More last minute tips..

Plan to rest completely the final day or two. Save the trained-in strength for the biggest day, when you need it most.

Expect any of your physical ailments to magnify as the marathon approaches. Imaginary problems becomes real and small ones grow large. Also expect them to do no real damage and to vanish when the race begins.

Forget about doing any warm-up running. Save every step for the marathon and warm up over the first few kilometres as you settle into your pace.

Start with the intention of making the first kilometre or so your slowest of the day. (You probably have no choice while fighting the crowd, but don't let the early slowness trouble you. You'll soon be up to speed)

Divide your marathon into 2 equal parts. Feel that you're holding back in the first half when your natural urge is to speed up. Run the second half of your marathon much differently than the first. Push on when your natural urge is to slow down. Take pleasure in passing the people who passed you earlier.

Don't think you'll sacrifice a lot of time with walking breaks. A 1-min break each mile totals 26 mins of walking. But you still cover distance while walking and probably net only about 10 mins lost.

Final countdown..

Look how far you've come since the first marathon training, the distance of your long run has jumped by more than 50%.

Consider what causes bad marathons. Mostly it's running too few or too many miles in training. Another common source of problems : running too much, too late. Don't try to pack in extra work the last week. It won't help. Nothing you do in training now will make your marathon better. But it's not too late to make it worse. It's never too late to hurt yourself, so don't.

Realise that training has a delayed-reaction effect. You don't draw your ability to run from what you run this week, but from a reservoir of fitness filled weeks and months earlier.

Kind of..

It's been kind of busy for me lately..'kind of' cos it's not really busy compared to some of my friends..but for me to stay in my office till 730pm..and to continue working at home till 12.30am..is busy for me..such that i pushed all dinner appts this week to next week..in fact, i think i overbooked myself liao :Þ

Well, the reason why i'm so busy is i have a kind of a marathon this weekend(actually i have 2, 1 on Fri nite & 1 on Sat nite) Anyway, it's 'kind of' cos it's not the usual running marathon..it's a cycling marathon..120km over 12 hours..can be considered marathon lah hor?

So they're kind of keeping me busy..'kind of' cos it's not like i've not handle 100pax event before(actually it's 'kind of' small-scale, if compared to the good ole days in NS)..but when you're heading the route com and the marshall com and the logistics com and the reception com and the registration..it really can be quite a handful..or should it be palmful? (sorry, private joke..heh)

I think i'm kind of blogging rubbish liao..ha..so i think i'll kind of stop..

Yes, kind of..

Psyching up for the long run..

Never forget that racing - especially at marathon length - is uncomfortable. You can't improve without sometimes venturing into discomfort. But these occasional ventures must be separated by returns to your comfort zone.

Aim to run at least two-thirds of the marathon distance before raceday. View your long run as a fulldress rehearsal. Test the shoes and clothing you'll wear on actual day, and the food and drinks you'll take, and the intervals at which you'll take them.

Take your long runs as much as one minute per mile slower han projected marathon pace. At faster paces, these runs become too much like the marathon itself - and require long recovery periods that interrupt regular training.
If possible, extend your longest training run to marathon length. Try to train as much time as you expect the marathon to take, even while going less than 42.195km becuase of the slower training pace; in other words, get used to lasting the full time of the race.

Simulate the marathon distance in long runs, but at a slower pace. Mimic racing pace in your fast runs, but only at shorter distance; Combine full distance at full pace only when it counts - in the race itself.

(armchair) marathon trainer

No..i am not running the marathon..as usual..

In contrary o 0.5's blog..no, i'm not worried that you cmi..i just want u to run to ur fullest potential..

Anyway, i'm now reading this book 'Marathon Training - The Proven 100-Day Program for Success'..ok, so we dun have 100 days to the marathon now..still i think the tips work, whether it's 10 days or 10 weeks to THE DAY..

From what i know, the running gang is gearing up for THE long run next week..so i shall focus on the injury prevention areas..

Check your fatigue level. Long runs are supposed to tire you temporarily, but if the feeling lingers longer than a few days, ease the effort of your next long one by slowing the pace or taking walking breaks.

Check your pain level. Any soreness that lingers from one run to the next requires attention. It's your warning that a small problem could grow into something major if ignored.

Rule for running with minor aches and pains: If they cause you to limp or if the pain increases as you run, stop. But if form is normal and pain eases you warm up, continue cautiously.

If you're hurting slightly, use the first kilometer of the day as your test. Decide only after this warm up whether or not to complete this days workkout. Sometimes stopping does you more good than continuing.

Dun think any of these is new but hey, we need reminders every now & then..what should be done, what could be done, blah³..

More tips on the way..

Duh for the second time in a week!

Some of u might have known this..i've been having this eye infection for..how long? 2 weeks?

Anyway, i've gone to see the doc last week and he confirmed it's conjunctiva(or like wat osm insisted, it's 'zhen yan')..gave some eye drops and eye cream which i've applied(whenever i remember) for the past 1 week..and told me to go back for a followup if it doesn't recover in a week

It didn't seem like it has fully recovered when i looked into the mirror this morning and so, i went back to my doc..

The visit went like this :

Doc:So how's your eye?
ZXL: Seems like it's still a bit red..
Doc: Let me take a look(shone a torch into my eyes..ouch)
Doc: It's recovering well..smaller area as compared to last week..just continue with the eye drops & eye cream..
ZXL:Orh ok..

The cost of this 30 sec consultation : $15..not even more of the eye drop or eye cream(which is finishing cos i always squeeze a lot in attempting to reach my eye)

Now i understand why he can afford to change car every now & then...

Duh!

I'm sitting 10m outside my office..trying to tap onto my WiFi..

And this is all because i forgot my keys..so duh right..

My life is getting boring(& predictable?!), so blogs getting less frequent..only when stupid things happen then i'll have something to blog about..sigh..