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Pretty cool tool!

New Goal! - the half marathon Lauwersoog-Ulrum - July 31st 2010

Alright, here we go, all the way up north I will run my second half-marathon on July 31st 2010. Its a little shithole that I've never heard of before but looks like a fun run:

Check out the MAJOR event (500 participants) here!

And if you are curious where Lauwersoog or Ulrum is, check it on the map here!

NYC Marathon lottery - no cigar!

So unfortunately no luck in getting a admittance to the Marathon through the official lottery. Would have been nice and a lot cheaper than now having to book through an official NYC marathon travel agency here in NL.Oh well, let's ee how things go.

Other than that no updates for a while as I'm doing a lot less running than I have been (and that I should!) So I can really see that I need goals to keep motivated and going, so I'll be running another half-marathon in 12 weeks. At least so I hope (we have our second son/daughter with an ETA of 3 weeks, so it'll get a bit busier again!) Will keep you posted on the progress and will post some more Garmin data shortly.

Toedeloe.

The shirt!

Circuit Run - this Sunday

Second competition this weekend, the Zandvoort Circuit run, should be good.

Starting number: 9995

Only slight issue might be that I have not done any running since the half marathon! Yikes. So tonight I'm planning on running a few laps in the park to see how that goes, also Saturday I'll do a short run. Should be fine as this one is only 12 KMs. The height differences make this one a little more chanllenging than running 12 KMs in, say, the Amsterdamse Bos which is mainly flat. Anyway, not to worry, will own this one.

Finishphoto Half-Marathon City Pier City 2010

Two thumbs up! :)

The sweet sweet taste of victory!!

Yeah baby YEAH!

Completed the City Pier City half marathon in the Hague yesterday in 2:12. W00T W00T!

Here are the official results of my race.

Here is my Garmin data on the race.

Turned out to be a fantastic day, sun shining, 15,000 people running and a lot of support (music, people cheering etc) along the way. Next to that, I had a great supporting crew in my wife, Wietske, (who biked the majority along the way to cheer me on) my parents and the supporters of my buddy Joop who I ran with. Well, I actually didn't really run with him as he did it in 1:54 so he was much quicker than I was, as I knew he would. But man, cool to have done it, as this was a first milestone towards the NYC marathon in November. Below a summary of the day.

I started the day relaxed with a good breakfast (bordje Brinta, some yoghurt with banana etc), before heading off to my buddy to take the car to the Hague. We crashed at his sister who lives downtown the Hague, fantastic place! The start of the race was only at 14.30, so we had lunch at his sisters house, changed into our running gear and headed to the start by bike at around 14.00. At that point my wife and Wietske had taken the train from Amsterdam to the Hague, taking their bikes on train and had made it to Joop's sister's house as well.  Fun to soak up some of the atmosphere at the start, lots of runners, music, food and drink there. I really got in the mood at that point. Five minutes before the start we made it to our starting area, and on exactly 14.30 we heard the starting shot fired (LOUD!) That gave a real buzz and adrenaline rush amongst all the runners, as it now was gonna happen. It still took another 5 minutes to get moving as we were all the way in the back. Pretty cold day (7 degrees C), and slightly miserable to start out with, but really cleared up and got sunny. Excellent!

So off we went for the first KM's of the race, tons and tons of runners all around, so you had to watch your step. Nice route all through the Hague, so lots to see. Before I knew it we were at the 10 KM mark (at exactly 1 hour running), whoaa, that went quick! Still feeling great, so cool. Joop was way in front at this point and I ended up running with a stranger who had the same rhythm, chit chatting along the way. I found my excellent supporters cheering hard at various points along the route and had also spotted my parents, really helps during the run! :) The guy I ran with dropped off so I kept going at my own pace. Hey, we're already in Scheveningen, I can see the sea and the Pier, nice! 15 KMs done and still feeling good, although my heartrate was a little higher than usual. But man, I think I'm gonna make it! Fenna and Wietske biking along and cheering on, and I'm still laughing and talking with them.

But ofcourse, it had to happen, it was going too well. At the 18 KM mark with only 3 more to go I could feel my legs giving in, they were hurting, and hurting real bad! Nothing more to do than to suck it up and keep going. The thing that motivated me at this point was that many folks around me were walking, and that was not an option for me (although the idea of walking and resting seemed sooooo nice). I didn;t even walk to drink along the way, so I'm not gonna walk now. Keep going, and fight the voice in your head screaming at you to stop running. And then...... yes, YES, I can see the finish line, whoohoo, enjoy these last few hundred meters, listen to the cheering, oh yeah, and remember to smile at the finish! You did it dude, cool stuff!! :) As soon as I stopped running past the finishline I thought the legs would give in. It was here where I realised just how bad the legs were hurting, all cramped up and stiff. Not nice, no. Bumped into Joop who had waited for me and already picked up some energy drinks for me and looked like he hadn't even run at all today, bastard! High fives all around, got our medals and a heatsheet to keep warm and then made our way to the exit where we would see our proud supporters including my parents.After that biked back to the sister's house for a lovely meal and savouring the moment. Thanks to Karen and Jop for the hospitality!

So excellent day, and cool to have done it. Its now the day after and I can tell you that I'm still hurting bad. Didn't get the good night sleep that I had hoped and longed for, but still feeling a good sense of accomplishment. I'm walking like a stick but it was worth it.

In 2 weeks I have another competition in Zandvoort, but that one is only 12 KMs so should be fun to do! Signing out for now! Pics to follow soon.

Lucky 1477, watch out for this winning number!!

Got my starting number for the City Pier City run on March 14th in The Hague, drumrolls please........watch out for number 1477!!  :]

Only 2 more weeks to go, started week 8

Started week 8 with a 75 minutes, 12.6 KM run at an average 153 BPM this morning. Its not getting any easier mentally but I am managing to constantly run an average of 10 KM/H which is good enough for me at this point. Nothing more to report other than that I still have to deal with sore ankles and the knife between the ribs during the last couple runs. Not much to do about it, other than to run it off and go see a physiotherapist, which I still haven't done yet!

On another note, all those international runs are showing up nicely on the Garmin Activity map. Only Berlin is missing as I did not have the Garmin 405CX at that time. Fun to see.

Another record week!

Right, I'm chuffed to report on the fact that I've broken another record on furthest run, a whopping (in my opinion anyway) 17 KMs yesterday! Whoohoo. And eventhough I was really done, like reaaaaallly done after the 17KMs (it took me 1:50 mins) I still feel pretty good about it. The Holy Schedule prescribed 2 hours of running, and in all honesty I should be doing 20 KMs in that time, but am not yet managing to do that. Hips and feet were aching, but come March 14th, I think I'm good for the distance. My good buddy Jopie is doing 16 KM in 1:25 minutes so he's a shitload quicker than I am at this time. But oh well, as long as I make the finish of the half marathon, and preferably within the 2:30 mins I'll be happy.

Two other runs this week in Dun Laoghaire (pronounced Dun Leery) in Dublin, Ireland. Very nice scenery along the coast there and I was lucky to have nice weather there the three days I was over for business. Here are the two runs, both slow and more recovery type runs, partly on the pier which was right in front of the hotel I stayed in:

Dun Laoghaire - run 1
Dun Laoghaire - run 2

In week 7 I ran 46 KMs in 4:44 mins, at an average speed of 9,7 KM/H, an average distance of 11,53 KM and an average heartrate of 149 BPM. Nice! And building confidence for the upcoming race!

This coming week another intense week: tomorrow a 75 mins run, more Interval on Thrusday, a 40 mins run on Friday and 105 mins on Sunday!

Evening run in the park

80 minutes @ 10 KM/H (or 6 mins per KM) in the park. Some more pains and sores that caused me to stop (Achilles tendent this time round). But luckily some stretching and walking it off resulted in the pain becoming bearable. In fact, I want to go to a physiotherapist to check out my feet and get some advice. Still struggling with sore feet. Moreover, after the half marathon is complete I will get some more intense running training both in terms of schedules, nutrition etc, but also technique. And I can already think of what the result is, I'm doing it all wrong! :)

By the way, I'm happy I completed the 80 mins, but this Sunday I have to do 120 mins according to the Holy Schedule, and currently cant see that happening given the state of my feet and legs after today's training. Anyway, we'll see.

Oh Bracknell, how wonderful art thou! ......NOT!

No new posts on this blog for a week! Luckily, that's not because I haven't gotten any runs in, but rather as I've been traveling. Mind you, traveling to my favorite place on earth, the lovely, glamorous, energizing, all inspiring, jaw dropping, enlightening, swanky Bracknell, UK. :( As you may have guessed I'm not a fan and try to avoid the place like a toothache. But every now and then there's no escape and last week was one of those occasions. Whenever I think of Bracknell, I immediately think of the comedy series "The Office" which is filmed in Slough next to Bracknell, but with the same vibe. Yikes!

But first things first, here are last week's runs:

• 60 minute run in the Vondelpark
• 8 x 5 minutes interval on a treadmill in the Hilton St. Annes in Bracknell
• 55 minute run along the highways of Bracknell 

 The 60 minute runs are more like routine runs now, which is great! Who would have thought that 6 weeks ago! So nothing really to report there on last weeks run. I'm feeling particularly good about last weeks interval run, which due to the lack of a good track in Bracknell, I decided to do in the hotel gym. Running on a treadmill is not really my thing, sweating with 6 other folks next to you in a hot sticky stuffy room. More than ever I realized again how much I enjoy being outside in the fresh air: taking in the scenery, looking at the surroundings and listening to the noises. The interval was really really tough, the voice inside my head was screaming to stop after the 3rd interval. Nevertheless I didn't give in and felt great about making it through. But man, its hard.

The morning after I really needed to get out to the fresh air (my days are filled in team meetings in stuffy rooms, so getting out makes all the difference). I used runnermaps.nl to map out a nice run from the hotel in Bracknell and loaded it up to my Garmin 405CX. Worked again like a charm! But besides all the obvious reasons why people don't like Bracknell, I even managed to find some more!! Due to the lack of parks, forrest or other useful green in the vicinity of the hotel (or in the majority of Bracknell for that matter) I was forced to run through residential areas. All well enough, but in the UK they have not invented something which we take for granted in other countries: pedestrian pavements?! So here I was at 7.00 AM running along a road which looked on runnermaps.nl to be a nice quiet backroad, with not too much traffic to fear. But man, how wrong can you be! The whole route was packed with cars not used to seeing runners or cyclists, speeding like absolute maniacs, all on the wrong side of the road. Nothing to clean the lungs in the moring like a good whiff of car and truck fumes. Been there, done it, but definitely not getting the T-shirt!!!!

And now I realize and appreciate more again why living close to a nice park in a beautiful city is such a plus.

Today 80 minute run, tomorrow, 40 min run slow tempo, 50 minute run, 45 minute run and 120 minute run scheduled this week. That's a lot! Yes it is! :-O

Polder run and more lessons learnt

Completed the fifth week of the holy Half Marathon Schedule, half way now! Did two more runs in the weekend, which were to be 70 minutes according to the schedule.

Yesterday's run was fun, I was down south in Sluis with my parents, on the Belgian border. Instead of the planned 70 minutes, I ran 85 minutes, completing 13.75 KM. I used www.runnermaps.nl to plan my route which one can easily transfer to a Garmin devixe, love it! Again here though the Garmin 405CX sent me in the wrong direction on one occasion, which is remarkable considering the wide open space?! I think it happened due to a missing waypoint.

Anyway, the last 20 minutes were pretty tough, but other than that it was a nice run through the polder, only bumping into 1 cyclist, a farmer and numerous pheasants in the fields. The dense mist made for a mysterious vibe, only seeing the 100 meters or so around you. Temperature was great at 4 degrees, but it was very drizzly, wet and gloomy. Need to start carrying fluids with me during these longer runs.

On the flipside, the 70 minute run scheduled for Friday turned out to be a bit of bastard. And unfortunately primarily due to my own bad planning. Only left the house at 21.30, which of course is too late at the end of a busy working week (I am however glad I made it out at all!). Moreover, the lovely pasta that I had for dinner was sure to bug me throughout the run. And to top it off I had pretty severe sidepains after 20 minutes (still haven't figured out why that happens), and legs that felt like they were filled with concrete. So didn't have too much fun there. Anyway, still did it and that's what counts I guess! :)

Totals week 5: 3:23 Hrs, 31,6 KM's

This week a 60 minute run, more speedwork -which I'll need to do on a treadmill as I'm traveling, and I haven't been able to locate a park close to my hotel-, a 55 minute run and a 80 minute run. So quite some distance planned and an ambitious frequency.

NYC 2010 Marathon - Course Strategy

Great (but long) piece by Bob Glover on the NYC Marathon course, its a tough cooky! Bridge/hill training will be a must before taking it on.

There are many challenges to running the ING New York City Marathon, from the logistics of the massive start out of Staten Island, to climbing the five bridges, to the huge cheering crowds, to "the Wall" at 20 miles, to the last 3 miles in hilly Central Park and the final sprint (or at least wobble) to the finish line at Tavern on the Green.

One Tough Course
No marathon is easy, but the ING New York City Marathon can be even tougher than most because of the course. It's not fast—don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You need to be realistic with your time goals or you will be setting yourself up for disappointment. To predict your marathon time, you would generally take your half-marathon time, multiply by two, and add 10 minutes—assuming comparable courses, weather, and training. For the ING New York City Marathon, add another five to 10 minutes to your range. For example, if you ran Grete's Great Gallop Half-Marathon in 1:30, your range for the ING New York City Marathon would be 3:10 to 3:20.

Here is what makes the course so tough:

The hills. The five bridges along the course offer uphill climbs ranging from a quarter mile to a mile followed by a downhill of roughly equal length and grade. The problem is, you lose more time on the ups than you gain on the downs. In addition, from 8 miles on there are several moderate inclines of a quarter mile to a half mile (in addition to the bridges), which tamper with your quest to stay on pace.

The toughest hills aren't even the toughest. At the end of the marathon even the slightest inclines take a toll. And there are several ascents in the last 3 miles that make the going plenty tough at a time when the distance to go is enough of an obstacle. You start a moderate incline just past 110th Street on Fifth Avenue, which gradually increases until you turn into Central Park at 90th Street. The climb is relentless, and lasts almost a full mile. And there are still more hills to abuse your tiring legs in the final mile. The two long blocks up Central Park South don't look so bad to the spectators screaming at you to pick up the pace. But after more than 25 miles that moderate incline is a challenge for sure. And wouldn't you know it—the last quarter mile is up a more-than-moderate uphill. Whose idea was that?

The weather. Be prepared to adjust your clothing, pacing, and fluid intake for the weather.

One thing is for sure: New York is always windy on marathon day! It is just a matter of how windy and in which direction the breezes blow. And they usually blow in gusts that swirl around the big buildings so that at times you swear you're being blown in opposite directions. If the weather forecasters claim the wind is from the north, then expect especially tough going from 2 to 15 miles and 16 to 20 miles—that is, most of the way—with a tailwind from 21 to 25 miles. And if the wind is from the south, you'll fly from 2 to 15 miles and from 16 to 20, but that headwind will be tough from 21 to 25. Most likely the wind will hit you at various angles as you wind your way through the course. That is, you can't trust it at all.

The crowds. You have two types of crowds to deal with: the millions of spectators along the course and the 38,000 athletes navigating it. Both can help and hinder your efforts. Spectators may crowd the course as they press forward to cheer on runners, they also make the course a bit longer because you can't cut perfect tangents along the way. But for the most part the throngs of screaming marathon fans will help keep you going. This makes for a faster race than if you were out in the country with just the cows looking at you.

Along the course you may have to weave around runners who started too fast. And you'll have to slow at aid stations to get a clear shot at the fluids. But overall, having thousands of runners to pass—and to pull and push you—will help keep you going.

The turns. A course is measured as if you ran the shortest possible distance. That means cutting perfect tangents on each and every turn. Even if no spectators or other runners were in your way, it would be impossible to run exactly the way the precision-obsessed course certifiers go. As a result, you will—sorry—run longer than 26.2 miles. This is why some miles are longer than others. A mile—about 20 city blocks—on a straight line up First Avenue is measured almost exactly the way you run it. But a mile in Central Park is longer than a mile, because you can't exactly follow the way it is measured. The more turns in a course, the slower the course, not only because you end up running a bit longer, but also because you have to slow to make turns while you run.

The logistics. In a small race, you can show up an hour or so before the start, pick up your number, loosen up calmly, jog a little, and walk to the start line a few minutes before the start. But because of the huge numbers of participants and the complexity of the city itself, the logistics for the ING New York City Marathon are complex, and can tax your physical and emotional energy. You have to get to the expo to get your number—and if you're not careful you may spend too much time on your feet wandering around catching the excitment. This may drain you. You should therefore visit the expo early. At the start, you have to make your way to the baggage area and then to your start corral. Then you proceed to the start area and stand for about half an hour. This sure isn't an ideal warm-up, but how else can the race officials line up thousands runners from all over the world in time for a reasonably orderly start? Try to be patient.

Through all the course's challenges, hang in there! Don't let the fact that New York is not a world-record course scare you away from having a great race. Enjoy the excitement and energy that make the ING New York City Marathon unique. You run New York not to run a personal record, but because it is New York—where the world comes to run! I've run the race 12 times and coached thousands of finishers of all abilities. Believe me, knowing the ING New York City Marathon course can help you plan your strategy on race day. The following description can be a big help.

Mile-By-Mile Course Tour
(Note: Kilometer markers are also posted every 5K.)
Segmenting the course in your mind is a great way to break it down into more manageable pieces. After all, 26.2 miles not only sounds like a long way to run—it is! So take it one borough at a time, enjoying all that New York City has to offer along the way.

The Start/Staten Island
At the boom of the cannon, you are off and running—uphill. The first mile is up the incline of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. It actually doesn't seem that steep, as you have to start slowly due to the crowd. You are full of adrenaline, and you can't see the slope ahead of you, just a mass of runners. Think of this as a safeguard—if you had a perfect start, you would most likely sprint up the hill and waste a lot of energy that you would love to have late in the race.

The second mile is all downhill. Be careful not to pick the pace up too much here or you will not only waste energy, but you could also overstride and cause an injury as you are not fully warmed up. It is best to disregard your time splits for the first 2 miles, as they are not accurate readings of your pace. Average your time for the first 2 miles for a more accurate reading.

Brooklyn
From 2 to 8 miles the course is fairly flat and can be fast, depending on which way the wind is blowing. There are some slight ups and downs, but not too bad. And it is almost a perfect straight line. The Green and Blue starts merge on Fourth Avenue just before 4 miles. Until mile 8 they are to the right of the median, and the Orange start is to the left. Crossing the median is prohibited. Green and Blue start runners shouldn't attempt to pace themselves with Orange start runners—at least not until after the 8-mile mark, where all three starts merge.

Use the huge Williamsburg Bank clock tower to guide you to the 8-mile mark near the Brooklyn Academy of Music. A bit past that point, you encounter a few uphills that aren't too nasty, but after running along the relatively flat sections for 6 miles they can upset your ryhthm. Then, from 8.5 to about 10 miles you get some nice downhills, followed by some moderate ascents over the next mile. From 11 miles to the 20K mark it is mostly down or flat. Look forward to a nice downhill at 20K as you turn right. Then you go left, toward the Pulaski Bridge, and climb more than a quarter-mile, passing the 13-mile mark and the half-marathon mark on the way to the bridge's crest.

Queens
You then zoom down the other side of the bridge into Queens. The next mile or so is mostly flat, but brace yourself for what lies ahead. You start a gradual climb at about 14.5 miles, then turn left and start the steep half-mile climb up the Queensboro Bridge. You pass the 15-mile mark soon after you start the climb. The half-mile down the other side of the bridge is tough on the legs, as it is steep and you wind sharply to the left at the steepest section at the bottom, where you cross the 16-mile mark.

Manhattan
Now begins the charge through the largest and loudest crowd on the course. First Avenue is straight, but it is not flat by any means. Rather it is a series of moderate ups and downs ranging from two blocks to over a mile. Know when the downs are coming, and use them for relief and to push a bit more to make up some time.

From 60th Street to 70th Street is up, then down from 70th to 74th, followed by up from 74th to 86th, down from 87th to 90th, then a flat stretch to 96th. From there begins a difficult stretch. It is uphill almost all the way to 125th Street, and then you climb almost half a mile to the top of the Willis Avenue Bridge. In addition to the uphills, the thinning crowd makes this section tough as you get farther away from the rowdy East Side bars.

Bronx
Near the end of the bridge, you at last get a downhill, which takes you past the 20-mile mark. This part of any marathon can be tough. Continue down and around to the right where you have a one-block flat segment, followed by a left turn and an uphill on 138th Street. This year the course turns right onto Third Avenue/Morris Avenue, left onto 140th Street, left again onto Rider Avenue, and then right onto 138th Street and over the Madison Avenue Bridge, where you cross the 21-mile mark. Finally, you dip down, then turn left onto Fifth Avenue.

Manhattan, Again
You are now—at last—headed south for Central Park! The crowds in Harlem are very loud and supportive, especially the gospel singers at the churches. The half-mile after 21 miles is flat, then slightly uphill. Don't get fooled when you see trees ahead. It's not Central Park yet, but rather Marcus Garvey Park. You go right, left, left, right around it (and the turns are not easy on the legs at this stage!), and at 22 miles return to Fifth Avenue, where you enjoy a flat-to-slightly-downhill half mile to the edge of Central Park at 110th Street. But don't get too used to it. After you cross 110th Street the route gradually ascends. The 23-mile mark is at 103rd Street, and if you're struggling, you can tell yourself that from here it is just over 5K to the finish!

However, from here almost all the way to 90th Street is—sorry—uphill. Use 90th and Fifth as a mental uplift. Many local runners gather here before and after training runs, and NYRR's headquarters is nearby at 9 East 89th Street. Think of it as very friendly running territory. You cross the 24-mile mark at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a location with a large crowd, then roll down a half-mile hill to Loeb Boat House. This is followed by a short but significant incline-nothing uphill is insignificant at this point—that carries you past the 72nd Street transverse. It's flat and slightly downhill as you approach the 25-mile mark, where you veer left to exit the park via a half-mile downhill stretch—hooray!

You turn right onto Central Park South by the Plaza Hotel and go a quarter-mile slightly uphill, flanked by huge crowds. At Seventh Avenue, you get a long block downhill as you collect your energy for the final assault. At Columbus Circle, you zoom down a 100-yard stretch to the park's West Drive, then start a gradual ascent that becomes a serious climb at the 26-mile mark.

But so what! You can't even see the grade. All you can see are marathoners—your fellow heroes and heroines—bordered by the massive cheering crowd. And soon all you see is that wonderful, long-awaited sight: the finish line clock. You may have felt and looked awful a few yards back, but now is the time to look great for all your fans, and for the finish-line photo that will stir memories for many years. Painful memories, for sure, but proud ones. Because conquering a marathon is a serious accomplishment. Beating the ING New York City Marathon is even more special.

Copyright 2009 Robert H. Glover and Associates, Inc.

Weer or no weer, run thou shalt!

Miserable day yesterday with rain and sleet coming down hard. But with 5 weeks out to the competition and a canceled 45 minute run yesterday there simply is no excuse for not going out (injury and illness permitting of course). The holy schedule said "thou shalt run an interval run 6 x 5 minutes with 3 minutes rest in between". And if the holy schedule dictates, I shall follow. Did 10 KM in total with the warming up (and with the 1.5 KM that the GPS did not track at the beginning of the run??).

Warmed up for 15 minutes and then started with the speedwork, which still is not my favorite day of the week I must admit. But I'm enjoying it more now that I understand it a bit better. Having read more on training effectively (also from the piece of my last post "Hardlopen en herstellen") I began to realize that during the intervals I've probably pushed too hard too soon. The optimal results (=  to be able to run longer at a faster speed) for distance runners are obtained if you run close to, but just below the anaerobic limit. For me that limit is around 164 BPM. By going over that limit the training becomes heavier but without being more effective. Another fact for a more optimal interval is that in the rest part of the interval, one should dribble and not walk (which I did because I started too quick, ran over my anaerobic limit and thus was so exhausted). Reason being that the lactic acids that are built up in the tempo part of the interval are better used and discarded in an "active rest" at around 120 BPM than at a lower heart rate. With walking your heartbeat will fall below that, meaning you also need more energy to get the heart rate up again to run the speed section.

Anyway, a bit of a technical explanation but interesting to understand more of the reasoning behind the interval training. Two 70 minute runs left on the holy schedule for this week. Doegie!

Runners reading - some good tips and advice

Some good advice and tips on running (warming up, effective training, nutrition, etc):

Running tips & advice (Dutch website)

Just run it off!

Completed my last scheduled run of the week (and month of January for that matter). It has been snowing again this weekend and the park was the worst its been so far for running. It felt like running through a minefield, carefully having to contemplate where to put your feet, cause one wrong step could result in disaster. The slush, snow and ice don't make it much fun to run: wet feet, slippery, people everywhere, and having to concentrate more on where you run, rather than the running itself. It also feels wayyy more heavy like running through a sandpit with loose sand. I'm not a fan of these days. But the pain in my calves has gone away, as has my cold! :)

On the flip side, the park was packed with people today. And during the 3 laps I spontaneously bumped into friends and family, meaning I stopped to walk and talk on two occasions. The first time was nicely timed because I got the mother of all cramps in my side, just below my right lung. Excruciating. But walking it off doesn't seem to work, you simply need to run it off ( oh yeah and a tip that works for me is to blow on the back of your hand, looks funny I know, but works). I've noticed that on a few occasions. Keep running and eventually (5-10 minutes later) the knife is slowly pulled from the ribcage...

I've run 10 KM today, 29 KM this week and a bit more than 100 KM in January (in 11 hours, running 9.3 KM/H with 152 BPM on average). A good month and excited to see what Feb will bring, hopefully more progress.

Next week, 6 weeks out to the competition, its gonna be busy as I have a 45 minute run (CANCELED), heavy duty speedwork, and 2 x 70 minute runs in the holy schedule. Hope the park is accessible!

It's very hard in the beginning to understand that the whole idea is not to beat the other runners. Eventually you learn that the competition is against the little voice inside you that wants you to quit.

- George Sheehan

Trouble?

Did my scheduled 50 minute run yesterday, in which I did 8.3 KM. Overall the run went well, tried to run a bit quicker but in the process I think I might have slightly pulled my calf muscles... oh dear. Both are pretty sore ever since I finished my run, and even today they feel rather sore. Tomorrow I'm down for a 65 minute run but I'm hoping that will go OK. With the timepressure of the competition looming above my head its no time for shananigans.....

On the good side, the park is ice-less again, meaning you can now concentrate on running rather than on not breaking any limbs. Temperatures are at about 4 degrees, so perfect running weather. The Garmin 405CX GPS lost reception in the first 5-10 minutes, which was new for me (it was rather overcast but that shouldn't matter??) But quickly it picked up the location and was reliable for the remainder of the run. And yes, I'm still running in my gay gear but it really works in keeping warm, thank you very much.

No news is good news!

Not much to report, good run last night, 65 minutes, 10.6 KM at roughly 150 BPM, at -6 degrees C in the Vondelpark. The good thing (I think) is that my heartbeat is staying lower than it has and remaining constant during the run. Next to that I'm quite able to complete the distance and time without needing to stop.

However, annoyingly enough, yep you guessed it, I have another cold...... Started in the weekend and continuing now. (that makes 4 in 5-6 weeks?) I will however keep running as long as it is a head flu, from the shoulders up, and no fever. Only 6 weeks to go until the competition. But if the holy schedule says I'm on track and will be ready for 22KM, then that's what I'll gladly believe.

Two runs to complete a record week! :]

Hardcore week this week; in total 4 runs of which I completed the last (and also best!) run today. This afternoon I headed out to the Amsterdamse Bos (AB) to experience a change of scenery. Up to now all my runs have taken place in the Vondelpark. Its been snowing again last night so everything is white again, and the AB was packed with sledding kids (big hill right in the middle of the AB). The holy schedule said I needed to do a 70 minute run but ended up doing 85. Legs felt great for a change! Slower than I liked because the raods were slushy and icy. But a wonderful winter wonderland.

Oh yeah, and for this run I used the GPS course function on the Garmin 405CX, which in one word is awesome. I've never really been in the AB before so I looked up a course on www.runnermaps.nl and loaded it onto the Garmin. The watch showed me exactly where I needed to go, only getting confused two or three times. On top of that a crosscountry competition in the AB meant that I could not run the exact route, but the Garmin took me to the nearest point where it picked up the route again. So whenever I want to run somewhere I've not een before I can use the course function easily and reliably. Cool stuff!

Check out my 12 KM 95 minute run here

And yesterday I did a 45 minute run in the park. That one did not go too well, legs felt like pap.... Overall still  a nicely paced run however so I feel good about it.

So yet again, faster, longer and further running than any previous week, progress, yes love PROGRESS!!

Totals this week: 4 hrs running time, 37 KM. Not bad.

Tough as nails!

Did my weekly interval training last night, this time 8 x 4 minutes and man, its tough! :) Having to run at 90% of max heartrate makes 4 minutes seem incredibly loooooooong! :) Seriously panting, drewling, sweating and all that lovely stuff, and that 8 times in a row. You need to have slight masochistic tendencies to like this type of training but I keep telling myself that its for the greater good, that come March 14th it will pay off.

The reason for these interval training is for top cardiovascular training, meaning more stamina and improving overall speed. We'll see. I need to do a 45 minute run tonight and a 70 minute run on Sunday. For the latter I think I'll head to the Amsterdamse Bos.

Good start to week 3

Today started week 3 of my half marathon training with a good 60 minute run in which I almost completed 10K, or three laps. A little ticked off that I didn't actually manage the full three laps in 60 minutes (300 meters short, d' oh!), but still making progress. In total 9.7K totay and although it was slightly tough, still feels good to have completed 3 full vondelpark laps for the first time! Thursday speedwork and then more distance runs.

Weather is super nice to be running, 4-5 degrees, clean park, no wind, no rain, perfect. Can now feel the legs again, but a days rest before the 8x4 minutes interval speedwork. 291 days to go to the NYC Marathon! :)

Half Marathon training Week 3 has started

Another 60 minute run under the belt last week, did 9.3 KM so not too shabby! Am quite amazed that I'm able to keep this up, but on the flip side, its not even half of what I need to do in March, a little frightening! All the reading and research suggests however to have faith in the training schedule, stick to it and you'll be fine. So that's what I'll do!

This week a 60 minute run, even tougher speedwork than last week, a 45 minute run, and a 70 minute "long" run on the schedule (these "long" runs will get much longer!) so anxious to see how that will go. The weather is a little milder meaning a clean and non-slippery park and less chances to sprain ankles etc.

Will keep you posted!

Speedwork done - tough as hell!

Right, just returned from the first interval training: 6 x 4 minutes at 90% of max HRM, with 2 minutes rest (slow dribbel) in between. After that I did 2 x 10 minutes with 1 minute dribbel in between. Very tough indeed but went well in the end.

Here you can see today's run! (If you click on the player and put the heart rate against speed you can see the intervals well reflected). So a tough training today, but cool to see it completed! Yup yup.

8km in 50 minutes, not bad!

Already in week 2 of the half marathon schedule (only did two out of the four runs last week due to flu/cold). Yesterday did a nice 50 minute run, almost 8 km in a snow covered park at -5 C, which was encouraging. Tempo is going up again, the legs and feet seem stronger and the heart rate remained nicely in the zone. All in all a good run. Today I can slightly feel the legs, but I'll go for a nice walk in the park later on and hopefully that will speed up the recovery.

Tommorow I'll be doing my first speedwork, 6x4 minutes interval with high heartrates, we'll see how that goes!

For now I'm a happy camper and getting faith back for the race! :]

Health

Can it be true, as I checked my temperature again to verify. Yes it is true, another blimmin' fever! The annoying cold turned into another flu, meaning snot productions are through the roof and the fever and headaches are back too. Really hate it. Also means I'm not running yet again.

Not sure what's going on but am really fed up with it now, even more so now that time is slipping through my fingers. Hard to stay positive in these times, as scrooge would say "bah hambug!"

Only 10 weeks before 22 KM!

So as of today there are only 10 weeks left before starting the half marathon in the Hague. YIKES! I have moved to the new 10 week schedule which is more aggressive (see Friday's post) which means I'm out running 4 days a week.

Regardless of my rather severe and snotty new cold I did go for a run yesterday in the Vondelpark, and in this wintertime it is so nice. Kids were iceskating on the ponds, a white snow/ice blanket covered the park, the sky was blue and the sun was setting, really nice scenery. Great to be out, and with 2 degrees freezing my only slightly gay gear is keeping me remarkably warm and comfortable.

Yesterday's run 

City Pier City Run 2010 - registered!

Finally, the registration is open for the Fortis CPC run on March 14th, and yes, it's official, I'm registered.

Together with my good pal Joop, we'll be running this one. Gonna be fun.

Fortis City Pier City Half Marathon 2010

New year, new schedule, new gear!

So check this out:

Jayroon's Garmin Connect Profile

First run using my brand spanking new Garmin Forerunner 405CX! Great HRM device with integrated GPS. It really tracks everything you can think off and does it really well. Above you can see the run I completed on the last day of 2009, 2 laps Vondelpark in 45 minutes. Thanks to the family for getting this for me for X-mas. I guess I can also see this as a down payment or big ass commitment for having to run New York in November..... :) So really no way back now.

Feeling better again, (although I just caught another cold, never been sick this often in my entire life!) and have note done too much running over the holiday period, however I did get started again on my new 12 week half marathon schedule. I won't be completely done with it when I have to run 22K on March 14th, but I'll be close (if nothing goes too horribly wrong over the next months) and it's better than not having a plan at all!

 So anyway, back on track, I need to run about 20 KM a week so that should be doable. You can see my half marathon schedule on www.runinfo.nl

Yet I am strongly considering changing over to the more agressive 10 week plan: here!