Finally I get to run in my first race of 2011. It's been quite slow ths year, well, I would've ran in my first race early ths month @ Bareno, but I had to skip that one becoz I had to go kayaking in Langkawi. I've never run more than a half marathon, so 26km, although just 5 km longer than a standard half marathon distance, is gonna be challenging. After I came back from Langkawi I did a 23km LSD just to prepare myself for the distance. I did that in a little under 3 hrs, averaging around 7:38. My race plan was to go easy (somewhat) in the 1st half, then push up to my half marathon goal pace in the 2nd half. Good enuff I guess.
Trip to Penang
I went to Penang with Azam, we've been running pretty much together in races since early 2010. We've agreed to share the hotel room, along with Chin Leong, another runner from the LY Net forum. Chin Leong would meet up with us @ Penang while I drove from KL with Azam.
It was raining pretty much all the way from Ipoh I think.. & the rain didn't stop in Penang. It was raining when we collected the racekit, & it didn't stop until we went out for dinner at about 8pm. As soon as we checked into the room, we went out for lunch, I was starving, Azam as well & we went to town. After that I was just trying to get as much rest as I can, but it was difficult coz my stomach was so full. Nevertheless, I did manage an hour's powernap.
For dinner we went to Padang Kota. Penang is known for it's very winding & confusing roads, so I was lucky Azam was there as my navigator, we found most places in a matter of mins. It started raining again while we were having dinner... I had RM8 worth of pasembur, one of Penang's signature food. On the way back we stopped at a petrol station to buy some food for breakfast.
The Race
It was still raining when I went to bed, but luckily it stopped when we got up. The starting point was just a walking distance from our hotel. But I guess we were among the last runners to leave the hotel..
My race plan was simple. As I wanted to treat this race as a race-sim, I'd spend the 1st half in a comfortable pace, then push to race pace after the halfway mark. In total there was less than a thousand runners, so the crowd seemed so small. When we went out for dinner, we saw the course markings & thought the course would be flat. We were dead wrong. About 3km into the race, we hit the biggest, longest climb I've ever ran in a race. It was about a kilometer & half long... It reminded me of my days racing in Penang. Penang race was my favorite race becos of the climbs. I didn't have much problem tackling the climbs, I didn't push that hard.
The halfway point was at the Esplanade. The sky was just about to open up when we got there. But it did for just a moment so all was well. & I really opened up to my half marathon goal pace once past the halfway point. But the bad thing was that I was only able to maintain that pace for maybe 6K, then I slowed a bit & when I hit the 21K mark I was virtually slamming on the brakes. Not a strange thing but, my limit seemed to be 21K... after that I realized that I had another 5K to go & I was starting to wobble badly... so bad that I had to walk for maybe 2-3K...something I've never done in a race.
It was a lesson learned with great pain. But after the race I guess it was okay. I got to the finish line alone... & the announcer said,"Here comes a runner, on green shoes with matching green tops !" Hahah... it was really funny. The skies really did open up as soon as I finished my post race meal, so we had to stay there until the rain stopped. Azam had finished about 5 mins earlier & Chin Leong got to the finish in 3hrs plus...
All in all it was a good trip to Penang & although I really suffered in the last 5K, I think I'ma come back nxt year.
Livestrong.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
The urge to venture into multievent sport..
Ever since I can remember being in a competitive sport, I've always been involved in several sports at the same time. But currently of course I've been focusing on running as my main sport, but at the same time I do play badminton, I still can hold my own in basketball & of course swimming & weightlifting have been part of my routine.
I'm pretty big & well-built for a runner. In fact, most ppl dun really believe that I run in half marathons. & since I am a pretty good swimmer, ppl thought that I was a triathlete. My previous involvement in cycling made that possibility even stronger. Some of my friends, especially those who knew me as a cyclist before, encouraged me to venture into triathlon. I would've.. & I think that if I hadn't sold my bike back in 2001, I would've been involved in triathlon.
Triathlon is a combo of 3 very challenging events : swim, bike & run. There are several distances for a triathlon event: the sprint, olympic & ironman. The sprint is the shortest distance, 750m swim, 40K bike & 10K run. The Olympic is as the name suggested, is the distance competed during the Olympics : 1.5K swim, 80K bike & 21K run. The Ironman is the most challenging of all, especially since the world championships has always been held in Kona, Hawaii : 3K swim, 180K bike & a full marathon. Just to run a full marathon is an achievement in itself, imagine the what a challenge it would be to run a full marathon after swimming for 3K & being on the bike for 6 hrs... extraordinary.
My weakest leg would be the swimming. While I'm a pretty good swimmer, a strong one I am not. I couldn't last 200m continuously. Maybe with training I can. I dun think the bike leg would give me any problems, but still, I need to train.
Perhaps the biggest problem is I dun have a bike. Bikes nowadays costs an arm & a leg. RM4000 would proly get U a mediocre steel/aluminium frame with entry level Shimano Sora/Tiagra components. If I'm lucky maybe I can find some bikes with SRAM Red parts. I dunno how good the bikes can be & to invest that much on a bike.. well, I need to do some CAF.
Recently though, I've been reading articles about duathlon. This is for me a much more doable sport as it consists of run, bike, run. I was researching about its popularity in the country. The event has the support of a pretty big corporation : Malakoff. Malakoff has been organizing events in th country & the biggest event is the Malakoff duathlon in Lumut. It also organizes the Duathlon University championships, consisting 3 or more events throughout the year. If I wanna invest in a RM4000 bike, I wanna make sure there's enuff events for me. & 4-5 events a year sounds just fine.
What fascinates me about this multievent sports is the ages of the participants. In the recently concluded Ironman World Championships, the winner was 38 years old & more than 60% of the participants are 35 or older. I'm gonna be 35 this year. Of course my target have always been to run in a full marathon by next year, which is a definite possibility, insya Allah. So the question now remains : shud I buy a bike ?
When & if that happens, competing in duathlons are a very interesting & definite prospect.
Livestrong.
I'm pretty big & well-built for a runner. In fact, most ppl dun really believe that I run in half marathons. & since I am a pretty good swimmer, ppl thought that I was a triathlete. My previous involvement in cycling made that possibility even stronger. Some of my friends, especially those who knew me as a cyclist before, encouraged me to venture into triathlon. I would've.. & I think that if I hadn't sold my bike back in 2001, I would've been involved in triathlon.
Triathlon is a combo of 3 very challenging events : swim, bike & run. There are several distances for a triathlon event: the sprint, olympic & ironman. The sprint is the shortest distance, 750m swim, 40K bike & 10K run. The Olympic is as the name suggested, is the distance competed during the Olympics : 1.5K swim, 80K bike & 21K run. The Ironman is the most challenging of all, especially since the world championships has always been held in Kona, Hawaii : 3K swim, 180K bike & a full marathon. Just to run a full marathon is an achievement in itself, imagine the what a challenge it would be to run a full marathon after swimming for 3K & being on the bike for 6 hrs... extraordinary.
My weakest leg would be the swimming. While I'm a pretty good swimmer, a strong one I am not. I couldn't last 200m continuously. Maybe with training I can. I dun think the bike leg would give me any problems, but still, I need to train.
Perhaps the biggest problem is I dun have a bike. Bikes nowadays costs an arm & a leg. RM4000 would proly get U a mediocre steel/aluminium frame with entry level Shimano Sora/Tiagra components. If I'm lucky maybe I can find some bikes with SRAM Red parts. I dunno how good the bikes can be & to invest that much on a bike.. well, I need to do some CAF.
Recently though, I've been reading articles about duathlon. This is for me a much more doable sport as it consists of run, bike, run. I was researching about its popularity in the country. The event has the support of a pretty big corporation : Malakoff. Malakoff has been organizing events in th country & the biggest event is the Malakoff duathlon in Lumut. It also organizes the Duathlon University championships, consisting 3 or more events throughout the year. If I wanna invest in a RM4000 bike, I wanna make sure there's enuff events for me. & 4-5 events a year sounds just fine.
What fascinates me about this multievent sports is the ages of the participants. In the recently concluded Ironman World Championships, the winner was 38 years old & more than 60% of the participants are 35 or older. I'm gonna be 35 this year. Of course my target have always been to run in a full marathon by next year, which is a definite possibility, insya Allah. So the question now remains : shud I buy a bike ?
When & if that happens, competing in duathlons are a very interesting & definite prospect.
Livestrong.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Training revisited
Beginning February I've started my half marathon training, with the target being going below 2hrs & the targetted race is 2011 Energizer Nite Race which will be held in .. or shud I say, around the Sepang F1 circuit. Although after a couple of years racing, the ideal course to target a personal best is Setia Alam, I was cautious about having that as a target event. Why ? Becoz as of today, no date has been set for that race. Although traditionally, it's always been around April or May. But then again, once I reached the peak of my training, which shud be around mid April, I'd reckon that I can hold that form for about 2 months. Hopefully I can do exactly that. If that happens, then I can still target Setia Alam, which has grown to become my favorite hunting ground so far.
I'm now into the end of the 4th week of the program, which takes 10 weeks to complete. The issue is dividing between running & weights. I'm also into Week 4 of my weight training program, which is divided into 2 phases of 4 weeks each. After the end of the 4th week, I'll take a week's break from lifting. Currently my program is being laid out like this:
Monday : Intervals
Tuesday : Rest
Wednesday : Weights
Thursday : Tempo run
Friday : weights
Saturday : Long
Sunday : rest
After a month I found that my rest days are too close together & by Friday I've become really tired from all the weights & road pounding. Also, having to run tempo immediately after a very intense weight session is taking it's toll on my body. Yesterday I was supposed to run 25 mins tempo at 10K goal pace. While I was able to complete 25 mins, the pace was nowhere near my 10K goal pace. Why ? Becoz I felt really stiff in my lowerback & legs.. result of almost 200lbs of deadlifts, split squats & also reverse lunges I did the day before. So after the very frustrating run yesterday, I began to rethink my program layout. This is what I've come out with :
Monday : Weights
Tuesday : Intervals
Wednesday : Rest
Thursday : Tempo run
Friday : weights
Saturday : Long
Sunday : rest
So the changes is on Monday & Tuesday. Although I still have to do the intervals after the weights on Monday, I think it's better this way. Becoz now my program is spread out 2-1-3-1, with the rest days more evenly spread out throughout the week. Intervals are mostly short sprints or mile-repeats at most, so stiff muscles shudn't be a problem. But still, I'ma test it out beginning next week & hopefully this will yield a better result.
I did my Polar VO2 max test last week & I'm still in my 58s, which is good. & the weights I'm lifting, is the heaviest I've ever lifted, thanks to a better understanding of breathing technique & a better form. Nevertheless, I'd welcome the week's break from lifting, to give my body time to develop & grow.
Good luck & Livestrong.
I'm now into the end of the 4th week of the program, which takes 10 weeks to complete. The issue is dividing between running & weights. I'm also into Week 4 of my weight training program, which is divided into 2 phases of 4 weeks each. After the end of the 4th week, I'll take a week's break from lifting. Currently my program is being laid out like this:
Monday : Intervals
Tuesday : Rest
Wednesday : Weights
Thursday : Tempo run
Friday : weights
Saturday : Long
Sunday : rest
After a month I found that my rest days are too close together & by Friday I've become really tired from all the weights & road pounding. Also, having to run tempo immediately after a very intense weight session is taking it's toll on my body. Yesterday I was supposed to run 25 mins tempo at 10K goal pace. While I was able to complete 25 mins, the pace was nowhere near my 10K goal pace. Why ? Becoz I felt really stiff in my lowerback & legs.. result of almost 200lbs of deadlifts, split squats & also reverse lunges I did the day before. So after the very frustrating run yesterday, I began to rethink my program layout. This is what I've come out with :
Monday : Weights
Tuesday : Intervals
Wednesday : Rest
Thursday : Tempo run
Friday : weights
Saturday : Long
Sunday : rest
So the changes is on Monday & Tuesday. Although I still have to do the intervals after the weights on Monday, I think it's better this way. Becoz now my program is spread out 2-1-3-1, with the rest days more evenly spread out throughout the week. Intervals are mostly short sprints or mile-repeats at most, so stiff muscles shudn't be a problem. But still, I'ma test it out beginning next week & hopefully this will yield a better result.
I did my Polar VO2 max test last week & I'm still in my 58s, which is good. & the weights I'm lifting, is the heaviest I've ever lifted, thanks to a better understanding of breathing technique & a better form. Nevertheless, I'd welcome the week's break from lifting, to give my body time to develop & grow.
Good luck & Livestrong.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Rezeki anak
The past few weeks have been very interesting for me & my wife of course. I've been able to restructure my financial commitments to the point that we have nothing to pay for monthly.. well, at least nothing major.. except for my personal loan & car, the rest are just normal utility bills. This is what ppl call rezeki anak, & I certainly am very thankful to Allah for everything that has happened.
The Batmobile
I still have problems believing that I'm driving a new car, & although that car is not really my dream car, which is Mazda 6, it is still my kinda car, sport-sedan. Of course, for someone who's been driving a beaten-down Iswara before, to drive this car now is like a dream come true. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning & open the front door to see my Batmobile, I still can't believe my eyes that the car is in my front porch.
The car's been great. I've yet to fix the spoiler, I hope to be able to do that this weekend. I believe with the spoiler will give the car that rally-car look. I've always liked rally cars, no doubt about that.
Expensive lesson learned.
I bought a New Balance 759 shoes a couple of months ago. At that time I was really optimistic about the shoes & the fit. But even after almost 100km I still couldn't adjust to it & in the end I concluded that the toebox is just too wide. My toes had too much play & that's made me feel very uncomfortable up front, especially on long runs. My toes really hurt after long training runs, something I've never experienced before. So I went back to my Newtons & instantly the problems disappear.
I thought I'd taken everything into consideration before deciding on that shoes. I did, but the mistake was to buy the same size as my other shoes, which had normal width toebox. The 759 had 2E toebox, so I shud've bought a size or half a size smaller. That would've settled it. Now I'm using my RM320 shoes just for easy runs, becoz during easy runs I'll go easy & it's less than an hour, so my toes won't hurt that much.
After that very expensive mistake, I think I'll just stick to what works for me. That is, I'ma buy the same shoes so that I dun have to take time to adjust to the fit of a new shoes. So I'ma buy another Newton, to be used as my race shoes. I know Newton works.
During my 2-mile interval yesterday, I was using my old Adizero Ace. I thought that even after almost 300km the shoe still performs admirably. & I began to compare it to my new Asics Hyperspeed 3. The Asics is lighter of course, but it didn't have that spring in the form of Adidas Torsion plate. I had a very pleasant run with that Torsion plate in place, it helps propel my feet forward. With the Asics there was no such assistance, I had to carry my feet forward.
I think I'ma stop experimenting with shoes & just stick to what is tried & tested. It's kinda expensive for me to try new shoes & the result is uncertain. So, I've decided to stick to Newtons for long distance & Adizero Ace for short ones. Tht shud do it.
Pregnancy
Yesterday I went to HUKM with my wife for her regular check up. The baby is now almost 15 weeks old. & the baby is in perfect health. Scans show that my wife had a lump called fibroid in the womb, but the doc assured that it's normal. Okay. well, 21 weeks to go...
The Batmobile
I still have problems believing that I'm driving a new car, & although that car is not really my dream car, which is Mazda 6, it is still my kinda car, sport-sedan. Of course, for someone who's been driving a beaten-down Iswara before, to drive this car now is like a dream come true. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning & open the front door to see my Batmobile, I still can't believe my eyes that the car is in my front porch.
The car's been great. I've yet to fix the spoiler, I hope to be able to do that this weekend. I believe with the spoiler will give the car that rally-car look. I've always liked rally cars, no doubt about that.
Expensive lesson learned.
I bought a New Balance 759 shoes a couple of months ago. At that time I was really optimistic about the shoes & the fit. But even after almost 100km I still couldn't adjust to it & in the end I concluded that the toebox is just too wide. My toes had too much play & that's made me feel very uncomfortable up front, especially on long runs. My toes really hurt after long training runs, something I've never experienced before. So I went back to my Newtons & instantly the problems disappear.
I thought I'd taken everything into consideration before deciding on that shoes. I did, but the mistake was to buy the same size as my other shoes, which had normal width toebox. The 759 had 2E toebox, so I shud've bought a size or half a size smaller. That would've settled it. Now I'm using my RM320 shoes just for easy runs, becoz during easy runs I'll go easy & it's less than an hour, so my toes won't hurt that much.
After that very expensive mistake, I think I'll just stick to what works for me. That is, I'ma buy the same shoes so that I dun have to take time to adjust to the fit of a new shoes. So I'ma buy another Newton, to be used as my race shoes. I know Newton works.
During my 2-mile interval yesterday, I was using my old Adizero Ace. I thought that even after almost 300km the shoe still performs admirably. & I began to compare it to my new Asics Hyperspeed 3. The Asics is lighter of course, but it didn't have that spring in the form of Adidas Torsion plate. I had a very pleasant run with that Torsion plate in place, it helps propel my feet forward. With the Asics there was no such assistance, I had to carry my feet forward.
I think I'ma stop experimenting with shoes & just stick to what is tried & tested. It's kinda expensive for me to try new shoes & the result is uncertain. So, I've decided to stick to Newtons for long distance & Adizero Ace for short ones. Tht shud do it.
Pregnancy
Yesterday I went to HUKM with my wife for her regular check up. The baby is now almost 15 weeks old. & the baby is in perfect health. Scans show that my wife had a lump called fibroid in the womb, but the doc assured that it's normal. Okay. well, 21 weeks to go...
Friday, January 7, 2011
Training benchmark
Let me tell what I think about intensity & training.
I've been involved in sports for more than half of my 35 years living on this earth. I've been involved in competitive sports, up until the highest regional level, & now I consider myself a fitness enthusiast & I still play some games just for fun although the bulk of my activity consist of running & weights. I've always been interested in sports science & have always applied sports science in whatever sports I'm playing.
There's no right or wrong methods when it comes to training. But there are some fitness myths & urban legends I'd say, some which are totally incorrect. Some methods work for some ppl, it might not work for some ppl. Some believe in high intensity training, some dun. There are millions of studies dome by reputable institutions. But those studies sometimes are done with specific samples, & most of them are done by countries like Australia, USA, European countries which are already far ahead of us in terms of sports science. & the results for those studies normally are never concrete or set in stone, they are merely suggestions. If U read these studies U'll notice the word "suggest" & its derivatives used extensively.
Back in the early 90s the belief is that to burn more fat U have to exercise at 60% of Ur max heart rate. Then when there were more improvements in the technology, we discovered that max heart rate is not a correct benchmark to be used in training or exercising, they came out with AT or anaerobic threshold, the point where human body is in the state of oxygen-debt. Then some scientists suggest that LT or Lactate Threshold is a better benchmark. LT is the point where our muscles began to produce lactic acid. This benchmark was used by the 1996 US Olympic team in their training. so which one is correct ?
I believe that if U want quick results & if Ur an athlete, high intensity is the way to go. But I shud warn that high intensity is not for everybody, merely becoz of the punishment it gives to Ur body. & it might be very demotivating for some ppl. So for these ppl, it's perfectly okay to go slow, at 60% of Ur max heart rate. This will work for working ppl, ppl who just wanna do something to burn excess energy or fat. But the trade off is the effect might be so slow that by the time U notice it, U've began to counter the effects by eating, etc.
Perhaps the best way is to mix it up. If U study most training programs for most athletes, there are the so-called hard days, in which U really push Urself at the highest intensity. These are the days that is most effective in Ur training, Ur training under race conditions. Then there are tempo days, in which U train at a high intensity but not high enuff to match race/competition conditions. Then there are easy days, in which U go really, really easy. I believe this is the best way to maximize fat-burning & to increase endurance & lose some weight.
Livestrong.
I've been involved in sports for more than half of my 35 years living on this earth. I've been involved in competitive sports, up until the highest regional level, & now I consider myself a fitness enthusiast & I still play some games just for fun although the bulk of my activity consist of running & weights. I've always been interested in sports science & have always applied sports science in whatever sports I'm playing.
There's no right or wrong methods when it comes to training. But there are some fitness myths & urban legends I'd say, some which are totally incorrect. Some methods work for some ppl, it might not work for some ppl. Some believe in high intensity training, some dun. There are millions of studies dome by reputable institutions. But those studies sometimes are done with specific samples, & most of them are done by countries like Australia, USA, European countries which are already far ahead of us in terms of sports science. & the results for those studies normally are never concrete or set in stone, they are merely suggestions. If U read these studies U'll notice the word "suggest" & its derivatives used extensively.
Back in the early 90s the belief is that to burn more fat U have to exercise at 60% of Ur max heart rate. Then when there were more improvements in the technology, we discovered that max heart rate is not a correct benchmark to be used in training or exercising, they came out with AT or anaerobic threshold, the point where human body is in the state of oxygen-debt. Then some scientists suggest that LT or Lactate Threshold is a better benchmark. LT is the point where our muscles began to produce lactic acid. This benchmark was used by the 1996 US Olympic team in their training. so which one is correct ?
I believe that if U want quick results & if Ur an athlete, high intensity is the way to go. But I shud warn that high intensity is not for everybody, merely becoz of the punishment it gives to Ur body. & it might be very demotivating for some ppl. So for these ppl, it's perfectly okay to go slow, at 60% of Ur max heart rate. This will work for working ppl, ppl who just wanna do something to burn excess energy or fat. But the trade off is the effect might be so slow that by the time U notice it, U've began to counter the effects by eating, etc.
Perhaps the best way is to mix it up. If U study most training programs for most athletes, there are the so-called hard days, in which U really push Urself at the highest intensity. These are the days that is most effective in Ur training, Ur training under race conditions. Then there are tempo days, in which U train at a high intensity but not high enuff to match race/competition conditions. Then there are easy days, in which U go really, really easy. I believe this is the best way to maximize fat-burning & to increase endurance & lose some weight.
Livestrong.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
New Balance MR759
New for 2011 !!!
This would proly be the only running shoes I'll be able to acquire for the new season 2011. Reason being I've gotta save some money for our upcoming baby (8 months away though) & I actually have 3 active shoes from last year. More on that later.
I bought this shoe using the 30% discount coupon I got from Penang Bridge. I'd planned to use it on a new pair of heavy, durable trainer as a replacement for my Newton Neutral Racer, which has been upgraded as my half marathon race shoes. All runners will get that New Balance 30% off coupon by entering any NB-sponsored race & this is the 1st time I've used the coupon. My decision to buy my first ever NB shoes is based on the fact that NB actually makes one of the best running shoes & it doesn't actually cost tht much. I've been eager to try NB & I guess the time is right.
I've been considering a few NB models, one of them is lightweight trainer/racer 828. But what I need is actually a shoe tht can go the distance, more than 500km. So far only my Mizuno Wave Aero has ever achieved 500km or more. So after much consideration, I finally settled on the not-so-heavyweight & neutral MR759.
The 759 is categorized as a cushioning shoe in NB website. & for a good reason. The amount of cushioning is just massive. NB's best cushioning shoe is 1064 & the 759 is the lightest of the cushioning shoes at 11oz. Heel drop is massive, the heel is even taller than my retired Mizuno Crusader 2. Not really a surprise with Abzorb cushioning.
The highlight of the NB cushioning technology is the Abzorb, which is placed at the heel. These looks just like Nike's Shox elastomers, albeit maybe a bit softer. But since I'm a predominantly a forefoot striker, it's very likely that the heel cushioning will barely be able to see action. I had to search 2-3 shopping malls before finally finding the size US11 I need for this shoe. Normally I'd take a size 11.5 or 12, but the shoe fits wide, so 11 is fine for me. The wide forefoot makes this shoe feels very roomy upfront, & I had to tie my laces extra tight to prevent heel slippage. I tried to tie my shoes differently but with that lacing it felt a little tight & restrictive of my heel movement. So I decided to go with the conventional lacing.
Much thought has been given into the design of the shoe & also the outsole, signifying the wide experience of New Balance in producing running shoes. The outer part of the forefoot & inner part of the rearfoot was built with a very durable Ndurance material. The 1064 had a very thin Abzorb material at the forefoot, which aids in forefoot cushioning, but I found it too heavy & thick, which sacrifices road feel. & it's very comfortable, proly my most comfy shoes to date. The extra width, the extra cushioning all contributed to the comfort. The forefoot is thick enuff to give extra cushioning but thin enuff to allow sufficient road feel. I've yet to try this shoe for LSD runs, but I bet it's gonna be superb & proly I can go further with less fatigue.
With a pricetag of RM300 (RM230 after discount), this shoes is a real bargain. Looking forward to an enhanced running experience with the 759.
Livestrong.
This would proly be the only running shoes I'll be able to acquire for the new season 2011. Reason being I've gotta save some money for our upcoming baby (8 months away though) & I actually have 3 active shoes from last year. More on that later.
I bought this shoe using the 30% discount coupon I got from Penang Bridge. I'd planned to use it on a new pair of heavy, durable trainer as a replacement for my Newton Neutral Racer, which has been upgraded as my half marathon race shoes. All runners will get that New Balance 30% off coupon by entering any NB-sponsored race & this is the 1st time I've used the coupon. My decision to buy my first ever NB shoes is based on the fact that NB actually makes one of the best running shoes & it doesn't actually cost tht much. I've been eager to try NB & I guess the time is right.
I've been considering a few NB models, one of them is lightweight trainer/racer 828. But what I need is actually a shoe tht can go the distance, more than 500km. So far only my Mizuno Wave Aero has ever achieved 500km or more. So after much consideration, I finally settled on the not-so-heavyweight & neutral MR759.
The 759 is categorized as a cushioning shoe in NB website. & for a good reason. The amount of cushioning is just massive. NB's best cushioning shoe is 1064 & the 759 is the lightest of the cushioning shoes at 11oz. Heel drop is massive, the heel is even taller than my retired Mizuno Crusader 2. Not really a surprise with Abzorb cushioning.
The highlight of the NB cushioning technology is the Abzorb, which is placed at the heel. These looks just like Nike's Shox elastomers, albeit maybe a bit softer. But since I'm a predominantly a forefoot striker, it's very likely that the heel cushioning will barely be able to see action. I had to search 2-3 shopping malls before finally finding the size US11 I need for this shoe. Normally I'd take a size 11.5 or 12, but the shoe fits wide, so 11 is fine for me. The wide forefoot makes this shoe feels very roomy upfront, & I had to tie my laces extra tight to prevent heel slippage. I tried to tie my shoes differently but with that lacing it felt a little tight & restrictive of my heel movement. So I decided to go with the conventional lacing.
Much thought has been given into the design of the shoe & also the outsole, signifying the wide experience of New Balance in producing running shoes. The outer part of the forefoot & inner part of the rearfoot was built with a very durable Ndurance material. The 1064 had a very thin Abzorb material at the forefoot, which aids in forefoot cushioning, but I found it too heavy & thick, which sacrifices road feel. & it's very comfortable, proly my most comfy shoes to date. The extra width, the extra cushioning all contributed to the comfort. The forefoot is thick enuff to give extra cushioning but thin enuff to allow sufficient road feel. I've yet to try this shoe for LSD runs, but I bet it's gonna be superb & proly I can go further with less fatigue.
With a pricetag of RM300 (RM230 after discount), this shoes is a real bargain. Looking forward to an enhanced running experience with the 759.
Livestrong.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
2011
Happy New Year !!! Well, okay, it's the 4th day of 2011 already & it may sound belated, but what the heck !! Well, as some of y'all might have known edi, the reason I'm very, very excited about 2011 is that my wife & I will be welcoming a new member to our family in 8 months' time !! Finally. After 7 pretty long & challenging years, we're gonna have a complete family. Allah knows how thankful I am for this mighty great gift. Although raising a kid in this era is no easy task, we're gonna try & be the best parent tht we can be.
Sick
Well, I celebrated 2011 with a cold. Lemme tell U tht cold is proly one illness that can really bring me down. Although in 2009, I ran the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 10K with a cold, it can really bother me sometimes. I didn't really know how it started, but I guess it was a culmination of all those outstation trips I've been to for the past 4 weeks or so, beginning with the JKTU recon trip early in December. Ending with the ascent up the pretty chilly Gunung Jerai in the final week of December, I guess I deserved the rest. I missed a couple of days of training as a result.
2011 season
I'ma have to do things slightly differently this season, as my wife's due in late August & I proly won't be able to do much for the rest of the year. So I'ma have to do all my major races before August. Last year I did some mistakes :
1. After PSKK I pretty much didn't follow a set program, everything was ad hoc
2. I put my running around my weight training,instead of vice versa
3. I screwed up big time on my weight training, resulting in an under-developed body
So to fix it this year, these are what I'm gonna do :
1. Focus on running up until May or June, around time for PSKK
2. During that period, I'ma run 4 times a week, & do weights twice, with 1 full rest day
3. I'ma try to run in 2 sessions on my running days, proly waking up early morning to do easy 30 mins, just to kick things off
4. I'ma set 2 races as my primary race to set my PB this year : the Energizer & Setia Alam
5. My PB target would be to go sub 2-hour, maybe 1:45-1:50 (very ambitious, but I'll try)
6. For PSP, I'ma focus on throwing & proly jumping event, most proly javelin, discus, triple & long jump.
7. If there's one track event I wanna do, it'd be the mile (1,500m)
8. For that period, it's gonna be 3 weights sessions per week.
Considering that my fastest 10K is 55 mins this year (distance is questionable though), a 1:45 half mara is pretty ambitious target. At that pace, I can finish the half mara in 1:56 proly. But that is my target & Ive got all the time in the world to work towards it.
My primary mistake this year was I designed my running training around my weights, which shud be the other way round. I'll refocus on weights for my field events.
Also, my wife's pregnancy means that I'ma have to train more closer to home. I'd proly have to do more weight work at home, since I have most of the equipment at home. Proly I'ma have to add some more weight plates & proly get another set of dumbbells.
Well, I hope this year will be a more successful year in terms of running. & I certainly hope our child will brighten up our lives more than ever before.
Livestrong.
Sick
Well, I celebrated 2011 with a cold. Lemme tell U tht cold is proly one illness that can really bring me down. Although in 2009, I ran the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 10K with a cold, it can really bother me sometimes. I didn't really know how it started, but I guess it was a culmination of all those outstation trips I've been to for the past 4 weeks or so, beginning with the JKTU recon trip early in December. Ending with the ascent up the pretty chilly Gunung Jerai in the final week of December, I guess I deserved the rest. I missed a couple of days of training as a result.
2011 season
I'ma have to do things slightly differently this season, as my wife's due in late August & I proly won't be able to do much for the rest of the year. So I'ma have to do all my major races before August. Last year I did some mistakes :
1. After PSKK I pretty much didn't follow a set program, everything was ad hoc
2. I put my running around my weight training,instead of vice versa
3. I screwed up big time on my weight training, resulting in an under-developed body
So to fix it this year, these are what I'm gonna do :
1. Focus on running up until May or June, around time for PSKK
2. During that period, I'ma run 4 times a week, & do weights twice, with 1 full rest day
3. I'ma try to run in 2 sessions on my running days, proly waking up early morning to do easy 30 mins, just to kick things off
4. I'ma set 2 races as my primary race to set my PB this year : the Energizer & Setia Alam
5. My PB target would be to go sub 2-hour, maybe 1:45-1:50 (very ambitious, but I'll try)
6. For PSP, I'ma focus on throwing & proly jumping event, most proly javelin, discus, triple & long jump.
7. If there's one track event I wanna do, it'd be the mile (1,500m)
8. For that period, it's gonna be 3 weights sessions per week.
Considering that my fastest 10K is 55 mins this year (distance is questionable though), a 1:45 half mara is pretty ambitious target. At that pace, I can finish the half mara in 1:56 proly. But that is my target & Ive got all the time in the world to work towards it.
My primary mistake this year was I designed my running training around my weights, which shud be the other way round. I'll refocus on weights for my field events.
Also, my wife's pregnancy means that I'ma have to train more closer to home. I'd proly have to do more weight work at home, since I have most of the equipment at home. Proly I'ma have to add some more weight plates & proly get another set of dumbbells.
Well, I hope this year will be a more successful year in terms of running. & I certainly hope our child will brighten up our lives more than ever before.
Livestrong.
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