today. Definately a double bottomline company ! Kudos to the NEWTON Team !

The color is quite striking though, would have preferred some lighter tones, maybe its a good thing who knows ! ;) I took it out for a run and could immediately feel the difference, feels a bit weird though but I believe I need some time to get adjusted to the LAND-LEVER-LIFT fore-foot running.

Took for a 4 mile run as per my TrainingPeaks.com schedule as I am preparing for a Half Marathon in November, perfect timing ! New training schedule + new shoes, looking forward to good times ;) I enjoyed the run as well as noted the change in feel on my foot striking the ground. I was still somewhat using my heels a fair bit but in I believe it will change as my running gait needs to be re-adjusted to accomodate the fore-foot running mechanism.

As for the shoe itself, it was not as comfortable as my NIKEs but the cushion was alright I guess. Another concern that I had that it was a bit tight on the fore foot side because I have a pretty wide feet. I have more than enough space in toe box though. I think this one is a feedback back to makers and hope in the future they will make some provision for "wide foots".

It's a good start I must say but its still early to give a concrete review, looking forward to my longer runs :) Should you be interested in getting a pair browse on over to > Quick Sports under the Footware Section but visit Newton Running website first ;)

Hydration and its Importance !