Train.....

Yes, I had started my training a month ago. In fact, I am actually tailoring the training based on Alberto Salazar's Book entitled 'Alberto Salazar's guide to racing'. It is a fantastic book and it had offered quite a lot of insight into human performance than I had ever read about.

My first job is actually improving my base speed. The good thing was, I had managed to identify my base speed which is 3min 30sec / 620m. At this current moment, this is my yardstick at which I will use to judge all my runs. In addition to identification of my base speed, I am working on 2 other much difficult levels and that is my 'race' pace (3.20min / 620m) and my heart blowing pace (2.55 / 620m). Currently, I manage to run at 3.20min / 620m with some effort thrown in. However, I would need terminate my run at somewhere 15k because of overworking. If I am running at my heart stopping pace (2.55), it would not even last to the 8k.

In terms of training, I had also steadily increase the number of days. However, I had also found out that the more days I run, the less I would be able to recover fully before the next run. Not only that, I am prone to bouts of cold and I am suspecting that my body is trying to adjust to the increase in load. So, as a preventive measure to my colds, I am shooting vit.c everyday.

At this current moment, there are still no fixed days that I am running but I am trying to adhere to the principle of hard / soft days. Soft would meant sometimes complete rest and this is something definitely I will not be ignoring. The most important is that we need to listen to our body. The wealth of information coming from our body is really useful. I mean, I had experienced where I was on a course for a full blown cold and just right the day before, I managed to detect symptoms like feeling lethargic, afraid of cold and rise in body tempreature. I was lucky because, immediately after that I took 1000mg of c's and tons of water at the same time, cut off my running and go to sleep early. I was surprised that the next day, I felt ok and not only that, I felt stronger to run.

Right now, I am working on cutting seconds off my base time and hopefully this would improve my general speed. At the same time, I am also alternating shoes where I would use the cushioning shoes for the long run while for speedwork, I'll be on racing flats. In my opinion, racing flats are definitely useful for strengthening the muscles on the leg because it forces the runner to use many portion of the thigh and calves which were not used during normal runs while not to mention, it would definitely force the runner to be more efficient in terms of their strides. All these would sum up to a more efficient running form.

Hope that everything is going on a right direction for me.....KEEP RUNNING!!!