I've been so bad with training (as compared to runningstitch who is undergoing droid training...).
Usually I'm on 1-2 weeks, then off 1-2 weeks. Totally inconsistent, no thanks to being generally busy with work. Aiee. Or Aigoo.
Today I finally ran - a plodding road run. Definitely NOT 7:20 pace but I felt quite happy that I was able to finish at all. I am determined to be good about running in May, so that I can survive the 10k at the end of the month! It's good to have these race deadlines. Keeps us on our toes. (Har.)
Gogogogogogogogogogogogo.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Training Week #2
AIGOO! (Apparently, that's "aiyo" in Korean).
On Tuesday, I text K and ask if Thursday running is on (I pray that for raincheck or real rain) and she replies "Yes running for sure!" Aieee.
Thursday rolls around and we meet at school lobby again. Today, it's scorching. And still. And muggy. I want to give up already.
But no, we go to the beach. Is enthusiasm infectious? Or is it insanity in disguise?
Warm up and chat and then run. We head in the opposite direction, thinking it may have more shaded pathways. Wrong! It was mostly uncovered, and even the pavement was hot hot hot under my feet. Breathing was tortuous.
I let K run ahead though she slowed down a little so I could try to keep up. She exclaims, if I was on my own I'd given up way back! Even the heat is deterring the dear android.
No idea how far we ran but the consolation was, she admitted after last week's run she could barely move her legs. Hee. I was ok after last week's sprint but how she can run so fast this week again, beats me.
We agree that running with a buddy helps keep us on our toes/feet. So till next week.... but don't hold your breath.
__________________________
That was yesterday. Today, I was struggling with whether to just sit by the pool and finish some reading, or go to the gym. I decide to be a good role model and exercise, though I'd really rather just stay in bed and not change out of jammies the whole day.... Treadmill run, for 20 minutes and then some weights. I've put on a whole kilo! Am very angry, and tell myself to stop thinking of curry puffs. Good news is, I was able to run at average speed of 6:30! I think I deserve a Cornetto.
On Tuesday, I text K and ask if Thursday running is on (I pray that for raincheck or real rain) and she replies "Yes running for sure!" Aieee.
Thursday rolls around and we meet at school lobby again. Today, it's scorching. And still. And muggy. I want to give up already.
But no, we go to the beach. Is enthusiasm infectious? Or is it insanity in disguise?
Warm up and chat and then run. We head in the opposite direction, thinking it may have more shaded pathways. Wrong! It was mostly uncovered, and even the pavement was hot hot hot under my feet. Breathing was tortuous.
I let K run ahead though she slowed down a little so I could try to keep up. She exclaims, if I was on my own I'd given up way back! Even the heat is deterring the dear android.
No idea how far we ran but the consolation was, she admitted after last week's run she could barely move her legs. Hee. I was ok after last week's sprint but how she can run so fast this week again, beats me.
We agree that running with a buddy helps keep us on our toes/feet. So till next week.... but don't hold your breath.
__________________________
That was yesterday. Today, I was struggling with whether to just sit by the pool and finish some reading, or go to the gym. I decide to be a good role model and exercise, though I'd really rather just stay in bed and not change out of jammies the whole day.... Treadmill run, for 20 minutes and then some weights. I've put on a whole kilo! Am very angry, and tell myself to stop thinking of curry puffs. Good news is, I was able to run at average speed of 6:30! I think I deserve a Cornetto.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Never Run with a Korean Chick
Today Ms Park and I decided to go to the beach to run together. I should've known better. Not to over-generalise, but I've since learnt that running with a Korean girlfriend is not a good idea. Or maybe one or a combination of the following should've clued me in:
(1) She seems super fit and trim
(2) She has a great outdoorsy look, tan and happy
(3) She is Korean (like in, possibly N Korean?)
(4) She does Muay Thai
(5) She is always perky
(6) She finds the gym insufficiently stimulating
(7) She saw me once in running garb and asked to come along
Anyway, we meet at the kids' kindy today and head to the beach. We decide on a 3k run. We start warming up and all this while, she's asking questions about my "training" (huh?) and previous runs, and tells me to run on ahead later, and not to let her hold me up. And we start off.
Urgh, this woman is unbelievable.
I'm panting like mad after the first 100m or so, because she is SO FAST!!! And she's talking to me the whole time! It *was* a beautiful morning, cloudy and breezy. So there I am, gasping for breath, and she tells me she's recently sent her maid home, managing the home on her own, and had just stayed up the past night to help hubby with secretarial work from 1-4 am (she does this several times a week)!! I grunt back.
And I noticed she hardly has to breathe - or at least she doesn't wheeze and gasp the way I do at that speed. So she tells me, try and take long deep breaths! I'm starting to form theories in my head, that she's had military training (of the communist sort) or must be an android.
Halfway, she turns and casually asks, do I know how to put in an abdomen workout while running? Of course I don't. I'm trying hard to not fall over and die.... Anyway, I say no and she tells me, (important multi-tasking lesson here) as you run, tighten stomach muscles and twist trunk from side-to-side. So *that's* what she's been doing, this cute twist and turn thing as she runs. I try it. It's hard! To concentrate on aforesaid task of not keeling over plus abdomen exercise... aieee. But it does feel good.
Then, last 800m, she tells me, you have to run ahead of me, I need something to chase! Whaaaa??
We finish in no time. I want to curl up and die. She was hardly perspiring, and all the way back she was encouraging me not to slow. She's sweet AND fast!! She's insane. I was my usual gross and drippy mess.
Back at the carpark, we warm down and she tells me, see you next week! OH NOOOOoooooooo......
Having said all that, I think I've been running at too comfortable a pace recently, and it was pretty good to really work out the lungs and legs. After a nice lie-down, I may be ready for next week. Perhaps *I* am insane.
(1) She seems super fit and trim
(2) She has a great outdoorsy look, tan and happy
(3) She is Korean (like in, possibly N Korean?)
(4) She does Muay Thai
(5) She is always perky
(6) She finds the gym insufficiently stimulating
(7) She saw me once in running garb and asked to come along
Anyway, we meet at the kids' kindy today and head to the beach. We decide on a 3k run. We start warming up and all this while, she's asking questions about my "training" (huh?) and previous runs, and tells me to run on ahead later, and not to let her hold me up. And we start off.
Urgh, this woman is unbelievable.
I'm panting like mad after the first 100m or so, because she is SO FAST!!! And she's talking to me the whole time! It *was* a beautiful morning, cloudy and breezy. So there I am, gasping for breath, and she tells me she's recently sent her maid home, managing the home on her own, and had just stayed up the past night to help hubby with secretarial work from 1-4 am (she does this several times a week)!! I grunt back.
And I noticed she hardly has to breathe - or at least she doesn't wheeze and gasp the way I do at that speed. So she tells me, try and take long deep breaths! I'm starting to form theories in my head, that she's had military training (of the communist sort) or must be an android.
Halfway, she turns and casually asks, do I know how to put in an abdomen workout while running? Of course I don't. I'm trying hard to not fall over and die.... Anyway, I say no and she tells me, (important multi-tasking lesson here) as you run, tighten stomach muscles and twist trunk from side-to-side. So *that's* what she's been doing, this cute twist and turn thing as she runs. I try it. It's hard! To concentrate on aforesaid task of not keeling over plus abdomen exercise... aieee. But it does feel good.
Then, last 800m, she tells me, you have to run ahead of me, I need something to chase! Whaaaa??
We finish in no time. I want to curl up and die. She was hardly perspiring, and all the way back she was encouraging me not to slow. She's sweet AND fast!! She's insane. I was my usual gross and drippy mess.
Back at the carpark, we warm down and she tells me, see you next week! OH NOOOOoooooooo......
Having said all that, I think I've been running at too comfortable a pace recently, and it was pretty good to really work out the lungs and legs. After a nice lie-down, I may be ready for next week. Perhaps *I* am insane.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Gymrunning
Even though I still don't like running on treadmills, I'm starting to really see the benefit of forcing yourself to run at a fixed pace. On the road, I know I definitely slow down and can't maintain my speed... it's like a mental tussle, and it's TOUGH. On the treadmill at least I can look at numbers and know that I am maintaining a certain pace.
I ran about 4.3k at a 7:20 pace... which I am pretty happy with, IF I could maintain that for 10k. Ha! Doubtful, but I'm working on it.
In the meantime, I am still getting fatter. What the.
I ran about 4.3k at a 7:20 pace... which I am pretty happy with, IF I could maintain that for 10k. Ha! Doubtful, but I'm working on it.
In the meantime, I am still getting fatter. What the.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
At least it makes you smarter
Running makes you smarter. Proven. It's the endorphins, or the adrenaline, or the blood pumping through your veins, or the sweat... or something.
Anyway after my run today, while I was cooling off, I decided to play the "Who Has The Biggest Brain?" app on my phone. I knew I'd be smarter from running, so I wanted to test it out. For days I've been hooked on the game and I haven't been able to beat my high score that I set the first time I played it. And sure enough, I played it after my run today and broke my high score! Yay! An even higher cyborg brain score! (runningstitch, play it on fb!)
Anyway after my run today, while I was cooling off, I decided to play the "Who Has The Biggest Brain?" app on my phone. I knew I'd be smarter from running, so I wanted to test it out. For days I've been hooked on the game and I haven't been able to beat my high score that I set the first time I played it. And sure enough, I played it after my run today and broke my high score! Yay! An even higher cyborg brain score! (runningstitch, play it on fb!)
Monday, April 6, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Steady Decline / Widening of the Great Divide
I continue to eat runningstitch's dust...
I haven't been running regularly for the past few months and have been too distraught to blog. But starting last week, I've finally (finally!) managed to get back into the old rhythm. Need to - 10k coming up! So been running usually about 3.5 to 4.5k.
What I've discovered is that running in the gym is a whoole different story to running on the road. On the treadmill I get to keep a steady pace and that really helps. I manage 4, 5k pretty ok. But on the roads, a bit of incline and I'm thrown out of whack. Did a very slow 3.5 today. Ugh. If I do more, like 4.5k, it's a struggle!
p.s. good news: my dead earphones aren't dead after all! They've come back to life! Yay! They're a bit iffy, but still working...
I haven't been running regularly for the past few months and have been too distraught to blog. But starting last week, I've finally (finally!) managed to get back into the old rhythm. Need to - 10k coming up! So been running usually about 3.5 to 4.5k.
What I've discovered is that running in the gym is a whoole different story to running on the road. On the treadmill I get to keep a steady pace and that really helps. I manage 4, 5k pretty ok. But on the roads, a bit of incline and I'm thrown out of whack. Did a very slow 3.5 today. Ugh. If I do more, like 4.5k, it's a struggle!
p.s. good news: my dead earphones aren't dead after all! They've come back to life! Yay! They're a bit iffy, but still working...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)