k r i s a n d r o

I will start chronicling my training data and methods here from race to race. One reason for this is to serve as a running diary and the other is for anyone who might be interested to know how I train. I am only an amateur long distance runner and I definitely will not say this is the right way to train but I collect a lot of data and I am seeing good results from my training.

*Warning* This will be an extremely boring post for most, so do not read beyond this line if you are not interesting in running data.

Training period: 26 Jan 2011 – 28 May (Sundown 2011, 21.1 km)

• Distance ran (Excluding racing distance): 473.25 km
• No. of runs: 59
• Highest Weekly Mileage: 48.55 km
• Average running distance: 8.02 km
• Time spent: 46 hrs 47 mins 31 secs
• Max. distance ran: 20 km
• Avg. speed: 10.1 km/h
• Avg. heart rate: 157 bpm
• Avg. cadence: 166 – 174 steps/min.
• Calories burned: 32,233 kcal
• Weight change: 67.8 kg (9 Feb) – 64.5 kg (28 May)
• Lowest measured weight: 63.2 kg (29 May)
• Resting heart rate change: 63 bpm (30 Jan) – 56 bpm (12 May)
• Lowest measured resting heart rate: 52 bpm (24 Mar)

Race Details:

• Race Name: Sundown 2011
• Distance: 21.1km
• Time: 2 hr 02 min 13 sec
• Avg. Pace: 5:48 min/km
• Avg. Cadence: 164 steps/min

Training details:

I train mostly in heart rate zones. The zones are defined by assuming through calculation that my Maximum Heart Rate (HR^max) is 192 bpm and my Resting Heart Rate (HR^rest) is measured once every 3-5 days. I measure my HR^rest 1st thing in the morning before I get out of bed and it’s at least 24 hrs after the previous run.

These are my heart rate training zones with a HR^rest of 56 bpm:

The bulk of my training is of Long Slow Distances (LSDs) and the rest are Tempo Runs, Short Intervals & Long Intervals. I chose to adopt a 10-day training cycle instead of the more common 7-day cycle because I didn’t want to run 4-6 days straight with just 1 or 2 days of rest. The 10-day cycle also allowed me more flexibility in the event that I had to skip a session or two and was still able to keep to the important scheduled Long Run.

This is one real example of my 10-day cycle:

• Day 1: Warm-Up Jog – 1.5 km, Short Intervals – 800 m x 6
• Day 2: LSD – 8.8 km
• Day 3: Rest
• Day 4: Warm-Up Jog – 1.5 km, Long Intervals – 2.7 km x 2
• Day 5: LSD – 8.8 km
• Day 6: Rest
• Day 7: Warm-Up Jog – 1 km, Tempo Run – 6.6 km
• Day 8: LSD – 8.7 km
• Day 9: LSD (Longest Run) – 20 km
• Day 10: Rest
• Total distance (including jogging laps during intervals): 71.79 km

Types of Runs:

LSDs: These are ran in Zone 3. I will divide the distance as equally as I can into 11 parts (Zone 2.7 to Zone 3.7) and slowly allow my heart’s bpm to rise as I jog the distance. Barring sections on routes with down and/or up-slopes, my speed will naturally increase as the effort of my heart increases which results in a overall negative split.

Tempo Runs: These are ran in Zone 4. I will divide the distance as equally as I can into 12 parts (Zone 3.7 to Zone 4.8) and slowly allow my heart’s bpm to rise as I run the distance. As with LSDs, the overall timing of each run is a negative split.

Short & Long Intervals: After reading about efficiency of interval training distances by Arthur Lydiard, I mainly do distances of short intervals (800 m) and long intervals (1.5 km & above). I run as fast as I can (entering Zone 5) with the last session’s timing as a guide for each lap. Upon hitting the end of a lap, I will slow jog until my heart rate hits Zone 2.9 before I start my next lap.

Race Comparison:

(Click to enlarge)

Race to race comparison will show a very skewed improvement this time because the races are so far apart (almost 2 years).

Fitness comparison:

As my LSDs are done with the same effort (heart rate zones), I shall compare LSDs of similar distances over a time period.

As you can see, there is marked improvement in speed even with a decrease in effort (avg. heart rate).

Summary:

Seeing that I manage to finally complete a training period and run a good race, I’ll be adopting the same concept in my build-up to Singapore Bay Run & Army Half Marathon (21.1km). However, my planned mileages are in preparation for my 1st full marathon in Dec for Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore.

Feel free to ask me or discuss about my training plans and running. I can be easily contacted via email through my contact page, on Twitter or through Facebook.

I had 3 out of 63 runs in this training cycle that failed to meet my expectations and on hindsight, I’m pleased to have had them because the lessons learnt are priceless.

There was this failed attempt to go for a long jog in the evening after spending a tiring morning at Sentosa’s MegaZip. The other 2 failed attempts was because of my choice at an overzealous pace at a recent 10km and 12km run. These 2 fast paced runs were the most enlightening because it emulated race conditions.

Looking at the data from the 2 runs, I know that I will fail to keep the pace when my heart starts to beat above 175-177 which is about 91-92% of my MHR (Maximum Heart Rate). After I hit that threshold, I will only be able to keep the same pace for about 2-3km before my body and mind tells me to give up.

I did the 12km run in 1:05:53 and it sounds like a respectable timing at a pace of 5:29/km but it was an extremely crappy run. The initial 7.6km was ran at a pretty constant pace of 5:08/km and I couldn’t keep it up after that. The rest of the run was at paces ranging from 5:41/km to 6:27/km. It felt so bad that I really wanted to just give up.

So for races beyond 3km, I know that I need to keep a watch on my heart rate (pun not intended) and adjust my speed accordingly to leave enough fuel to finish the run at a constant pace and a strong finish.

The other lesson learnt is to know my strength and not push it too much.

Oh well, I train like a robot for most of my training. A little fun and challenge now and then should be fine.

My training has been smooth so far after making a full recovery from Pneumonia. Come tomorrow, I would have hit 146km for the past 37 days with about 420km to go before Sundown 2011 on 28th may, 2011.

Looking at my training data, I am very close to the peak of my fitness last year and the road ahead, beyond 240km, is pretty much uncharted waters for me as I have never ran this much before. Although I’ve been reading up on training, the journey of every training cycle is very much a learning process and an ongoing experiment on the limits of the human body. Single human body; my body to be exact.

History (for all of the past 2 years) has proven that I tend to hit a wall of bad health or injury before races but the same history also show that I push my boundaries of fitness each time I tried like the stubborn man I am. So with fingers crossed, I hope that I make it this time for a race and shatter the shameful personal best of 2 hrs 43mins for a 21km run in 2009.

On other news, my trusty pair of Vibram Five Fingers (VFF) KSO have accumulated 568km of mileage so far since I 1st wore them January last year.

Pic taken before I put another 5km in them

The rubber of the “toes” are worn off in quite a few spots where I land and push off during runs and I will have to retire them as soon as my socks show through. As minimalistic as I am, I don’t need holes in my socks. Despite the sadness of the inevitable parting with my very 1st pair of VFFs, the KSO has served me well and seeing that the recommended lifespan of regular shoes are between 500 – 800km, this pair of KSO has lived a pretty good life.

Stay strong my Vibram Five Fingers KSO! With any luck, you’ll live to see yourself break the 600km mark.

Once again, the curse of the pre-race strikes. It started with a sore throat last week, followed by flu and then fever. I haven’t been well for the last 8-9 days and I haven’t been running when I should be peaking for my half-marathon training.

This simply sucks. It’s like taking huge leaps to be only picked up by an undeniable force and then flung backwards. Who knows how long this bout of illness is going to last.

I’ve been coughing till my lungs hurt and I’ve spouted enough phlegm to unsettle any steely man.

I really wanted to race so much at the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2010. I’ve been training hard for a personal best and I knew I can do the half-marathon under 2hrs. I even felt that I can push it further and aim for a 1hr 50min finish but now I don’t even know if I can recover in time to condition myself to finish 21.1km. It’s only 20 days left.

Long distance running is a life long sport and I should take it in my stride but these pre-race curses are happening back-to-back and I feel quite defeated.

I just want to run.