It's one of the moments when you walk in a room and realise that you haven't 'got the memo'.
I was prepared as any attendee to a yoga/body balance class in a gym would: black tights, no socks, trainers on, a towel....but a runner's short sleeve shirt. FINISHER, it boasted, from the latest jp Morgan corporate challenge.
Everyone was wearing black singlets, black tights.
Instructor welcomed me, and asked me to stand to the right hand side (inner side) as I was new, and asked for my name. Take my 'muddy' shoes outside and come back only with the towel and water.
The other 2 girls, relatively newbies: Tatiana and Polly smiled and relaxed me as we waited for the class to fill up. 7 in total.
The word of the day, on the mirror is DEPTH - as they say on the site: to do something
In depth, you need to work hard.
And thats what instructor repeatedly said, if you are not trying hard, you are not in my class!
But Bonnie, since you are new, you can put your hands on your waist! (while others hold them above their heads in various manoeuvres)
This class certainly has it's standards, and I'm not sure how long my concessions will last for if I come back another week!
The first exercises were some sole awakening. Lift and drop toes, roll feet from side to side. Highly recommended for runners! I love the way my feet felt against the new re engineered wooded floors, unlike the normal dance studio at a gym.
Then it got more intense, but not unmanageable. With music, core strengthening, dynamic plank. Yes, I have been there before, but not that long.
It felt good, towards the middle of the class I was sweating!
My heels were free of pain on those arches, a new experience since my last Pilates class when I was in full running training mode and had struggled with balance.
Another encouraging word from Polly during the water cooler break, that's why she kept coming back!
It's such a supportive environment, and a good stretch, almost as good as a (Thai) massage. I feel activated, and hopefully another slot in Thursdays calendar to improve my gym attendance rates!
Willpower is what everyone needs to have to succeed. Not everyone is born with Grace..and perhaps with a bit of persistence, it can be learnt!
Video of the type of exercises involved:
http://youtu.be/OuHVVyNQQes
The DOMS for the Willpower and Grace class (on further research, a proper method of conditioning), came on the next day, when my whole body ached as if I'd finished a half marathon the day before! It was so bad I skipped my Saturday Richmond parkrun for fear of a below par time as I've been building up since the 10k.
The lesson? Need to keep stretching and exert willpower, and those barefoot exercises, and you will carry yourself with Grace.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sunday, 21 September 2014
Friday, 12 September 2014
EMC Million Makers 10k
It was a perfect day for racing. Cooler temperatures, no rain.
The runners on our floor sat excitedly at their desks, still chewing on last year's stats, if it were to indicate this year's success, and last minute tips on race strategy, nutrition and estimated time.
Glad to have had a breather and a sneak peak at Race Central by marshalling at the 12pm race (there were 3 times: 12, 15:30 and 18). It was a long walk up from the office to the start, and luckily I brought my brompton bike along to save my legs from walking up and down the park, to and from the marshalling points.
I managed to secure a 'complicated' marshal point, a t junction where the 5k/10ks would turn left/right to complete their 2 or 4 loops around the left, or right of the park to the finish. (The 10k runners run the first route of the 5k route anticlockwise)
Sounds complicated, but as I found out later as a runner, it was ok and minimal chance of collision!
I had a good time supporting the lunchtime runners, along with a supporter who 'paid for them to run for him' :) here's pictures of the fastest female and male. Love the running style, long strides
Both feet of the ground at the same time!
I also had fun watching the myriad of lunchtime normal activity in this park: the fitness training (squats, burpees, laps) & the furry friends! It's good to take a breath of fresh air at lunch!
I signed off my post as most of the 10k runners have been through -was expecting some more, but later realised they'd made an 'executive decision' to get ready for the ice bucket challenge, saving some showering after a 5k??
Rollforward to 5:30pm. Energy levels waning, a coffee, spoons of honey and a nutrigraim bar later- I was out onto the start line with my fellow runners. It was good chatting to quite a few of the runners at the start, colleagues I've never met, some from last year (who remembered me as 'being quite fast'!) and checking from the little sticker on our bib whether we were a 5k-er or 10k-er.
A storage tent. An organiser's gazebo - it was the friendliest race I have been to.
Off to the start! I picked up on the advice of 'breathing every 4 steps for a 10k', and starting playing the 4/4 time standard, Miles Davis's 'All Blues' in my head... As always, the first kilometre was too fast! But as I overtook the fancy dress Gorillas, I ran the long uphill on the big loop, regulating my breathing and trying to stay calm and not 'hit the wall'.
'Would you like a drink of water Bonnie?' Personalised service at the drinks station, how can I refuse? Very conscious of the small race numbers (77in total and half at the 1800), I spent my first 5km staying on pace, taking advantage of any downhill whenever I can. During this time, I overtook this guy and girl and when I went round lap 2, I saw that the girl was gone and 'mr. Green' shot past me on an inner tangent, and was impossible to catch up.
So, it seems. 10kers pairing up with a slower 5ker - what a good way to induce negative splits!
But the humble me didn't have enough in the tank to spur my fellow male runners on when I overtook them. I just let them be - and pictured the nitro boost happening anytime...just anytime. You never know.
How many 16-bar sets of All Blues have I gone through...the faint murmur of runkeepers 'current pace: 9 minute twenty...per mile' kept me focused. My strategy at Parkrun last week...latch on, reel them in. But where were those to reel in? My only, only chance came in lap 2 after mr Green disappeared, was to go after mr navy blue.
I spotted him (the only aspiration for approximate a 3 minute aka 0.3mile distance since the 2nd drinks station at 6km)..and used the gravity of the downhill again to let my legs go. Kept a safe distance. A pain in my rib cage, a bit of a stretch. Tempo. Tempo.
The km markers disappeared, and I really couldn't care. I was more interested in testing out the reeling strategy. I picked up my stride, kicked back more, breathed harder, replayed the downhill speed up when I took down mr green and blue girl...but me navy was still in the distance. Closer. But still not close enough. The imagery of passing through mr white shirt at 5k, and the 'ghosts' of miss white vest from last week, spurred me on harder.
I passed my marshalling point at 12pm, and knew it was the rough bumpy batch on the Tarmac before the uphill grass finish. I jumped a little bit, my back started aching, my stomach aching, will I be able to do it, am I going to catch him in the barricaded area? ? Are we actually going against the same placings???
I let him go. With 2 metres of a distance apart, 6 seconds apart. They called my time. 55:08 for a 10k, witnessed by a few supporters, and a final lap (to me) as exciting as a Mo Farah in the 10,000metres in 2012...a very close shave.
Is it really a PB? A properly measured (not certified) course, with an uncalibrated runkeeper GPS. I just love these almost perfect splits!!
The day after I was overjoyed to do a bit of quick analysis on the results spreadsheet. I was the 4th fastest female in the 10K category! 'Once again' in the Top 5 (this for someone who never made it through athletics heats in school). Only here I get such a chance. You think, 'what if' ? Looking at all the finishing distances and times, analysing the circumstances, The results and dynamics would be all so different if we'd all ran at the same time...
Which is why I love distance running - you run your own race, and the 5k and 10k is totally a different game. Compare same runners year on year on different distances, yield different results. A year older, a year wiser? Or 4 quarters more weary?
Time has told, and may/will only tell again.
Donations? Please visit my just giving page:
http://www.justgiving.com/owner-email/pleasesponsor/Bonnie-WongEMC
Thanks to David Koffler, you can find official photo's of the event here
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
The runners on our floor sat excitedly at their desks, still chewing on last year's stats, if it were to indicate this year's success, and last minute tips on race strategy, nutrition and estimated time.
Glad to have had a breather and a sneak peak at Race Central by marshalling at the 12pm race (there were 3 times: 12, 15:30 and 18). It was a long walk up from the office to the start, and luckily I brought my brompton bike along to save my legs from walking up and down the park, to and from the marshalling points.
I managed to secure a 'complicated' marshal point, a t junction where the 5k/10ks would turn left/right to complete their 2 or 4 loops around the left, or right of the park to the finish. (The 10k runners run the first route of the 5k route anticlockwise)
Sounds complicated, but as I found out later as a runner, it was ok and minimal chance of collision!
I had a good time supporting the lunchtime runners, along with a supporter who 'paid for them to run for him' :) here's pictures of the fastest female and male. Love the running style, long strides
Both feet of the ground at the same time!
I also had fun watching the myriad of lunchtime normal activity in this park: the fitness training (squats, burpees, laps) & the furry friends! It's good to take a breath of fresh air at lunch!
I signed off my post as most of the 10k runners have been through -was expecting some more, but later realised they'd made an 'executive decision' to get ready for the ice bucket challenge, saving some showering after a 5k??
Rollforward to 5:30pm. Energy levels waning, a coffee, spoons of honey and a nutrigraim bar later- I was out onto the start line with my fellow runners. It was good chatting to quite a few of the runners at the start, colleagues I've never met, some from last year (who remembered me as 'being quite fast'!) and checking from the little sticker on our bib whether we were a 5k-er or 10k-er.
A storage tent. An organiser's gazebo - it was the friendliest race I have been to.
Off to the start! I picked up on the advice of 'breathing every 4 steps for a 10k', and starting playing the 4/4 time standard, Miles Davis's 'All Blues' in my head... As always, the first kilometre was too fast! But as I overtook the fancy dress Gorillas, I ran the long uphill on the big loop, regulating my breathing and trying to stay calm and not 'hit the wall'.
'Would you like a drink of water Bonnie?' Personalised service at the drinks station, how can I refuse? Very conscious of the small race numbers (77in total and half at the 1800), I spent my first 5km staying on pace, taking advantage of any downhill whenever I can. During this time, I overtook this guy and girl and when I went round lap 2, I saw that the girl was gone and 'mr. Green' shot past me on an inner tangent, and was impossible to catch up.
So, it seems. 10kers pairing up with a slower 5ker - what a good way to induce negative splits!
But the humble me didn't have enough in the tank to spur my fellow male runners on when I overtook them. I just let them be - and pictured the nitro boost happening anytime...just anytime. You never know.
How many 16-bar sets of All Blues have I gone through...the faint murmur of runkeepers 'current pace: 9 minute twenty...per mile' kept me focused. My strategy at Parkrun last week...latch on, reel them in. But where were those to reel in? My only, only chance came in lap 2 after mr Green disappeared, was to go after mr navy blue.
I spotted him (the only aspiration for approximate a 3 minute aka 0.3mile distance since the 2nd drinks station at 6km)..and used the gravity of the downhill again to let my legs go. Kept a safe distance. A pain in my rib cage, a bit of a stretch. Tempo. Tempo.
The km markers disappeared, and I really couldn't care. I was more interested in testing out the reeling strategy. I picked up my stride, kicked back more, breathed harder, replayed the downhill speed up when I took down mr green and blue girl...but me navy was still in the distance. Closer. But still not close enough. The imagery of passing through mr white shirt at 5k, and the 'ghosts' of miss white vest from last week, spurred me on harder.
I passed my marshalling point at 12pm, and knew it was the rough bumpy batch on the Tarmac before the uphill grass finish. I jumped a little bit, my back started aching, my stomach aching, will I be able to do it, am I going to catch him in the barricaded area? ? Are we actually going against the same placings???
I let him go. With 2 metres of a distance apart, 6 seconds apart. They called my time. 55:08 for a 10k, witnessed by a few supporters, and a final lap (to me) as exciting as a Mo Farah in the 10,000metres in 2012...a very close shave.
Is it really a PB? A properly measured (not certified) course, with an uncalibrated runkeeper GPS. I just love these almost perfect splits!!
The day after I was overjoyed to do a bit of quick analysis on the results spreadsheet. I was the 4th fastest female in the 10K category! 'Once again' in the Top 5 (this for someone who never made it through athletics heats in school). Only here I get such a chance. You think, 'what if' ? Looking at all the finishing distances and times, analysing the circumstances, The results and dynamics would be all so different if we'd all ran at the same time...
Which is why I love distance running - you run your own race, and the 5k and 10k is totally a different game. Compare same runners year on year on different distances, yield different results. A year older, a year wiser? Or 4 quarters more weary?
Time has told, and may/will only tell again.
Donations? Please visit my just giving page:
http://www.justgiving.com/owner-email/pleasesponsor/Bonnie-WongEMC
Thanks to David Koffler, you can find official photo's of the event here
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, 8 September 2014
Race strategy!
Call me kiasu...nope. (I've already kissed any chance of being 'on the charts' this year goodbye, being a more organised race and with external competitors (thanks to runner's world advertising!) But with the competitive mentalities of quite a few people on my floor, I've been tempted to road test the course for Thursday's 5 or 10k.
Last week, I ended up being in Gunnersbury Park...once, twice, and three times.
Well, that's the only way I could get my kayanos accustomed to the outdoors. Me to get used to running without stopping, and close enough not for me to invent any excuse to back out of a training run...(like today, having to cook for a big meal to celebrate the fullest moon of the year!)
I'm always lost in this park. The 'potholed' surfaces, the possibilities to take a wrong turn...doing a proper race here wasn't going to be easy.
Tuesday, I kicked myself out there...thinking of the uphill, the stairs from last year, I picked the hardest route possible....and managed to just squeeze a mere 3.5 miles. It's a far cry from my 'marathon days', a no stopping session is an achievement. And a negative split! Hallelujah !
Thursday, as I mentioned in my last post, I went around the route with the organiser...ive not ran and talked with someone during running for a long time....it really pushes my limits , but makes me realise why there's always pairs of runners yapping away in the first miles after the start, it makes a negative split much easier. Alas, after lap 1.5, after she said goodbye , my motivation waned...and so did my pace.
Now onto Saturday....having left my bag at work on a Friday, I had to go fetch it...with twickenham rugby on, the easiest time to head west was early in he morning. Now that I knew the course was largely modelled on this parkrun in gunnersbury, and finishes uphill on grass...it was the time to get my inaugural visit to gunnersbury parkrun.
It's rather friendly, people were spread out, the pacers had their numbered bibs (unlike the printer generated one of Richmond park, my home club), and when the race starts, everyone swarms downhill on the grass...
Except my runkeeper won't start. I held and fiddled for a bit, and gave up as soon as I reached hard surfaces.
It's funny running somewhere you know well, but organised in a different way. (As I keep telling the guys, it's the exam where you know the subject area, but no one tells you the exam question). Unlike Richmond park, predictably hard towards the end, gunnersbury, is very well organised....with km markers signposted, and a 'time reader' at half time...she said 13:xx. I left mr 30 whilst doing the uphill after the first km, but mr. 26 was never to be seen. Well with 13 being read, I knew it wasn't the day.
In my years of training, I've never read up on race strategy (only on training),so this article is quite handy, for the things to think about, in race.
LATCH ON
My target came after just shortly before 4km, a girl in a white singlet ....I followed and overtook her...but can never get comfortable....gunnersbury is relatively flat, compared to a 4km mark at Richmond where I was out of breath, I could still go on (but not sprint). It was then potholes after potholes around the bottom of the park...
Pick one person and focus solely on reeling them in, nothing else
This, as I was going up 'theboulevard' towards the finish, was another singlet girl "gt3000"(like my old shoes)...I tried the above, it worked! What I was unaware of was I was being reeled in by ms white singlet again...and she passed me this time.
With only 100 metres to go...I had to just get there. One tends to feel safe through the barricades but not this time, another girl tried to squeeze past me to get her barcode. Lucky the fair marshal stopped her and awarded me chip 157.
5:25/5:45/5:20/5:28/5:33... So that's it for the week. As they say, it's your first parkrun on this course, so 'we have marked this as a pb'.
It's my fastest time this year. On Thursday, it will be a course record for me (never ran this type of distance in this park). But can you ever compare different types of apples?
(Yes it's going to be a route that runs backwards on the second lap..how can it be done?)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Last week, I ended up being in Gunnersbury Park...once, twice, and three times.
Well, that's the only way I could get my kayanos accustomed to the outdoors. Me to get used to running without stopping, and close enough not for me to invent any excuse to back out of a training run...(like today, having to cook for a big meal to celebrate the fullest moon of the year!)
I'm always lost in this park. The 'potholed' surfaces, the possibilities to take a wrong turn...doing a proper race here wasn't going to be easy.
Tuesday, I kicked myself out there...thinking of the uphill, the stairs from last year, I picked the hardest route possible....and managed to just squeeze a mere 3.5 miles. It's a far cry from my 'marathon days', a no stopping session is an achievement. And a negative split! Hallelujah !
Thursday, as I mentioned in my last post, I went around the route with the organiser...ive not ran and talked with someone during running for a long time....it really pushes my limits , but makes me realise why there's always pairs of runners yapping away in the first miles after the start, it makes a negative split much easier. Alas, after lap 1.5, after she said goodbye , my motivation waned...and so did my pace.
Now onto Saturday....having left my bag at work on a Friday, I had to go fetch it...with twickenham rugby on, the easiest time to head west was early in he morning. Now that I knew the course was largely modelled on this parkrun in gunnersbury, and finishes uphill on grass...it was the time to get my inaugural visit to gunnersbury parkrun.
It's rather friendly, people were spread out, the pacers had their numbered bibs (unlike the printer generated one of Richmond park, my home club), and when the race starts, everyone swarms downhill on the grass...
Except my runkeeper won't start. I held and fiddled for a bit, and gave up as soon as I reached hard surfaces.
It's funny running somewhere you know well, but organised in a different way. (As I keep telling the guys, it's the exam where you know the subject area, but no one tells you the exam question). Unlike Richmond park, predictably hard towards the end, gunnersbury, is very well organised....with km markers signposted, and a 'time reader' at half time...she said 13:xx. I left mr 30 whilst doing the uphill after the first km, but mr. 26 was never to be seen. Well with 13 being read, I knew it wasn't the day.
In my years of training, I've never read up on race strategy (only on training),so this article is quite handy, for the things to think about, in race.
LATCH ON
My target came after just shortly before 4km, a girl in a white singlet ....I followed and overtook her...but can never get comfortable....gunnersbury is relatively flat, compared to a 4km mark at Richmond where I was out of breath, I could still go on (but not sprint). It was then potholes after potholes around the bottom of the park...
Pick one person and focus solely on reeling them in, nothing else
This, as I was going up 'theboulevard' towards the finish, was another singlet girl "gt3000"(like my old shoes)...I tried the above, it worked! What I was unaware of was I was being reeled in by ms white singlet again...and she passed me this time.
With only 100 metres to go...I had to just get there. One tends to feel safe through the barricades but not this time, another girl tried to squeeze past me to get her barcode. Lucky the fair marshal stopped her and awarded me chip 157.
5:25/5:45/5:20/5:28/5:33... So that's it for the week. As they say, it's your first parkrun on this course, so 'we have marked this as a pb'.
It's my fastest time this year. On Thursday, it will be a course record for me (never ran this type of distance in this park). But can you ever compare different types of apples?
(Yes it's going to be a route that runs backwards on the second lap..how can it be done?)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, 5 September 2014
Back in the habit..
August's said goodbye just too quickly, I'm glad I've had the chance to have a holiday after a holiday, in Biarritz and San Sebastián. (Great place, a travel blog post will follow!£
With a training goal in mind.
I've been invited to challenge my title last year as the '3rd fastest woman', in this year's EMC Million Makers Fun Run for the Princes Trust.
With a new distance (not 4miles, but 5 or 10kms). Of course I chose the latter, for a 6pm slot.
My first training was on the Spanish coastline, staying minutes from the beach, and a very smooth promenade that takes you from one end of the bay, to another.
A 5.6miler at 10:06 min/mi. not bad, especially with a lovely strong finish picking up speed around the other side of the cape, where it's quieter.
The theme continued with a run every day to explore the other beach, and a final one, with a dip into the sea, to say goodbye.
I went into laziness after that, only the occasional gym visit, until the Bank Holiday Monday where I really must go, a very wet 6.1miles, to the Chertsey Ploughing Match, with tea and loo breaks at the beer tent, and the garden centre, as it was too wet and being splashed with oncoming traffic doesn't help.
With this run I know, I am back in the game. The feeling on my legs, the 'who cares I'm already very wet already' mentality, and listening to my breathing as the rhythm of how I'm doing.
So the time has come to finally buy some new shoes, and a new 'online price match' at runner's need finally did it for me (I pondered over the Asics kayanos in the winter, but now, the latest release, with the funkiest colours, is mine).
And then, I had to get Miss K ready for the big race. Sessions in the gym on wet and late days, starting on this 'Eco-treadmill'
And then this week, moving on to test Gunnersbury Park, where the race on 11th September will be held.
2 sessions this week! I am proud that I took the plunge and walked out at a good time and did it!
Session 1 this week was a 3.5 miler pondering the possible (and difficult uphill) route for the 10k, and making sure I didn't stop. An average of 9:27 min/mile, and a negative split!!
Yesterday morning, race organiser Sam finally wrote back on the training sessions they were running, and she was in the office and planned on doing one at 5:30.
Since I had intended to up my distance that day, it was the perfect way to stop me procrastinating!
It was a very good session, since I was the only one attending, it was a personal training session from a keen running club member with a half marathon on schedule for this Sunday!
'I always run negative splits',
Audio 'feedback' from her garmin saying we were running 8:40min miles (I think), and passing the 'talk test' , although she had to slow down momentarily to see if I was ok...
It was good, and to be complimented that this was the only training session so far, that she could run along with the trainees, and that I could beat her at the race next week (as she and another colleague will be in a gorilla suit).
So, as the latest marketing slogan goes...
More on race strategy in the next post, for now, it will be good if you can click on the below and sponsor me , every little penny counts! Thanks!
http://www.justgiving.com/owner-email/pleasesponsor/Bonnie-WongEMC
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
With a training goal in mind.
I've been invited to challenge my title last year as the '3rd fastest woman', in this year's EMC Million Makers Fun Run for the Princes Trust.
With a new distance (not 4miles, but 5 or 10kms). Of course I chose the latter, for a 6pm slot.
My first training was on the Spanish coastline, staying minutes from the beach, and a very smooth promenade that takes you from one end of the bay, to another.
A 5.6miler at 10:06 min/mi. not bad, especially with a lovely strong finish picking up speed around the other side of the cape, where it's quieter.
The theme continued with a run every day to explore the other beach, and a final one, with a dip into the sea, to say goodbye.
I went into laziness after that, only the occasional gym visit, until the Bank Holiday Monday where I really must go, a very wet 6.1miles, to the Chertsey Ploughing Match, with tea and loo breaks at the beer tent, and the garden centre, as it was too wet and being splashed with oncoming traffic doesn't help.
With this run I know, I am back in the game. The feeling on my legs, the 'who cares I'm already very wet already' mentality, and listening to my breathing as the rhythm of how I'm doing.
So the time has come to finally buy some new shoes, and a new 'online price match' at runner's need finally did it for me (I pondered over the Asics kayanos in the winter, but now, the latest release, with the funkiest colours, is mine).
And then, I had to get Miss K ready for the big race. Sessions in the gym on wet and late days, starting on this 'Eco-treadmill'
And then this week, moving on to test Gunnersbury Park, where the race on 11th September will be held.
2 sessions this week! I am proud that I took the plunge and walked out at a good time and did it!
Session 1 this week was a 3.5 miler pondering the possible (and difficult uphill) route for the 10k, and making sure I didn't stop. An average of 9:27 min/mile, and a negative split!!
Yesterday morning, race organiser Sam finally wrote back on the training sessions they were running, and she was in the office and planned on doing one at 5:30.
Since I had intended to up my distance that day, it was the perfect way to stop me procrastinating!
It was a very good session, since I was the only one attending, it was a personal training session from a keen running club member with a half marathon on schedule for this Sunday!
'I always run negative splits',
Audio 'feedback' from her garmin saying we were running 8:40min miles (I think), and passing the 'talk test' , although she had to slow down momentarily to see if I was ok...
It was good, and to be complimented that this was the only training session so far, that she could run along with the trainees, and that I could beat her at the race next week (as she and another colleague will be in a gorilla suit).
So, as the latest marketing slogan goes...
More on race strategy in the next post, for now, it will be good if you can click on the below and sponsor me , every little penny counts! Thanks!
http://www.justgiving.com/owner-email/pleasesponsor/Bonnie-WongEMC
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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