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Balance it up: Making high-volume training sustainable

By
Terry Tan
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Prologue

In the closing months of 2015, it came to an end.

The fair lady bided farewell and hoped we could always remain friends, as we have all along. The chase was over and I had never won her heart.

I would have run a 100 miles for her – it actually happened; namely Ultra-Trail Mount Fuji (UTMF) in September 2015, whose namesake refers to that majestic peak which she once lived near at her old home.

But, the worse thing is I did not complete the race.

UTMF in that year was considerably brutal with only 41.5% making to the finish line, and not without overcoming human jams on the route and tight cut-off times at checkpoints.

With this DNF, I took a hiatus from ultra training and races for more than a year-plus, just so I can get on to doing my degree and maybe, flirting with the female course-mates at night classes.

But, as I dug deep into academics, my peers were slugging in the trails and basking in their moment of glory.

While I felt happy for most of them, I was also irritated.

And perhaps, angry too.

To see my peers bypassing their milestones was encouraging. However, that showed how ahead they were in their running, and how underwhelming my previous achievements were.

So, the unsettled business in mind, I began to engineer a crack training regimen post-graduation.

Rethinking training

Getting on the road is easy.

But ascertaining the appropriate training programmes and volume will take time – years for this late-bloomer – to figure out.

For starters, not all can subject themselves to the 100k-and-beyond weekly mileages that elites could endure. And most people would never bank on a less-than-adequate training volume to weasel their way through the mountains.

As with any specific training programmes you read in running mags or online, they are not one-size-fits-all solutions. At best, they only provide ideas and hints to how your own regimen would work out.

Eventually, everyone’s training is affected by a slew of factors within and outside running: pronation, physical condition and psychological state, as well as diet, sleep hours, work and lifestyle choices.

The combination of those elements will determine the kind of runner that will develop over time. Importantly, training impacts your entire being and is in connection with just about anything in your personal realm of existence.

Hence, however important training is, it should not be done at the degeneration of other non-running aspects (leisure, professional pursuits, romance, etc).

As much mental as it is physical, the key to proper training is sustainability: Sweating it out without piling with cumulative misery and injuries; moderating goals to meet them consistently and still reap enough benefits for a race and; finding fulfilment and enjoyment in both running and non-running activities.

Training, therefore, has to be a manageable, holistic and positive experience.

80s for three weeks

Until recent times, I straddled both ends of the spectrum: Overdoing it that it becomes unsustainable and underdoing (most of the time) that I pay the price on race day.

I had once tried to achieve a 100k per week, only to suffer insomnia the following nights. Even then, simply trying to meet close to that hard-core three digits is a stretch; life’s busyness and all means training becomes more of a draining chore instead of a feel-good series of workouts.

On the other hand, I also ended up training too little. I cut an excess amount of time, mileage and effort whenever I was hamstrung by fatigue early in a run or in the middle of it. I thought I was reaching a limit and needed more rest.

If I was not mentally into a tough session, I would opt for a flat route over a hilly course. I would rest more days than needed when I assumed I was already too spent from previous days to maintain the streak.

Better to conserve than to be wasted by race day, I opined.

Consequentially, the result shows: My Garmin Connect data reveals the pre-UTMF 2015 weeks which are marked by a staggering pattern of inconsistencies.

For three weeks, a 40km+ session was recorded in each week, but the weekly mileage from the first to the last is uneven – 66km, 70km and 43km, respectively. There are too many vacant days per week, about four on average, and this trend is reflected across other weeks. Long runs (21km and above) occurred as abruptly as the inactive days that preceded, with little gradualness in build-up and tapering.

And those happened within the 10 weeks before UTMF.

The problem here is the lack of a well-defined goal.

When your training schedule can be arbitrarily tweaked based on your mood of the day and how much f***** you give, it pretty much ends up as it is: the most f****up training ever conjured by a lazy runner.

So, I need to set a figure for at the least the week and a frequency I would commit to.

Now, 100km is definitely gonna take a chunk out of time and 90km would be too close to that mark.

80km would be 20 short of that “POWER OF GREYSKULL!” finish. But, it would still make me satisfyingly drained by the weekend and reward myself with an Erdinger Dunkel (priced S$5.90 at the Fairprice mart).

That number I could will myself to. For the beer, especially.

Of course, it can’t be a perpetual cycle into an 80k-every-week oblivion. Be kind to oneself and accept three consecutive weeks of high mileage is an intense but sufficient prime-up – then cut it from there to a taper the following week in which it is 20km shorter at 60.

This is how it should go for a complete cycle:

Week 1: 80km

Week 2: 80km

Week 3: 80km

Week 4 (taper): 60km

Repeat.

Now, let’s get down with the nitty-gritty.

Calibrating training by the points

The science behind this training plan – or for any other plans – is to factor that, at any point of the first three weeks, your attention might be demanded for more pressing matters outside running… and that is just life.

A firm sense of discipline will see you through the weeks. However, once in a while, when personal responsibilities are priority, you would find yourself robbed of time to cultivate the pain.

Fret not. The 80km week does not have to be so if it permits itself some flexibility – for even multiple weeks if required.

To do this, I implemented a points system in my training à la UTMB scoring qualification system.

Basically, when a total of 80km cumulative mileage is done for a week, it is 3 points. So will it be for the two weeks when you hit 80k each. After the end of the third week, you should have amassed an overall 9 points.

And those points will reward you – you guessed it – the Taper Week. No, you tall hopies; that trip to Chamonix will have to be earned through a more quad-breaking process.

On the surface, it may appear straightforward and even easy to stick it through with three 80k weeklies.

Until, somehow, you are needed for almost the whole week to ensure your 10th cousin’s wedding at Sentosa Cove goes smoothly and impresses his hot Korean fiancée’s family. And it is a pity – that you never have a hot Korean girlfriend like your cousin.

More importantly, that momentous development puts a severe strain on your training time. Well, there’s an alternative; just tune it down.

So, 80k per week is 3 points. But, there are also 70k/week (2 points) and 60k/week (1 point). In a time-tight scenario, the third week would have been interrupted by your cousin’s royal-style wedding after your two successive 80k weeks:

Week 1: 80km

Week 2: 80km

Week 3: Damn cousin’s wedding to hot Korean fiancée

In this situation, if you cannot afford more, do less. Even then, set your minimum limit strictly at 60k. For the five days of busyness, try at least to do 5ks for four and reserve a 10k for one day. You can perhaps shoehorn a 30k on a free day during the weekend. All these should add up to 60k or one point:

Week 1: 80km (3 points)

Week 2: 80km (3 points)

Week 3: 5k+5k+5k+5k+10k+30k= 60km (1 point)

Accumulated points: 7 points

Yet, you would still fall short of making the next week a taper until you obtain 2 points to make it 9. It is obvious what Week 4’s mileage will be:

Week 1: 80km (3 points)

Week 2: 80km (3 points)

Week 3: 60km (1 point)

Week 4: 70km (2 points)

Accumulated points: 9 points > TAPER ON WEEK 5

The point of flexibility is to ensure, even when you are hard-pressed to find the time for training, you would still able to keep the body in consistent activeness, albeit the reduced volume and intensity. The toil debt is real; a week of inactivity or very low mileage could hamper the start of the 3-week high volume phase.

Now, just because this training plan grants you the prerogative to exercise flexibility, please don’t do something like this:

Week 1: 60km (1 point)

Week 2: 60km (1 point)

Week 3: 60km (1 point)

Week 4: 60km (1 point)

Week 5: 60km (1 point)

Week 6: 60km (1 point)

Week 7: 60km (1 point)

Week 8: 60km (1 point)

Week 9: 60km (1 point)

Accumulated points: 9 points (YOU WONDERFUL HUMAN BEING.)

Flexibility is supposed to help you maintain training progress, not shortcut the whole darn thing by ironically protracting it.

Stay the course for the ’80/week’ – pull back only when extremely necessary.

What’s in an ’80’ week

What you put into an ’80’ week is about as delicate as customising a carbo-load at The Daily Cut.

You can’t simply jam in a single 80K session in one day or do 10Ks for six days, followed by a 21K, then missed a much longer LSD in the process. Be realistic about your strengths and, at the same time, aware of pushing yourself further.

While there is no training mixture which would suit everybody, there will always be a plan sui generis to a particular kind of runner. Look for one such programme or, better still, craft your own.

I find it vital that, in order to maximise the positive effects of training, the ‘80/week’ should contain at least a 10K, 21K and 40K, topped up by another run to prop up the figure.

Well, at least, that was the plan; the cumulative impact of high volumes week after week resulted in too much lethargy to get a mid-week half-marathon done (which I cut to 10K) at one point. And then the busyness of work (sort of) and a possible overloading on my right leg in another session.

I will admit – the training week’s composition is still a work-in-progress. Regardless, the one session I prioritise that MUST be done is the long run – 40K and beyond – in all weeks except the taper. The 40K should, as weekly as possible, be the ‘flux capacitor’ to pump up for an incoming ultra (50K and beyond).

And if you are up for it, try to do a 50K session per yearly quarter.

Now, training is not simply a series of sessions on the flat unless you are preparing for a road marathon – which the ‘80/week’ can be adjusted for.

Heading to the mountains to pay your due? Fashion your 40K to, in my case, include six climbs up Bukit Timah Hill (with the rest of mileage on trail and/or concrete), and for the 21K, at least three stair climbs at The Pinnacle@Duxton, where it smells of piss at the first floor.

In Singapore, you have to make do with what our mountainless, tiny island has. There are indeed a few good locales for steep incline running like Vigilante Drive at Kent Ridge Park. Mount Faber would do as well, though, the name’s a scam – it is never a mountain.

Disadvantages and advantages of the ‘80/week’

Capping your training mileage at a certain number ostensibly limits your potential. Why not do more if you could, one would argue, and rightly so: there is a chance the ‘80/week’ might inhibit further progress by reducing your motivation for additional volumes.

However, extra amounts are either going to work or not work for a runner, and there are different runners for whom the outcome varies. The most essential goal here is consistency, not escalating the load.

Nevertheless, you are not prohibited to do some more if you can. Just avoid the contrived piling up of ‘junk’ mileages; instead, let your increments be natural.

For example, in addition to your mandatory sessions – 10K, 21K and 40K on Monday, Wednesday and Sunday, respectively – you would always run a 7K back to home from work, no matter what. With those happening on Tuesday and Thursday, they would easily bring the week’s mileage to 85K – an additional 5 which wouldn’t kill.

Basically, natural increments like those are efforts happening on an ‘on-the-way’ basis, like a short race, and not doing more runs to deliberately push the number, even beyond what is sustainable. And the increments should not be too significant.

Furthermore, one should not only be focusing on the mileage ran within the Monday-Sunday time frame – there are also your last 7 days which would have preceded that period.

From Monday to Wednesday, you would have done 30K of running. But, taking into the account the days before that – Thursday to Sunday last week which amounted to 70K – you have already run 100K for the past seven days.

And, that is the beauty of consistent weekly training: you end up doing more than you think you have. The perspective based on the last seven days is a good way to gauge whether you could train more or (especially) risk overtraining.

Remember: the more training volume is over a short period, the more stress your body is subjected under. Train with what your body could effectively adapt to.

Over time, I have also come to dismiss one advice which was given during my early days of running and that is, the practice of not compensating for lost mileage. When you start running, maybe; on the other hand, the advice – in my opinion and based on personal experiences – only curtail your training progress the longer you are in the game.

It’s not that life’s busyness is not a credible concern. However, if you are seriously committed to the process and its goals, you should always find a way to meet at least the targeted weekly mileage, even if you can’t commit to a 40K in that week.

Additionally, the flexibility of the ‘80/week’ regimen provides multiple ways to meet your objectives whilst overcoming external difficulties. Setting a weekly number would help you plan sessions in advance, and even during mid-week or on a short notice when you are bumped by last-minute matters to tend to.

When all else fail, you can still scale back to a ‘70’ or ‘60’ week – but nothing below those unless it is absolutely inevitable.

No matter what, you should train in a manner that is focused, consistent and sustainable, in spite of the challenges.

This is not for everyone

I’m not a certified coach or bona fide sports expert. What I have rambled about in the last one hour is obtained from my own experiences in running. To add to your concerns, I’m not an elite athlete even if I sometimes think I am one.

What I say may or will not work for you. But, so are the opinions of the true pros who comment on websites or magazines, sometimes with little to no disclaimer. There is a reason why professional coaching is very much an individual-focused endeavour, and why career athletes would drop their coach when things did not pan out well.

Everything you hear from anyone is just another piece of wisdom – or cautionary tale – for your approach to training. As a whole, a specific programme may never answer your needs substantially.

Moreover, the right training will take some experimenting and time to figure out. But it will yield results once you discover the stuff that clicks with you – hopefully, with fewer injuries as you go about it.

The ‘80/week’ plan has, to a certain degree, worked for me. Still, the verdict will rest on race day and it remains to be seen what the full extent of the training outcome is.

So far, the past 10-13 weeks have been the most consistent I ever trained for a long race.

Thus, reflecting on past events, I think the next race could turn out better.

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Review: B.I.G Farm Walk and Run 2018 [8 km] (by stargazer)

By
stargazer
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When we mention the west part of Singapore, the 2 things that usually comes to our minds are: factories and farms. There are not many races that are being held in the west. Thus, I signed up immediately when this event was opened for registration. I was curious where, or which farms the route will bring me. Also, I was seeking a new experience apart from running in the city areas and eastern parts of Singapore.

The Event

The B.I.G Farm Walk & Run is an annual community event organized for the residents of Chua Chu Kang GRC and Hong Kah North SMC. It comprises of a 8 km Run, 3 km Walk and Kids Dash. I am taking part in the 8 km run, but had actually planned to walk in some parts of the route to take in the scenery. The route takes the participants to some of the well known fish farms and nurseries in the Sungei Tengah area.

Race Day

It was raining very heavily in the wee hours of race day, 14 Oct. I had hoped for fine weather, as there were also two other races on the same day – The Great Eastern Women Run and The Performance Series. Nevertheless, I decided to go ahead to attend the event, keeping my fingers crossed that the rain may subside when I reach the event site at Brickland Road.

I took the 1st train from Bedok North to Bukit Panjang. I had planned to take LRT from there to Choa Chu Kang (CCK). But upon reaching Bukit Panjang at 6.50 am, I realized the LRT was not yet in operation. I spent some time pondering on my options, before chancing upon a notice which states that LRT shuttle bus is available to CCK MRT Station. I proceed to the designated bus stop outside Hillion Mall and boarded the bus when it arrived. It took approx 10 mins to reach CCK. Easterners who wish to travel to CCK at this time may want to take note of this. 

The organizers had arranged free shuttle bus (opposite Lot One Mall) to the race site. I boarded the bus with other participants and reached the site at 7.45 am. The 8 km run had already been flagged off. I did some warm up exercises and quickly commenced my run.

It was still raining. Kudos to the organizers for being prepared and provided disposable ponchos to those who needed them. I decided to forgo the poncho and run in the rain, my first after all the races I did. I also made the right choice to wear my trail running shoes as they provided better water proofing and grip in such wet condition.

It was cold and somewhat ‘surreal’ running in the rain, especially in this ‘countryside’ environment where the air is fresh. I passed by Nippon Koi Farm, Qian Hu and Rainbow Aquarium. It was very tempting to pause and go in visit them as I used to be a fish hobbyist. The plants from the nurseries and vast landscaping added a natural and somehow rustic feel to the surroundings.

  

I slowed to a walk many times to appreciate these farms and scenery and took time to speak with some of the volunteers stationed along the route. Many of them were ‘aunties’ and ‘uncles’ in their 50s and 60s and they were great in supporting this event despite the downpour. Must really salute their commitment!

There were 2 hydration points providing water and an ambulance was standby at the Lor Semangka junction.

After a while, I passed SPCA and exited to the main Sungei Tengah Road. I joined the walkers, who had started their walk at 8.00 am and were now heading back to the Finish point. By now the rain had considerably subsided. Everyone appeared to be in high spirits as we slowly walked back to Brickland Road.

The collection of goodie bags and finisher medal was quick, though I feel the area was quite messy as it was crowded by participants who were not directed away after collecting their entitlements.

Post Race

The event site was abuzz with activities. There were performances by local residents and the Kids Dash was about to commence. The crowds rested while waiting for the lucky draws at 9.45 am. There were 20 prizes to be won. The top 3 prizes, all aleoca children bicycles, were won by kids! Mr. Gan Kim Yong, Mr. Zaqy Mohamad and Ms. Low Yen Ling, minister and MPs of this GRC, gave away the top prizes.

I left after the lucky draw, didn’t manage to win anything but feeling great from the farm run.

Comments

This is a well managed event with a unique race route.

I encourage runners who are looking for a refreshing experience in the west to consider this event next year. Do not be put off by the travelling distance as it is just a once a year event.

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Race Review: The Straits Times Run 2018 [18.45 km] (by SwimmingRunner)

By
SwimmingRunner
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The Straits Times Run was held at Singapore Sports Hub on 23 September 2018 (sorry for the late posting). This is the 5th time Straits Times organised this race ever since its debut in year 2013. More details can be found at https://www.straitstimesrun.com. There were 3 different running distances to choose from, I chose the 18.45km one.

3 days before the race, I went for strength training with the running club (because of the rain outside) that I took part in University. I suffered muscle ache on both my thighs until race day. Swimming the day before helped me to relieve the pain but I still end up with slight thigh muscle ache during race day.

I felt super worried of not being able to finish the race. I prayed for strength to finish, took the courage to run the race, and proceeded to the race village via shuttle bus. I arrived the race village at 4am but the start pen opens only at 4.30am. The bag deposit process was quick, which means, I have lots of time to prepare myself for the run.

Race village
Walking to start pen
I was in the 2nd wave that flagged off at 5:15am

After running a few kilometers, my legs seems to be fine despite of starting off with both slightly aching thighs. So I was still super worried, hoping and praying to at least be able to finish. It turns out that my leg muscles gets really sore after running for 13km. So I endured for another 5.45km to finish off the race. This time round I felt that I ran a consistent pace. Thank God my legs never cramp up during the race despite running with little walking breaks.

Hydration points during the race was good as they provide runners with both plain water and 100plus isotonic drinks. Race route was okay for me as well.

Even though I’m not in my best condition to run, I managed to finish in a time of 2 hours and 18 minutes. However, I misplaced my own finisher medal. Thankfully, I was able to get a new one from the information counter.

I like the finishing point that was located in the new National stadium at Singapore Sports Hub which I rarely go to. This run is a good opportunity for me to revisit the new stadium. There was also a lucky dip booth just like last year’s run, which was a surprise to me. All I have to do is to like Panasonic on Facebook, make a pledge, and share on Facebook to take part. I went for it and won a pair of AA Panasonic batteries. This prize was unlike last year’s Straits Times Run where I won a steam iron.

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Review: Great Eastern Women’s Run 2018 [21.1KM] (by maylindateo)

By
Maylindateo
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Race date: 14 October 2018

The Great Eastern Women’s Run (GEWR) has established itself as SouthEast Asia’s largest all-women’s run. This year, they celebrate their 13th edition with a brand-new location at Singapore Sports Hub. In addition to the 5 race categories (21.1KM, 10KM, 5KM, 2KM mummy & me, Princess Dash), there is a new category this year which is the 110-meter sprint. It’s the first time that a sprint event has been added to a mass running event in Singapore.

This is my 3rd year participating in GEWR. I ran the 21.1KM category in 2016, 2KM mummy & me run with my daughter in 2017 and this year, I am back to running the 21.1KM category again. The reason why I am attracted to GEWR is due to the all women’s nature. It’s quite distinctive and special to participate because the men don’t get to run.

REPC

Race pack collection is held at the usual venue at Marina Square from 27 – 30 September 2018. When I went to collect mine on the first day in the morning, there was very little people and the collection process was fast and efficient.

As I registered for the race late, I did not get to choose my size for the running tee and finisher tee because smaller sizes were out of stock. I was forced to select a large size which I can’t wear. I requested to change to a smaller size at the information counter, however I was told that only size L and XL are available, no more smaller sizes available for exchange. I was also told that the cutting of the shirt is quite small, so I was advised to have a look at the sizing. Yes, the cutting is smaller than last year’s but a large size is still too big for me. I had no choice but to seek to do exchanges on my own by asking around.

I love the bag that was given as the race pack. It’s unique and of good quality.

Race Day

I arrived at the race venue by shuttle bus and there was already quite a lot of people. I walked to the multi-storey car park where their baggage deposit and holding area was. The portable toilets were outside of the car park. At first I had a problem finding the start pen. Then I started to see people gathering around the car park entrance/exit and it became clear that it was the way to the start pen and I could see the starting arch quite a distance away.

Pre-race holding area

Then we were instructed to start walking to the start pen. It was a cool and windy morning. I received SMS from GEWR informing us of a possible moderate rain but confirming that the race would go on. We were preparing to be flagged off and at close to 5:15 A.M, suddenly organiser was informed of Category 1 weather that was happening at that time, so we were asked to turn back. I could see that many ladies were unwilling to do so and still hanging around. We walked into the national stadium to seek shelter and shortly after, I could hear the loud pouring rain outside.

In the stadium, there were 2 large screens that would display the instagram images of people who posted with hashtag #GEWR2018. After sitting for close to an hour, the rain and thunder stopped and it was announced that we could head out to the starting pen again at 6:00 A.M and flag off would be at 6:15 A.M. Another SMS was sent informing us of the go-ahead status of the race and for those who decided not to run, could collect their finisher entitlements in the stadium.

Situation in the stadium while waiting for update on the race status

The elites were flagged off first followed by the rest of the runners about 5 minutes later. We started running under cooling weather and slight drizzles. It was a pleasant and wonderful condition for a run.

Start pen

The run started along Nicoll Highway passing F1 Pit Building, Singapore Flyer, Esplanade, Gardens By The Bay, Marina Barrage, Marina Bay Golf Course and finishing inside the National Stadium. This city route is quite scenic and even better without the sun.

The hydration stations were at 2 – 3 KM apart and they serve mineral water and 100 Plus. Distance markers were accurate. The beautiful 2:30 pacers were very encouraging and uplifting. It was nice running together with them but after 10KM, I slowed down to hydrate and couldn’t catch up.

Banana station was in between 13 and 14 KM mark, I took one and there were plenty. I decided not to look at my HR and kept pushing. I knew it was high. My PF was manageable and did not cause me too much pain, though I could definitely still feel the presence. New insoles helped.

After Tanjong Rhu Suspension Bridge, there were guys giving high fives and gummy bear sweets! I kept running and told myself to stop only at the finishing line. It was getting too crowded at the last 1 KM as there were many 10 KM runners and mothers walking with their beautiful daughters. I had to move slower trying to manoeuvre among the crowd.

It was sweet to end the run inside the National Stadium! In my opinion, it was the best venue ever. It was sheltered, so you don’t have to care whether it is raining or scorching hot outside and still get to enjoy the post-race activities and food. The finisher item stations were classified under 100 Plus carbonated and non-carbonated. I went for non-carbonated. Never a fan of carbonated drinks. I was given a can of 100 Plus, a bottle of mineral water, a banana and breakfast pack (muffin and chicken pie from Polar). I gulped down the can of 100 Plus to quench my thirst.

Finish arch inside the national stadium

The finisher medal has a stunning rose gold colour and of similar design as last year’s. The race village had various food/beverage stations, bouncing castle for kids, powder room, massage, photo booths, etc. I explored for a while before heading home. The short walk to the Stadium MRT station was a plus point for having the race venue at the Sports Hub. Kudos to the organiser and I really enjoyed this year’s experience.

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7 Tips on Becoming a Successful Running Blogger

By
Team JustRunLah!
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If your running passion yells to you “full involvement”, I see three good solutions: prepare for and compete in a marathon, start a running blog, or do both. The second and third option seem unconventional, but I assure you they’re not.

The perks of having a running blog are quite promising:

  • It allows you to document your life and professional progress
  • It’ll help you overcome challenges and setbacks
  • It’ll improve your commitment to pursuing your dreams
  • You can become a highly reputable running influencer
  • You can earn your financial freedom if you employ the proper monetization techniques

Is it easy? Quick? No. Can anyone become a successful running blogger? Absolutely no. I’m not here to crush your motivation, but rather to expose the truth that’ll help you develop realistic expectations.

In this post, I’ll detail 7 insightful tips to become a successful running blogger. If you’re just starting out, perfect. If you already have a blog, this post will give you clues on how to improve your performance.

1. Commit to a Clearly Defined Mission

Mike Carry, CEO at EssayOnTime and marathon runner, suggests that “Blogging is just like a business. Without goals and missions, your progress might be limited by your moods, challenges, and setback. Also, by having a clear mission, a runner will better define his brand’s culture and position his blog among his fiercest competitors.”

Here are some examples of blogging goals:

  • Helping beginners by offering proven and effective advice
  • Setting a good example by consistently improving yourself
  • Motivating and inspiring other runners to reach their peak performance
  • Becoming the biggest running blogger nationally/internationally

Find your own motivation and stick to it as if you’d hold the rope before falling down the cliff!

2. Develop a Content Strategy

To start your running blog on the right foot, plan your content strategy before anything else.

Establish the Target Audience

In order for people to read your content and follow your advice, you’ll need to address the right audience. For example, some running bloggers target pregnant mothers. Other running bloggers write for overweight individuals, while others write for professional athletes who prepare for marathons. Decide, and craft content and products that fully resonate with your specific audience.

Develop a Content Calendar

You should develop a content calendar that outlines your future blog posts. This way, you’ll find it easier to post content consistently. Your audience will love you for that, and they’ll reward you appropriately.

Guest Post/Offer Guest Posting Opportunities

To bring more traffic to your running blog, you should seek guest posting opportunities and offer guesting possibilities as well. Allow other runners or professional athletes to write for your blog and allow them to link back to their site. Do the same and broaden your blog’s reach!

3. Use Passion to Differentiate Your Voice

Unless you’re passionate about running, starting a blog dedicated to runners would be a huge mistake. People expect something original, unique, and valuable. Your passion will help you differentiate your writing voice, as well as your blog’s unique value proposition.

4. Choose Attention-Grabbing Pictures

Visual content will help you capture your traffic’s attention, which will improve the number of people who actually start reading your content.

You should only use high-quality pictures of yourself, other athletes, affiliate products, or of your own products. If the quality of your images is poor, your visitors will immediately notice the lack of professionalism!

5.   Get Big on Social Media

Build an online presence and share everything you post on your blog with your social followers. Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube – choose a platform and try to build a huge following. It’ll take time, and it’ll only work if you can share valuable content on a consistent basis.

6. Collaborate with Non-Competitive Influencers

Another great tip to speed up your blog’s progress is to seek and collaborate with non-competitive influencers. For example, a running blogger cannot go to another running blogger and ask for promotion services because a direct competition exists between the two.

However, a running blogger will be able to close a “partnership deal” with a gym blogger, a health blogger, or a sports clothing blogger because the interests are often different, as well as the content.

7. Get Creative and Think Out of the Box

There are many running blogs out there, each trying to gain a competitive advantage over time. To stand out from the crowd, you’ll need to offer content that’s creative, relevant, and ultimately useful. Here are three examples of creative approaches for running bloggers:

  1. Run Eat Repeat

Monica, a passionate running blogger started documenting her dieting and weight loss progress before her first marathon. This content marketing campaign helped her increase the rapport with her followers, making them trust and respect her more. Her blog also contains recipes, exercising moves, and dozens of useful running tips.

2. The Science of Running

Steve Magness is a highly successful author, performance coach, and lecturer. He’s coaching more than 25 professional runners, helping them improve their marathons’ performance. On this blog, you’ll find lots of useful information in the form of free blog posts, podcasts, and newsletters.

Offering coaching services can be a great source of income, it can help you improve your standards, and it’ll help you stand out from the crowd.

3. Coach Jay Johnson

Coach Jay Johnson is a blog run by a successful author named Jay Johnson. He is an expert runner and a great coach who takes a different approach than most runners – he writes a book, publishes it, markets it, and makes a lot of passive income over time.

The book is called “Simple Marathon Training: The Right Training for Busy Adults with Hectic Lives” and teaches people how to leverage the last 20 weeks before a marathon to improve their odds of success.

Takeaways

Becoming a successful runner is often more difficult than most people would expect. Consistency and persistence are keys, as well as the presence of a true sense of commitment. Take our tips into consideration, test them one by one, assess the results, optimize, scale, and repeat. Keep growing your digital skills, expand your reach, and seek to constantly “play” better than your competitors!

Start your own running blog now

You can setup your own running blog for free here on JustRunLah!. Follow this link to find out how.

Guest post: Serena Dorf is an enthusiastic content writer in Los Angeles. She is thirsty for knowledge and is always on the lookout for amazing writing tips to share with her readers. In her free time, she is reading classic American literature and learning Swedish. Feel free to connect with her on Twitter.

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My YOLO Run 2018 Singapore [10km] (by Lingderella)

By
Lingderella
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Anyway, it’s not 10km but 9km. How can something so simple fail? ?

I’m running because it’s a free run as I’m their participants last year. Thank you Justina for collecting the participants entitlements for me ? Thought the run will not happen as race pack collection was just announced merely days before the race. And race pack collections was only from Wednesday to Friday ? People gotta work and I could only imagine long queues after working hours at the race pack collection ?

It’s funny that I almost give up this run thrice but still I turned up and finished the run. First thought of giving up the run was when I knew that next day would be Great Eastern Women’s Run, 2nd when I told Justina I didn’t want to run anymore 2 days prior to the race as I’m not feeling well, and third time while I was in Grab Hitch with another runner coincidentally hitching to the race site as well when it started to drizzle. The driver was on the way to pick up his wife from her night shift at work and I actually asked him: Will you be heading back after picking up your wife? I don’t want to run anymore ? Well, he said he will be heading elsewhere so I got no choice but to alight ?

It was 6am when we arrived at the race site as we were both unsure of the location and that’s why we decided to be early. We planned to alight at the main entrance of Gardens by the Bay but somehow we manage to drop off just by the side of the race village. Route was the usual one from Gardens by the Bay with running up slopes at Marina Barrage to Gardens by the Bay East and u-turn, just that the flag off was at Bayfront Plaza which was an unusual flag off site. It was drizzling, official website indicated to be early for baggage deposit race village opened and yet it’s still not ready. This time I didn’t dare to bring any bags for deposit as I didn’t really trust them that nothing would go wrong and I was indeed lucky. And The race village was not sheltered and it’s muddy. Even before the run, our shoes were already wet ?

Justina told me that the flag off would be delayed from 7am to 7.30am due category 1 status, which I think meant lightning warning. I was not feeling very well so I seek shelter found a place to sit down and enjoy an episode of Big Bang Theory and another one on the imperial palace the type of drama which the imperial consorts frame one another and kill childrens for reasons that would benefits them while waiting for flag off ?

It’s a free run for me so I didn’t mind running. I only expected a bib actually but with a T-shirt as well was already a bonus and good enough I thought but some runners expect the same entitlements as new sign ups this year? ? It’s not that bad of a run for me luckily because I wasn’t stuck in queues and didn’t deposit bag and thus avoided all the hassle.

Just a few hundred metres into the run, distance board showed 1km and I thought gg already. A little more than 6km was the 8km distance board as well. Though I didn’t stop at water points,

I’m pretty sure it will jam and runners would need to wait for water as there were only 2 volunteers for more than 2 thousand of 10km runners at some water points. Just do the maths, one places cups, another pours water ?


Just by beo-ing, I can see that runners who deposited bags would require a long time to deposit and retrieve their bags. Didn’t know how long but seeing the queue it doesn’t seem like a short wait. And those who returned back a little later would queue a long time even just to collect their finisher entitlements, it’s so scary that it looks like a start pen ? I heard people queued for an hour to collect their finisher entitlements and there’s problem with collecting the foam roller for the new sign ups as well ? I waited for about 10 minutes to collect my finisher entitlements but while waiting, we were standing in muddy grass patches soaked with rainwater and this guy behind me took off his shoes and socks and the “juice” from his socks “piak” on me ????


I would actually prefer a 9km medal ? My friends, Justina and Christine ran 10km ended up gotten a 5km medal, and Justina also missed the 2nd loop of Marina Barrage ? Route and cones were actually quite messy there at Barrage with many turns as well.

#RiseAgain? I thought they would do their best to regain some reputation, turns out still a disappointment for a majority of the runners.

There’s also problem with their timing results ? You may find your results here. Some of my friends got no timing at all and I can get 15th in female position? ? I’m sure there’s many more female runners ahead of me.

Register for any upcoming YOLO run is pretty risky. I wouldn’t want to pay $40 $50 and end up torturing myself by queueing up to collect my personal belongings and finisher entitlements with a time longer than the run. I’m not a fast runner but luckily for me, last year and this year it’s good enough to avoid the crowds coming back in after we run. Though I didn’t suffer in the queues or have any issues with the run, I guess no more YOLO run for me next year as I felt we shouldn’t encourage poor organisers and poor standard of a running event. If YOLO run will be organizing anymore future runs, they must really improve and stop disappointing and angrying the running community of Singapore and the various countries that they held their runs in.

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Workout Clothes Which Inspire You to Go to Gym

By
Team JustRunLah!
-

The phrase “dress for success” does not apply just in the business world. It’s actually a good motto in the fitness world too. Going to the gym requires a positive and confident attitude if you want to lose some weight or to tone your body. But this attitude can be reached if you don’t like the way you look in your workout clothes and have a constant feeling that everyone will judge you for this.

As Audrey Greens, HR manager at EssayOnTime and passionate sportive, acclaimed, “Choosing the perfect workout outfit really matters. It can improve your self-esteem, your motivation, your productivity, and it can protect you from possible injuries. As well, when you put on the workout outfit that you like so much, your brain receives positive signals about the workout, meaning that it’s an experience that you’ll love to repeat soon.”

With no further ado, in today’s post, we’re presenting you several workout clothes that will motivate and inspire you to go to the gym and run the extra mile.

Nike Dry Wake Up Graphic Tank Top

This is the perfect top for your morning exercising routine. It has the perfect motivational message to get you out of your cozy bed and work your ass out. As well, it has a moisture-wicking fabric and no sleeves that will give you exactly the feeling and flexibility you need to get you through your workout.

Adidas Wow Drop Climate Cool Leggings

We’re all looking for the perfect pair of leggings to look good on us and to keep us dry and cool. Well, look no more. This Adidas wow drop climate cool leggings look good on any body shape and will keep the sweat away. You couldn’t ask for more. Beside its ClimateLite technology, it has a super nice peachy color that will be easy to match with any top. I’ll say that this legging is a more than a great deal.

 

Urban Outfitters Without Walls Mid-Rise Engineered Legging

If you’re looking for a fancy, cute, and out of ordinary workout style, look no more. This leggings from Urban Outfitters may be exactly what you’re looking for. Unique design, soft fabric that feels great on the skin, and the lateral lines will give make you “lose” some weight. The perfect combo, don’t you think?

Women’s Adidas Tubular Shadow Sneaker

Modern, simple, fashionable, and yet comfortable are the keywords for the perfect workout pair of shoes. Adidas tubular shadow sneaker, which can be found in more colors to make sure it matches your workout outfit, will give you the feeling that you’re walking on the clouds as they’re also lightweight. Running never felt so easy wearing these awesome sneakers.

Nike Colorblocked Windrunner Jacket

There’s always a problem with matching out clothes with the rest of the outfit. Not the case with this black-and-white Nike jacket. It is also super light and it protects you from the nasty wind, things that make this jacket perfect for any running lover. And it also has a retro design that will make you look simply amazing.

Zella Clear Routine Tank

Want a sexy feeling while working out? Then, you should try Zella clear routine tank. It will make your back look sexier than ever. This top will give you a “chic” workout look. It coves in more colors that are easy to match the rest of the outfit. Zella’s top promotes flexibility as it’s lightweight and it has a breathable fabric that will help you fight the hot and sweet while you’re working out. Sounds quite perfect, isn’t it?

Conclusion

No matter what your taste in workout clothing fashion is, the most important thing is to feel good in your clothes and go to the gym. Exercising on a regular basis has a great effect on both our mind and body. So, let a little impediment like not so nice clothes stop you from having the perfect body and a great state of mind. Find and take whatever you like to do sports in and make your appearance at the gym.

Guest author: Jacob Dillon is a professional writer and distinctive journalist from Sydney. Being passionate about what he does, Jacob likes to discuss stirring events as well as express his opinion about technological advancements and evolution of society. Find Jacob on Twitter and Facebook.

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Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset – MS2S – 2019: Online Registration for the Magical Trail Run

By
Team JustRunLah!
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MS2S includes some challenging and steep climbs. // Photo Credits: www.ms2s.org / Munkhdul Sergelen

20 years of the most remote and beautiful ultra-trail running, 20 years of charity for Hovsgol National Park and its population: The anniversary Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset (MS2S) 42km and 100km trail run took place in early August at the shores of mighty Lake Hovsgol in Northern Mongolia. Runners from no less than 15 countries took part in this exceptional challenge and witnessed first-hand why MS2S is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful trail runs on the planet: Lakeside trails, windblown lowlands, craggy mountain passes, mossy fairy-tale forests and meadows full of wildflowers. The runners pass by wild yaks and horses. Mongolian horsemen serve as race marshals. Jun Matsumoto from Japan claimed the 100km victory in 12:37 hours. Among the ladies, Austrian Cornelia Oswald was the fastest (16:04 hours) to overcome the very challenging ultra-distance with an accumulated elevation gain/loss of 3.375m.

Register now for 2019!

Registrations for the 2019 edition of MS2S – a proud member of the International Trail Running Association ITRA – are now open; click here to secure a slot. This unique Mongolian adventure will take place in the week of August 3-9, 2019. In the days before and after the race day (August 7), the participants stay at a picturesque camp at the gorgeous Lake Hovsgol, sleep in traditional Mongolian “Gers”, enjoy outdoor activities such as horseback riding, kayaking, hiking, fishing and daily yoga sessions. They also get in touch with the local population and get a glimpse into their unique nomadic lifestyle. The race itself is as challenging as it is beautiful: The accumulated elevation gain/loss in the marathon distance is more than 2.200 meters, in the 100km ultra run it is 3.375 meters. Still, everybody with a strong spirit and good training can complete the race. The cut-off time – for both 42km and 100km – is 18 hours.

Otgonzaya Uudus from Mongolia won the rainy, mountainous 42km distance in amazing 4:27 hours! // Photo Credits: www.ms2s.org / Munkhdul Sergelen

Race director Nicolas Musy: “MS2S is more than just a race. MS2S offers a full week in one of the world’s most pristine and untouched areas, a week of exploration and adventure – it is an eye-opening experience.” Early-bird travel packages are available until end of February 2019. The race is limited to 100 runners so you better sign-up fast.

Run to protect the nature

With the proceeds of the event, the organizers support charity initiatives in the National Park. “The Hovsgol Lake area is a paradise on earth. Our goal is to keep the National Park as clean as it is, and to support the inhabitants so they can continue their unique way of life – and be proud of it”, says Musy. Through the ecoLeap foundation, garbage trucks are bought, park rangers hired, eco-friendly garbage bags provided. The MS2S organizers also raise awareness about the importance of environmental protection trough TV ads and educational projects.

Jun Matsumoto from Japan won the MS2S 2018 100km ultra in 12:37! // Photo Credits: www.ms2s.org / Munkhdul Sergelen

“It was an outstanding event – not to be missed. I have often been asked to name the race that I enjoyed most. My previous hesitations to name my favorite event are now replaced by a certitude: Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset.” 

– Henri Girault – World Record Holder for the Greatest Number of completed 100km races (600+)

Click here to find our more about the one-week Mongolia Sunrise to Sunset (August 2019) race adventure

Itinerary:

Saturday Day 1

Meeting point details will be announced late June 2019

Arrival in Ulaanbaatar (UB) of participants travelling directly to UB or via Beijing (departure the day before from Europe). After arrival in UB, departure of scheduled flight to Khatgal/Moron on the Southern tip of Lake Hovsgol. Transfer via jeep and vans to Camp Toilogt. Evening arrival in Camp Toilogt. Assignment of gers and welcome dinner.

Sunday Day 2

Acclimatization day for participants in Camp Toilogt. Possibilities include horseback riding, fishing, trekking and familiarization with the course.

Monday Day 3

Acclimatization day. Possibilities include horseback riding, fishing, trekking and familiarization with the course.

Tuesday Day 4

Acclimatization day. Possibilities include horseback riding, fishing, trekking and familiarization with the course.

Wednesday Day 5

RACE DAY.

Thursday Day 6

Rest day. Award Ceremony and party in the evening. Preparation for add-on horse trek for those who stay on.

Friday Day 7

Return to UB via jeep/van and aircraft. Dinner with whole group and transfer to hotel

Saturday Day 8

Departure of participants from Mongolia and end of the Package.

Registrations are open via this link!

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BHPetrol Orange Run Flags Off 13th Year

By
Team JustRunLah!
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A big crowd of participants kicking off the 13th BHPetrol Orange Run.

Marking its 13th consecutive year, the BHPetrol Orange Run is here once again! A joint collaboration between BHPetrol, Polis DiRaja Malaysia, Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya and Affin Bank, the annual event aims to support healthier lifestyles and contribute to those in need in society.

Mr Tan Kim Thiam, Managing Director of BHPetrol said, “We are very pleased to celebrate the 13th year of our BHPetrol Orange Run. Not only does this initiative promote more active lifestyles, it also allows us to give back to the less fortunate, as the proceeds go towards deserving charitable organisations. We are thrilled with the strong turnout this year, attracting both loyal supporters as well as new participants, all coming together for a good cause.”

In line with BHPetrol’s commitment to giving back to the community, following the completion of the run, a total of RM30,000 was presented to three charitable homes, Persatuan Orang-Orang Cacat Anggota Malaysia, Persatuan Kebajikan Pusat Jagaan Rumah Kasih Harmoni Paya Jaras and Pusat Jagaan Persatuan Kebajikan Kanak-Kanak Trinity Komuniti Selangor, with a contribution of RM10,000 each.

The 11-km Orange Run which was flagged off at the Curve, Mutiara Damansara, continued to attract more than 4,000 runners this year. Participants as young as 13 years old joined the run, which saw a wide range of contestants taking part under eight categories, namely Men Open & Veteran, Women Open & Veteran, Boys & Girls and Men & Women International Open. The winners of each category received cash prizes worth a total of RM50,000, along with BHPetrol vouchers.

The runners were cheered on by families and friends, with all enjoying the festive atmosphere of the BHPetrol Orange Run 2018. Other activities also took place during the day, including product offers and sampling by BHPetrol, Affin Bank, F&N Beverages Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, Nestlé and many others.

BHPetrol Orange Run 2018 Winners List (Top 3 per category)

Category A: Men Open

  1. Poocasanthan A/L Suppramaniam
  2. Muhaizar bin Mohamad
  3. Ahmad Luth bin Hamizan

Category B: Men Veteran

  1. Muniandy A/L Ramadas
  2. Arul Thevel A/L Muniandy
  3. Shaharuddin Hashim

Category C: Women Open

  1. Noor Amelia Binti Musa
  2. Pavitha A/P Das
  3. Chua Khit Yung

Category D: Women Veteran

  1. Sheela A/P Samivellu
  2. Susan Khoo
  3. Veronica

Category E: Boys

  1. Daren James Nair A/L Radney James
  2. Movin A/L Rajadram
  3. Gangesh Raj A/L Selveraj

Category F: Girls

  1. Ainur Shafiqah
  2. Aimi Aida binti Ahmad Azam
  3. Nuur Ain Natasya Bt Suhaidi

Category G: Men International Open

  1. Elvis Kyalo
  2. Muler Kapruto
  3. Stephen Mugathia

Category H: Women International Open

  1. Cherotich Judy
  2. Elizabeth Wanza
  3. Muriuki Jane

Adapted from Press Release.

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Review: 2XU SG Run 2018 [10 km] (by ‘stargazer’)

By
stargazer
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The 2XU SG Run is a 10 km and 21 km run that was held together with the 2XU SG Ultramarathon on Saturday, 6 October, at Gardens By the Bay East. The Ultramarathon comprises of 50 km, 84 km and 100 km and commenced earlier than the Run category. I took part in the 10 km run.

Comparison with Compression 2XU Run

The annual Compression 2XU Run is held usually at the F1 Pit while 2XU SG version is held at the Gardens By the Bay East. The key variations between these 2XU events, apart from prices, distance and location, was that finisher shirt was given to the 10 km runners as well in the SG Run. In the Compression Run, only the 21 km runners are entitled to the finisher shirt.

Race Day

The sky was overcast and it was lightly drizzling in parts of Singapore. Fortunately, the weather turned fine after a while and we had clear skies for the evening run. The 10 km race was scheduled at 6.15 pm. What I like about evening races is I have ample time to reach the race venue. Some morning races are held just too early to be arrived punctually via public transport.

I took train to the Sports Hub and arrived at around 5.30 pm.  Upon exiting, I saw a vast number of people wearing pink shirts starting off a walk. I realized these were the participants of the Pink Ribbon Walk. The Pink Ribbon Walk aims to promote awareness for breast cancer. This must be one of the events where the participants were mostly ladies, apart from The Great Eastern Women Run. I walked with them for a short distance, before parting ways at the Tanjong Rhu Road and headed towards Rhu Cross, the event site for 2XU SG Run.

Many runners were already waiting at the Start pen when I arrived. The first wave was flagged off at 6.15 pm. I did some warm up stretching and joined the last wave. The route was the familiar Gardens By the Bay, Marina East Drive and East Coast Park. The 10 km and 21 km routes are the same – the 10 km route u-turned after the green pedestrian bridge (after Bike Stop) while the 21 km route extends to u-turn at East Coast Lagoon Food Village.

The Marina East Drive was closed to facilitate this run. There were 2 hydration points along the route, giving runners choice of cold water or herbalife . There were also pacers and cyclists, who rode ahead of fast (top) runners to clear the way for them.

The early evening was humid and by the time I reached the 5 km mark, night had already descended. I made my way slowly to the Finish Point, taking in the peaceful surrounding. My favourite part of a night run here was the beautiful scenery across at the Gardens By the Bay and City Centre. This was one of the reason I came today – to enjoy the night scenery and stay healthy with a good run.

I completed the race in my usual timing. I had considered to clock more mileage to prepare for my upcoming half marathon at HometeamNS Real Run, but decided to relax for the night. There were massages for the runners, but I decided to give it a miss.

The organizers had prepared trophies for the Top 3 runners in each category. I felt this was a good gesture as I believe to some, a trophy means more than receiving prize money. It is a clear symbol of achievement and coming out tops in a competition!

I lingered a while more, before slowly walking back to the Sports Hub.

Comments

1) I feel that the design of the finisher shirt is nice, though the finisher medal’s could have been better!

2) I wonder if there is any way to avoid running into Marina East Drive. That area is under construction and lots of dust. An alternative route could have been upon Start, head directly towards East Coast Park, u-turn and back to run along Gardens By the Bay East. I ran this route during last year’s Light of Hope Run. It was a run in support for those with depression and mental health issues. A simple but well organized event and it remains one of my more memorable runs.

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Why Malaysians Do Not Exercise? No Motivation and Time, Survey Shows

By
Team JustRunLah!
-

A recent survey conducted by Cilisos and Fitness First Malaysia that garnered 3,779 respondents sought to find out more about Malaysian fitness habits. Among some of the key findings that the survey uncovered were:

  • 19.42% considered walking for hours in the shopping mall as a form of exercise (!!!).
  • 51.32% said the biggest obstacle that keeps them from exercising is the lack of motivation.
  • Running a marathon and climbing a mountain ranks among the top five (5) accomplishments that those surveyed would like to achieve in life
  • 18 – the average number of push-ups those surveyed can do without stopping
  • Top 3 excuses for not exercising – ‘No motivation’, ‘No workout buddy’ and ‘No time’

These were some of the insights uncovered as Fitness First today launched its campaign,
#THATMOMENT across six countries in Asia namely Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the
Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. This campaign celebrates the relationship between
members’ efforts in the gym, and how it translates into performing everyday tasks better. It hopes to inspire people to get fitness into their lives, and achieve more than they ever thought possible, with fitness as the enabler.

Part of the campaign involves a transformation contest with the aim to inspire Malaysians to prioritise fitness in their lives as Fitness First provides the support through training and guidance throughout their journey.

“More often than not, we are time poor, we lack motivation, or find the gym intimidating. But when we do take the first step towards fitness, the rewards will follow and we start to realise how far we’ve come. #THATMOMENT depicts the breakthrough or “aha moment” a person experiences when they realise that their workouts have paid off because they’re now able to do something with so much more ease than before,” said Anusha Segaren, Head of Marketing, Celebrity Fitness & Fitness First Malaysia

“#THATMOMENT taps into the emotional benefits of exercise. Fitness is not just about training at the gym and achieving your target be it lifting more or running further – that’s only part of the story. We believe that feeling fit gives you the confidence, energy, and self-belief to go further in life. So, when you commit to putting fitness first, it really is about enabling you to perform well in everyday situations, not just for yourself, but also for those around you,” she continued.

As the survey indicates that finishing a marathon and climbing a mountain are among the Malaysian top five fitness bucket list, two (2) winners of the #THATMOMENT contest will take on the exotic Angkor Wat Marathon or climb up Mount. Kinabalu! The winners will undergo a regime led by Fitness First personal trainers to prepare them physically and mentally as they take on their respective challenges.

Accompanying the winners, Fitness First will be pairing up the winners with single-armed athlete and runner, CK Loh, who will climb up Mount Kinabalu, or local personality Davina Goh as she takes on the Angkor Wat Half Marathon. During this time, they will have access to the Fitness First gym facilities, and an all-expenses paid trip to the respective locations.

Interested participants can submit their entries through the Fitness First website (www.fitnessfirst.com.my/highlights/thatmoment/). An exclusive in-club recruitment drive will be held for Fitness First members to submit their entries:

Date Time Location
1st October 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM Fitness First Platinum, The Curve

Entries for participation will close on 7th October and winners will be announce a week after. Fitness First #THATMOMENT campaign is sponsored by Asics, Ezzie, Fossil and Merrell.

For more information, please visit www.fitnessfirst.com.my or their social media channels.

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The Secret To Improving Your Running Performance: Sleep

By
Team JustRunLah!
-
Photo by Tracey Hocking on Unsplash

When it’s race season, it’s typical for runners to create intense training regimens that include plenty of details about mileage, pace, and nutrition. But besides these key factors, which will all have diverse effects on one’s performance during a race, there’s one factor that’s not often considered: sleep. Since 2002, researchers have been working to prove that sleep has a direct impact on one’s athletic abilities, and this extends to runners. Even Olympic marathoners have vouched for the fact that taking consistent naps during training periods leads to improved times and speed on the day of the competition. In order to crack the running code, there are things every runner should know about sleep hygiene and how sleep actually affects the body’s processes.

The Importance of Practicing Good “Sleep Hygiene”

Just like practicing regular hygiene, there’s such a thing as “sleep hygiene,” as well. We all know what it’s like to get a terrible night’s sleep—with constant waking-up, loud noises disturbing us, bad dreams, and an uncomfortable bed. So, how should you practice good “sleep hygiene?”

Sleep Reviews (https://sleep.reviews) says the best way to prioritize a good night’s sleep is to invest in a great mattress. This can be an important aid in entering deep sleep cycles, which will then provide an advantage for your body in terms of running performance. Some other tips for practicing good “sleep hygiene” include:

  • Limit alcohol, nicotine and heavy meals right before bedtime
  • Try to wind downbefore bed by doing something calming (reading, meditating) and avoiding activities with screens
  • Limit your caffeine six to eight hours before bedtime

What Sleep Actually Does For A Runner’s Body

Part of being an endurance athlete is making sure your body has plenty of fuel to burn, especially on the day of a race. Loading up on carbs is a time-honored ritual for runners, as carbs provide a great source of energy when performing at your peak. When the body breaks down these carbs, they’re stored as component sugars in the muscles as glycogen, which can be used during races. But if you aren’t getting good sleep, your body won’t be able to store carbs as readily, leading to less glycogen storage and, thus, more tiredness. Sleep can therefore help you make the most of the carbs you’re eating and keep you from hitting the wall.

Getting enough sleep—or practicing good “sleep hygiene”—may be the missing ingredient to your training program that is keeping you from reaching your peak performance on race day.

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Review: My Berlin Marathon 2018 (by healthobeing)

By
healthobeing
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This is the 2nd Major in my life.  I balloted this race for 2 years, and last year because of the extra 1000 charity slots which opened up later at a first come first serve basis.  The entry free is the same at 108 euros.

The Race Expo

Berlin Vital Expo
Race Bib Printing

Held at the Airport Tempelhof (Platz der Luftbrücke 5, 12101 Berlin) .  Named the Berlin Vital Expo, just to collect the race pack, 3 large halls of sports items on display and sales, at the same time the last hall for the bib collection is only accessible to registered runners for the bibs to be printed and collected.

Race Pack
event and finisher tee

The race pack consisted of a recycling bag with the bib and brochures, there is also a small Addidas shower gel and deodorant.  Participants can collect their event tee shirt and finisher tee shirt here, if they have purchased online. 

Physiotherapy services and also other race promoters, the Berlin Marathon race expo is dazzling.  With BMW and also Addidas as main sponsors, there were also display of the BMW cars, there was even a hot air ballon with BMW logo at the air field.

The Course

spectators and volunteers along the way

Berlin Marathon 2018 is the 45th Edition.  This race is known for its flat course, good weather, this year the world record was broken.  After leaving the famous Brandenburg Gate, runners will pass Charlottenburg and around Tiergarten.  Winding through along Moabit and Mitte and then towards the south at Friedrichshain.  The other places that runners will go through are Kreuzberg, Neukolln, Schoneberg, Friedenau and Zehlendorf.

The long walk from the PostDame U Bahn station, you will experience the major marathon atmosphere right from the station all the way to the start point.  This year there are about 40 thousand participants.  Broken up into 8 waves with only 1 distance to cover and that is the full Marathon at IAAF gold standard.

Replenishment wise, the route was filled with the water stations as indicated on the route map.  They are all well stocked with water, energy drinks and the various replenishments at some stations.  Some points have banana and apples and along the way some volunteers will just set up their own booth to cheer you on.

Action along the way

Choke points are experienced for a sub four to four thirty runner, at the water and replenishment points because this is the speed that the majority of the runners are running at.  It can get a bit rowdy and messy.  I do not know why the organiser chose to have plastic cups instead of paper cups which are much more environmental friendly.  The plastic cups makes a lot of sounds and causes the ground to be slippery.

This year Addidas tried to do a hold your own cup campaign and gave many runners a resuable running drink cup to get your water.  I felt this was a good idea towards environmentally friendly mindset.

Sprotograf was the official photographer assigned for this race.  They usually take photos from the raised mobile elevator parked at the road side to capture the running shots.  But most of the shots will show you with many other people running together as there are just too many of them.

Finishing Line

Towards the ending

Just when you think turning back to Tiergarten means straight through the Bradenburg Tor, you will realise that there is a short of 1Km plus and you need to make a longer way back before you cross the gate.  This was the point that many runners started to walk or feel the cramp.  The finishing is actually quite spectacular and the moment you receive the medal is really very fulfilling.

Resting at the end with my medal
Poncho to keep you warm

The ending point is another massive area with runners constantly coming in, you just have to keep moving till you are back in the race village.  Here you can take your bag drop items, or if you ordered a poncho, you can collect it here to keep you warm.

There are, of course, beer counters to quench your thirst, unfortunately the beer is all alcohol-free.  But it is definitely refreshing.  Besides the medal, runners also get a special bag of food replenishment which include a bread, some pretzels, energy bar and banana. They come packed in a plastic bag.

You can also collect and print your results, get your medal engraved too.

Overall

Although I did not get the timing that I wanted for, it was good to know that Eliud Kipchoge has broken a record f 2:01:39 in this race.  Really feel honoured to be part of it.  If you can wait for balloting, do give this race a shot, if not you can also join a tour group which offers the bib and travelling to Berlin!

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Kenyans Sweep Top Spots At Scorching MSIG Singapore Action Asia 50

By
Team JustRunLah!
-

Ethiopia’s Gebremeskel wins women’s title and fifth overall in the 50km trail race

September 29, 2018, Singapore – For the fourth year in a row, Kenyans have dominated the MSIG Singapore Action Asia 50, claiming the top five spots among men in the 50-kilometre trail race. Their stronghold on the overall top five was broken by a remarkable performance from Ethiopia’s Ehtiopia Aregay Gebremeskel, who was the first woman across the finish line at Bukit Timah’s Hindhede Walk and fifth overall.

Overall champion Hillary Kipkering clocked 3 hours 25 minutes and 47 seconds

Overall champion Hillary Kipkering clocked 3 hours 25 minutes and 47 seconds, while Gebremeskel claimed the women’s title in 4:12:52. Wei Feng (4:23:43) was the fastest Singapore runner and eighth among the men, while Jun-zhen Lim (5:46:03) was the fastest Singapore female, placing sixth among the women.

It was Kipkering’s first time racing in Singapore and also his first 50km race. He said: “Luckily, today’s weather was good. I really enjoyed the course. I came to the race with many friends from Kenya. It was a good experience for me.”

Nearly 20 minutes behind in second was Noah Kutung Chepsergon (3:44:19). “It is nice to race in Singapore because the scenery is really beautiful. It was my first time joining a 50km race but I really enjoyed the whole race,” said Chepsergon.

Third-placed Shadrack Kiprotich Mengich (3:49:34) was also racing his first 50km. “It was so challenging,” said Mengich. “I am so glad to be third, but next time I will try my best to be number one.”

Winning the women’s category comfortably by over 20 minutes, Gebremeskel is no stranger to the distance, having done – and won – three 50km races in Thailand. But it was her first time racing in Singapore. “I’m glad to be the champion,” she said.

Asked about the race course, she said she enjoyed the forested parts the best. “It made me feel like I was in my home country – the weather was very hot outside but it was cool in the forest,” said Gebremeskel.

The conditions were more familiar to second-placed woman Naum Jepkosgei (4:34:27) of Kenya, who has raced in Singapore – though this was her first MSIG 50. Jepkosgei said: “I really enjoyed today’s run and I liked the forested part the most. The race was challenging but I felt very energetic when I was in the forest.” She also declared confidently that she would win the race next year.

Just a few minutes adrift in third was Japan’s Rie Sugaya (4:39:06) in her first trail race. Sugaya, who has done a few road races in Singapore, said: “I didn’t expect to be in the top three because trail running is really hard for me. It’s really different from flat road races. I had to be very focused on the trail so I didn’t have the chance to enjoy the scenery.”

Apart from the 50km race, the MSIG Singapore Action Asia 50 also offered race distances of 21km, 10km and 5km, to cater to runners of all abilities.

Kenyans James Karanja (1:22:14) and Carolyn Jebiwott Mutai (1:41:32) claimed the men’s and women’s titles respectively in the 21km event. Karanja said the win was very meaningful for him, adding: “The course is tough and the most challenging part is the last 2km with all the uphills.”

Mutai concurred on the toughness of the course. She said: “The hilly part was most challenging for me. I used to be a short-distance runner doing 5km races. This was my first time in a 21km race and the result is beyond my expectations.”

In the 10km event, Nepalese runners swept the men’s podium with Nimesh Gurung coming out tops in 39:17. Gurung said: “This is my first official champion award and I’m so excited about it. Even though the route was a bit complicated, the scenery was good. I think I will join this race next year again.”

Normad Elodie of France, who is in Singapore on vacation, was the first woman in 46:12. She said she felt fantastic and the race made her holiday more fun: “Singapore is a great city and the views on the course were good, though it was technical for me.”

Another tourist, Dean Comber of Australia, won the 5km event in 24:50. He said: “I was looking for a race on the Internet and this interesting one appeared so I participated. The race was very challenging and the ground was undulating – it was real trail running. I liked it very much.”

Singapore’s Catherine Quek, in her first 5km race, was the top woman in 35:45. She said: “I really enjoyed the course. It was challenging for me with the hills and rocks, and less flat road. It was worth to try this race.”

Mr Baey flagged off and participated in the Zero Waste 10km race

In support of a greener Singapore, guest-of-honour Mr Baey Yam Keng, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth & Transport, flagged off and participated in the Zero Waste 10km race. Mr Baey clocked 1:21:26.

Participants in the Zero Waste category, a first for this edition of the MSIG Singapore Action Asia 50, voluntarily gave up the race T-shirt and finisher’s medal. In return, they were awarded a special race bib.

Other green initiatives undertaken by race organisers Action Asia include:

· A strict no-cup policy at aid stations – participants had to refill their own hydration receptacle if they needed water
· Recommending participants bring their own bag for race pack collection
· Reducing food waste by encouraging runners to take only what they needed at aid stations and at the race village
· A conscious effort to improve waste management and recycle waste by using dedicated bins at the race village
· Going paperless and offering only finisher e-certificates

The MSIG Singapore Action Asia 50 was possible thanks to the generous support of title sponsor MSIG Insurance and supporting partners Singapore Tourism Board, Action X Store, Outdoor Channel, Triplefit, Run Magazine, The Food Bank Singapore, Runsociety, JustRunLah, Royale International, Chiropractic Studio Singapore, Santa Fe Relocation, Parc Sovereign Hotel – Albert St, uParcel, Elements Wellness Group, Porta Pumper, ITRA, UTMB Qualifier and the Action Asia Foundation.

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Q&A With Lim Chee Yong, The First Langkawian And the Youngest Malaysian Ever To Qualify For Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii

By
Team JustRunLah!
-

Lim Chee Yong or better known as Chee Yong, was only 20 years old when he won the 3rd Place in his age group (18-24 years old), which automatically qualifies him for IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. To add icing on the cake, he was crowned as the Best LANGKAWIAN for 2017 IRONMAN Malaysia. He is set to compete with top qualifiers from all over the world at IRONMAN World Championship Kona this upcoming 13th October.

Without further ado, here is the Q&A with Lim Chee Yong!

Full name: Lim Chee Yong
Place of Birth: Langkawi, Kedah Darul Aman
Date of Birth: 29 September 1997
Occupation: Part Time Swim Coach

1. What is your greatest strength?

My love & passion for this sport.

2. How do you handle stress and pressure?

By asking for friends’ advice and opinions and try to visualize a solution for a win-win outcome. Stay calm and focus on the BIG picture

3. What was your greatest accomplishment as an athlete?

The moment when I crossed the finish line and found out that I finished top three in my age group (18-24 years old) category for 2017 IRONMAN Malaysia and qualified for IRONMAN Kona World Championship 2018!

4. What excites you the most about a career as an athlete?

To beat my personal best for triathlon races and try my best to inspire people to follow their dreams!

5. You are a part-time swimming coach. How do you find time for training?

I’m a part-time swim coach under the Gogetter Triathlon Squad. Normally our coaching class starts from late evening until night, so I will train two sessions per day (morning and afternoon before I start my coaching session)

6. Can you list down 5 Fun Facts about yourself?

a) Learnt how to swim via YouTube 3 months before 2016 IRONMAN Malaysia (my first ever triathlon race).
b) Never been overseas before. My upcoming race in Kona is my first overseas trip!
c) Never travelled alone before
d) I have big appetite
e) Mommy’s Boy

7. What is your favourite discipline and why?

My favourite discipline is running, because I can always enjoy the beautiful and different while I am running.

8. List down your achievements as an athlete: (You may add on more)

i) Qualified for IRONMAN World Championship 2018 within 2 years of my triathlon journey.
ii) 2016 IRONMAN MALAYSIA BEST LANGKAWIAN
iii) 2017 IRONMAN MALAYSIA 3rd Place in my age group (18-24 years old) and BEST LANGKAWIAN
iv) 2nd Place in my age group (18-24 years old) for 2018 IRONMAN 70.3 BINTAN

9. Can you share with us your nutrition plan when doing triathlon?

For IRONMAN distance, I will eat breakfast (2 pieces of bread and hot drinks) 2-2:30 hours before race. For Bike Leg, I will have 1 Hammer Gel every 45 minutes, 1 Hammer Bar and 2 bottles of ultra-endurance drinks (Hammer Perpetuem mix with Hammer Endurolytes Extreme powder). For Run Leg, I will take 1 Hammer gel every 30 minutes. For post-race, I will make sure to have my usual recovery drinks which is the Hammer Whey protein. 

10. What is your advice to people who wants to try triathlon?

Set a goal and be passionate, consistent and disciplined in achieving your goal(s). Most importantly is don’t forget to enjoy your race, your surroundings and also, the pain!

11. You are the first Langkawian to qualify for IRONMAN Kona in Hawaii. How do you feel about that?

I feel very grateful and lucky to have strong support from LADA’s (Langkawi Development & Authority) and LANGKAWIAN friends in my journey to IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii this 13th October 2018. I’m proud to represent Langkawi and Malaysia in my BIGGEST DREAM race ever. I will try my very best to finish strong in one of the toughest race in the world and make Langkawi and Malaysia proud!

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Route Maps Released: Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2018

By
Team JustRunLah!
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Photo credit: Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon facebook page

The wait is over for those who want to know where will this year’s Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon take them! Here are the route maps for the long-awaited event!

Full Marathon

Half Marathon

10 KM

5 KM

Registrations are still ongoing at www.SingaporeMarathon.com while close to 40,000 runners have already signed up for Singapore and the region’s premier running event.

Press Release / SINGAPORE, 04 October 2018 – Singapore’s biggest annual road race, the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) this year will give participants and the community-at-large a comfortable race that is power-packed with entertainment.

Organisers of the popular home-grown event and regions’ only IAAF Gold Label race aims to create memories for everyone when they unveiled exciting new routes for all categories in a new two-day race format on 8th and 9th December 2018.

Recognizing that SCSM has grown to become an integral part of the nation’s sporting calendar, Mr Lim Teck Yin, CEO of Sport Singapore believes that the running enthusiasts can look forward to ending the year on a high note.

He said, “The SCSM is not just a running spectacle but also an event for people to come together to enjoy their active lifestyle and celebrate the festive season in a fun and healthy way. When an event brings thousands together every year, it shows what it means to people. Therefore, we always challenge ourselves to raise the level of organization for our runners and the community-at-large. SCSM continues to strive to create memorable and happy moments for everyone. I appreciate the unstinting efforts by the IRONMAN Asia, partner agencies, and other stakeholders, in designing and supporting another wonderful SCSM that all of us can be proud of.”

With close to 40,000 registered participants and still counting, organisers are committed to creating an event which showcases the best of Singapore to the world. “All successful sporting events put their participants first, while delivering on world-class standards. All great events share yet another common feature – everyone who takes part actually has fun! This unique proposition has allowed us to sell out our marathon distance first while continuing to engage new runners, families and children. SCSM is the leading race in the region, and we’re confident that our new route, enhanced entertainment and runners’ perks will edge us closer to our goal of joining the elite group of World Marathon Majors,” said Mr Geoff Meyer, Managing Director IRONMAN Asia.

New Format; New Route; New Experience

Photo credit: Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon facebook page

The new two-day event sees the shorter distances (Kids Dash, National Step Challenge 5km and 10km) held on 8th December, while the Half Marathon and Marathon categories will take place on 9th December. For the first time in the event’s history, runners participating in all four competitive categories will begin from the same start point at the Pit Building and will end at The Float at Marina Bay.

The flag-off will be beneath the iconic Singapore Flyer where the weekend’s race village will offer quality programming for runners and supporters alike. The wider space, which is accessible exclusively to race participants will offer easier pen access and the opportunity for runners to set their own pace from the very beginning. Runners will get to enjoy a more comfortable race experience with full road closures spanning 95% of the route. All the routes have been designed after taking into account both the runners and the surrounding communities’ input.

Participants of the National Steps Challenge 5km and 10km categories are flagging off together in the morning of 8th December (Saturday), running the same route towards the Kallang Basin, where participants in the National Steps Challenge 5km race will loop back to run past the Esplanade, while 10km participants proceed towards the National Stadium. Runners from both categories will end their race at The Float at Marina Bay.

Singapore’s biggest children’s race will also flag off on Saturday morning at the Universal Studios Singapore in Resorts World Sentosa, with an all-new route that allows parents to run and have fun with their young ones. Each parent-and-child duo can enjoy awesome views as they whizz past seven exciting zones, from the fairytale wonderland of Far Far Away featuring Shrek and Princess Fiona’s castle to the lush jungles of Lost World where dinosaurs roam.

Participants keen to enjoy the thrilling rides and world-class entertainment at Universal Studios Singapore after the run can select a special bundle which includes a Kids Dash run package, theme park admission as well as dining and shopping vouchers.

On 9th December (Sunday), Half Marathon and Marathon runners will race past the Padang where the National Gallery Singapore is located, downtown in the direction of the Central Business District and round back towards the Marina Bay Golf course. Towards the end, runners will enjoy the unique view of the city as they race past the Singapore Flyer towards the finish line amidst the spectacular Marina Bay cityscape.

The enhanced routes this year aim to provide a memorable and quality experience for runners while ensuring minimal inconvenience to the wider public. Communities affected by the road closures are engaged early. Adequate signs and notices will be put up in advance to inform the public of impending road closures so that they can make plans to use alternative travel routes. Routes to emergency/essential services such as hospitals shall remain accessible throughout the duration of the event. “A lot of planning and effort have gone into making SCSM 2018 a truly exhilarating experience for everyone. We have worked closely with the relevant authorities to reach out to runners and stakeholders, and will continue to do so as the success of SCSM relies on strong partnerships and support from communities to lead an active lifestyle together.” said Mr Meyer.

Comfort, Convenience & Fun

This year, runners can expect an improved bag deposit system as organisers adopt best practices from World Marathon Major races. Making it easier and more convenient for all runners, the number of bag deposit zones have increased with the same drop-off and pick-up points. Participants will also be provided with clear bags and stickers tagged to their bib numbers at the Race Entry Pack Collection (REPC) at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre from 5 to 8 December. Information regarding the bag deposit system will be communicated to all runners ahead of race day to ensure awareness of the new processes.

There will also be an addition of up to 15 hydration and cooling zones throughout the Half Marathon and Marathon routes, which will feature new splash and ice chips stations, along with the runners’ favourite – mist tunnels.

Balancing nutritional intake is key to performing during endurance races like SCSM. In the lead up to the event, runners have been given a number of opportunities to learn more about nutritional needs and planning for their race day intake from partners Coached.

Come race week, participants and the public can indulge in meals at the scrumptious Foodtastic Village – an all-new enhanced F&B and entertainment offering which will line Marina Bay Sands from 6 to 9 December. The village will comprise a mix of F&B zones and chill out spaces where runners can indulge in specially curated meals and take in views of the city as they share their race day experience with friends and family.

At the race, an unprecedented 26 entertainment points will be set up to drum-up the race atmosphere. Performances by local bands, street performers, and cheerleaders will amp up energy levels and spur on runners.

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