Running Free: Barefoot Running Redux

This morning, after our swim group was requested to vacate the lagoon in Sentosa Island (after three laps of 400-450m), we opted for a short 4K-plus run. Since a few of the runners were keen to explore barefoot running, Vijay, Kumar, Dennis and I chose to run barefoot. Dennis was comfortable in his cool-looking Vibrams Five Fingers (VFF) running shoes, and he demonstrated how he has embraced the natural style of running light. This generous man was part of an entourage that recently ran alongside Kirsten in her 10-hour, road-to-recovery Sundown Marathon.

In my private sharing with a small group during Saturday’s lagoon swim, I showed how running light was possible and made more comfortable. I also demonstrated how high-cadence tempo running (of unshod runners) could match that of shod runners. Here are some key points for your edification:

1)    Pool running (between chest and groin level) can be a safe substitute for barefoot running. No shoes.

2)    With pool running, you can vary your cadence (feet turnover) while running on the spot. I have generated up to 130 footfalls per foot per minute. Also, running at groin-level water simulates running on hills/shoreline (upon your entry/exit from the water). Chest-high water allows you to pump your arms harder while earning higher-cadence steps.

3)    In barefoot running, land as naturally as you feel. Keep low. You will rarely land on your heels, as this can hurt.

4)    When running barefoot, avoid running on your toes. Physical therapists, Nate Carlson shared with me that fractured toes are the common injury he has treated with barefoot runners. Instead, run at the ball of your toes (foot-bed, where you pedal off) or mid-sole.

5)    It is alright to land on your heels, provided that your feet roll forwards onto the forefeet.

6)    Lean forward slightly to gain more advantage with gravity and its accompanying increase in cadence.

7)    Increase cadence slightly, and you increase speed and intensity.

8)    Shoes are necessary as a means of handling both physical impacts on the feet, as well as protecting them from injury (through punctures and open wounds).

When you study the running gait of Ironman world champions, Chrissy Wellington & Rinnie Carfrae; the former takes smaller steps with higher cadence, while the latter takes wider strides and lower cadence. Top female Singaporean runners, Vivien and Anne parallel Wellington and Carfare. What I have observed about world-class marathoners from Kenya and Ethiopia is that they may have begun their running careers with barefoot and light running, however progressed towards a more bouncy and wider strides. That is where the role of running shoes comes into serious play. Running as rapidly (3 minutes/K) pace is just hard on the pure barefoot runner.

Monday Is The Day To Draw Up The Lists

To list, or not to list – that is the question.

Lists are points of attention, or contention. If you write a Pros/Cons list, you are weighing the benefits/risks or advantages/disadvantages. It gives us a balance sheet of how we can audit our lives for actions to take. As written some time ago, you can design lists for ‘To-Do’, Traveling list, or a Bucket List. Most of our lists revolve around things/tasks to do. We merely tick off (de-list) upon completion of each challenge or mundane activity. Whatever remains on our lists should be completed or we invite procrastination. You can draw lists as a mind map, or a traditional left/right column listing. Just remember to activate it with a dateline and priority of action. As endurance athletes, we also draw up a list of the races we would like to do, then assign a ranking of ‘A-race’ for the most important ones, and regress with a ‘B’ and ‘C’ rating.

Our organised lives revolve around lists, and this is unavoidable. This article from the Harvard Business Review suggests designing two lists to help you operate in your landscape of your lifestyle

*****

I ran hard home for the last three kilometres. Reckon I should buy this photograph? It seems to show off my white-hair well. (Credit: Marathon-Photos.com)

On another note, the official results of my Saturday past-midnight race can best be described in pictures. As my Coach, ‘Fox’ predicted I did earn a sub-1 hour 40 minutes completion time. In fact, my timing for the 10K mark was slightly faster than my tempo run with Fox the day before the race. Despite running on slightly ‘spent’ legs, I was still fit enough to do my trial run/speed training within 30 hours of recovery, and bag a top-1 percent ranking. I assure you that my thighs are now noticeably sore; a remindful testament to Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), or the badge of honour of racing hard. A few more long runs, and tempo sets should give me the legs I need for Ironman Switzerland in July (second and last Ironman on my 2012 list). Dr Kua Harn Wei has offered to guide me through to a 3:50 marathon in Zurich, although I will need to be holistic in my approach within the next six weeks. I was dressed in my two-piece, triathlon race-attire as I always simulate racing in Ironman conditions. Thankfully, this reliable set yielded minimal abrasions.

Charted results of my Sundown Marathon performance.

A Very Wet Sundown Marathon 2012

This morning, I completed my 21K race at the Sundown Marathon. The day before, I ran a tempo run with my coach Craig ‘Fox’ Holland, who was in town on business. He advised me to treat it as a training session, taking it easy for 10K, cranking it up slightly for 6K more, and then winding it up for the last 5K. I am pleased to announce that my plan was executed closely, and I returned a 1:38:55 (nett timing), far better than the 1:45 I was aiming for. My negative split was a bonus as it is hard to do so, unless you pay close attention to your pacing and racing tactics. Dr Phil Maffetone categorises racing as anaerobic workouts, which requires slight more recovery time.

Preliminary Results.

Due to lightning and the eventual heavy rain (torrential downpour), the music and announcements were, momentarily, discontinued. The international emcee and ‘Voice of Ironman Asia’, Whit Raymond apologized for not calling me in. I appreciated his presence, as also that of Adrian Mok, co-organiser (Hi-Velocity) and uber-triathlete/marathoner. The race met Category 1 conditions (meaning highest lightning-risk) and urged participants to seek shelter where possible. Participants were sent a thoughtful but serious text message to seek shelter.

My Garmin data for the entire half-marathon. On-target for my Ironman marathon.

I spent the next hour chatting, firstly, with Terrence D'Silva and then with Singapore Blade Runner (and coterie). Shariff, who is physically-challenged on one leg did his 10K in a commendable one hour. He recently completed the prestigious Boston Marathon. I noticed many new faces in the refreshment tent, and it is suggestive of the growth of endurance sports among the masses. The Singapore Sports Council’s initiative of ‘Sports For All’ seems successful in the past decade, with large subscriptions for local-branded races like the Singapore Marathon, Sundown Marathon, Army Half-Marathon, Yellow Ribbon Run, Mount Faber Run, and the wide mix of triathlons including the Ironman 70.3.

Published results of actual winners on that rainy morning. This time, I am still behind Lim Baoying (Dr) and Rachel See (21K Women's Open).

Congratulations to Ironman Chris Smith for completing the marathon. That means he has completed his last longest run before our Ironman Switzerland challenge. I still have my work cut out for me in the next six weeks, and need to be smart in my workouts. My nutritional plan seems reliable, with no gastro-intestinal (GI) distress. This morning, I subsisted on water and electrolytes at the aid-stations, with a pre-race protein drink (breakfast) and Hammer Nutrition’s Perpeteum Solids (tablets).

Additional considerations for runners doing a night race include:

1)    Take smaller steps in dim lighting conditions.

2)    Walk, if the terrain is grassy, wet or bumpy.

3)    Be cognizant and aware of other runners when you race with musical devices.

Have yourself a very happy Sunday!

Running Past Your Bedtime

The annual, marquee event – the Sundown Marathon – is less than a week away. For those who are racing, here are tips and cautionary notes (by seasoned and experienced runners) for running at the most humid time of the day in Singapore. Dr Ben Tan opined from experience that, running at 1-3am can be most challenging and risky to those who intend to push harder.

Melvin How: I hate running past midnight because I miss my much-needed beauty sleep. Anyway, how humid it is will depend on the period before the race, as I run better if the ambient temperature different is more than 10 degrees, i.e. lower than my body temperature as heat-load is a critical issue for runners, unlike cycling where the faster speeds cools the body. Pre-race hydration is definitely more important. as drinking too much during race is going to lead to feeling bloated. With higher effort to run, refueling with energy gels will be crucial to keep the body moving as the calories utilization will be much higher even at the same pace on a cooler day. For night race, past the sleeping time, it is best to forget about getting a PB.

Dr Derek Li: ‘Do not skip water-stations for the first half, preferably for the first two-thirds of the race. Drink, frequently, as early as 2km into the race. I personally take an energy-gel every 30 minutes. Stick to water for the first hour, then switch to isotonic (electrolyte) drinks thereafter. Finally, PB is never achieved by positive-splitting (meaning: run fast for the first-half, then slower for the second-half).

KK Chin: Agreed with Ben Tan on the humidity, nowadays. Personally, I have also experienced it during my evening run recently. Just for an hour run, I can easily bottle up a 1.5 litre of H2O as I was sweating profusely. Anyway, it is good to hydrate yourself sufficiently throughout this night race. Who knows you might need to double your usual hydration intake. If you don’t mind losing a few minutes to refill your water-bag, you can carry a small Camelbak or additional water bottles. As for energy gels or equivalent, just practise what you have been doing during training. Never try anything new during the race. After 3am, the weather might be cooler to run but your body fatigues, or sleepiness might kick in. That's when you will execute your own mind-over-body strategies. As I have seen in my past ultra races, different people will have different ways to get over their wall by moving at this critical stage. By and large, pacing still plays a very important role, especially in the first half. In the second half, your form will be very much dependent on various external & internal factors. To me, getting PB or not, is secondary. If I do, it will definitely be a bonus. The most important thing for me is to finish strong at the end of the race. 

Nothing Beats Your First Time!

100K of nocturnal pounding on the pavement: That was what my friends did with hundreds of other ultra-marathoners at this morning’s Sundown Ultra-marathon. Last year's third-place finisher, Robson Phan (who I shared a photo-finish with, at last year’s Beer Run), braving gastrointestinal issues at the 53K (after holding a 10K/h pace, completed it in under-11 hours (and a 7^th placing). Apparently, his pre-race meal of sweet potatoes did not agree with him on the second-half of the race.

Congratulations to sleep-deprived, Lap Huan, Charlotte (for placing second), Winston and Wilson (93K is two marathons-plus) for their personal attempts! Congratulations to Mika Kume for her podium placing in the Masters’s category, and to Sumiko Tan for her win in the Women’s Open section. Mika out-ran me at last year’s 84K night challenge, much to my honour.

As I read the real-time reports on Facebook (courtesy of iPhone users), I was thinking about these brave athletes. Running in the evening is very harsh on the body, considering the fact that there was high humidity (almost 100 percent) and scarcity of breeze. It rained in the morning, so the air was thick with excitement and water vapour. The race flagged off at the Marina Barrage at 6.00pm, and the route covered the entire eastern part of Singapore. I was also a little disappointed at not racing this year’s marathon, although I swore I would never do it again (soon).  With next week’s Gold Coast Marathon looming, I had to rest up my legs to stay fresh for a potential PB. An ultra-marathon takes too long to recover, and a week does not cut if I was seeking a second Boston Qualifier (BQ). At my current fitness, I believe that I could have completed the 100K in about 11 hours. No loss for fantasizing!

The results came in fast and furious through social media, mainly iPhone reports, Facebook posts and the occasional tweets. For those of us who decided to support our running mates (not political, mind you), we cheered them on – much to their appreciation. My friends (like Charles of AniMiles) drove to specific locations along the official route, and either offered cold drinks and coffee, and even leg massages (Reese of Crazy2Tri supporting Lawrence). Running a night ultra-marathon is a very lonely proposition made more memorable with cheerful friends, excited over your own challenge and celebration.

I wish you the very best on your next challenge. Read about John Cooke's new racing experience.

Leadership Lesson: What was it like completing your first challenge? How does it feel to accomplish something seemingly impossible? How grateful are you of your supporters?

‘Twas the Night Before The Race

The 24-48 hours before a long endurance race is crucial. Being mindful of your last days of preparation matter as much as the months of training preceding the race. Here are pre-race considerations that may spell the difference for a tough or tougher race.

1)    Lay out your race attire: race-bib, race-belt/fuel-belt, champion chip, water-pouch, visor, shoes and socks.

2)    Ensure that you have adequate calories through energy-gels and energy-bars. You can store bottles of energy-gels in the refrigerator overnight. If you like, you can mark volume (one serving) levels with a permanent-marker.

3)    Bring salt-tablets in case you suffer electrolyte-related cramps. Store them in a Ziploc bag.

4)    Pack your special needs bag if one is available with extra race attire, towel, and caloric assistance.

5)    Smear Vaseline or body lubricant (when you dress up) to reduce chaffing or abrasions.

6)    Have the most sleep at least two nights before. Pre-race anxiety usually robs you of restful sleep.

7)    Hydrate fully 24 hours ahead of time. Drink enough fluids including sports drinks.

8)    Avoid spicy or irritating foods and condiments. Avoid high-fibre food 24 hours before the Big Dance as gastro-intestinal (GI) issues may surface due to abdominal massaging effect.

9)    Clear your bowels as often and as much as you can, including before the race.

10) Stretch your muscles, and avoid deep tissue massage within 48 hours of the race. Raise your legs and stay off your feet as much as you can the night before. If overseas, no shopping the day before!

All the best to those attempting the adidas Sundown Marathon 100K run on Saturday evening. A big shout out to Victor Chan and Ng Lap Huan! Enjoy your long night out, and more aerobic efficiency to you.