If U dun need to track the intensity of Ur training, then it's fine la. But then, I'm puzzled as to how do they calculate calories burnt without heart rate info. I think it's more accurate with heart rate data. I mean, logically, if U run at 100% for 5K at 20 mins, would U burn the same amount of calorie if U just walk the 5K for an hour ?

Most training programs I've seen only specify the distance or time U have to run, plus at what pace. They dun put there how hard U have to run, in terms of heart rate la. So, actually, U'll do just fine with Nike Sportsband.

I also check out these sites : Cool Running and Active.com Running microsite.

I dunno if U can register for Polar's Personal Trainer if Ur not a Polar user. But U can just try la. Polar Personal Trainer website have training program with intensity. Go check it out at Polar Personal Trainer

phoenix : Noted & thanks.

This post has been edited by tenno: Oct 22 2009, 03:59 PM

I dun think normal ppl can run 10K in 45 mins. Normal athlete maybe la. The world record is 29 mins I think. My Ministry's best runner last year clocked 37 mins (he's a national-class athlete). I just broke the hour last July (on the track). Relax. Dun be so hard on Urself.

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Added on October 23, 2009, 9:14 amI never really run in my training zone. I almost always run at 80% of my max, tht's about 170 bpm. Even if I try to jog easily, my heart rate would go up to 150. But that 170 bpm, I can sustain for quite sometime la. Just that, if I tried to stay in my training zone, I'd be going too slow.

This post has been edited by tenno: Oct 23 2009, 09:14 AM

Of course. During slow days I'll go real slow, almost walking pace. This is especially during the building base phase, usually the first 4 weeks of Ur 12-week program. Even during this base phase, they will include some intervals, maybe not so high intensity ones la.

I'm picking my racepack tomorrow. So, after race we all meet next to the Milo van ah ? I shud be easy to recognize, I'll be wearing Livestrong visor (black color), Oakley M-frame Livestrong & band.

What if there's no Milo van ?

At the starting point I guess. It's at the UPM stadium.

After I've picked up my bibs, I'ma head out to Mizuno Gardens, gotta buy a pair of spikes for my Ministry's sports carnival, I'm running the 10,000m next Sunday. Hei, maybe they're gonna have Mizuno booth (obviously) at the start, but I doubt it they're gonna have spikes there.

Alamak, it's called Pusat Sukan UPM I think, not Stadium.

Finished out of the medals for the 1st time this year & with a not-so-good time of 1:08. But can't complain much la, it's my first race in 3 months.

The Milo van was out of control. I went to the back, nobody there. So I just went off. Just got home... very the tired...

I've just bought a pair of track spikes, I've been selected to run the 10,000m in my Ministry's pesta sukan next week. Being a staunch Mizuno fan, I bought the Mizuno Tempo LD, which is designed for events up 10,000m (the longest track event). I bought it at Mizuno The Gardens yesterday, normal price is RM299. But there was a 30% discount, & I got a further 10% discount by joining as a member of the World of Sports card. By joining (RM35 for a year), I get a shoebag (the same one given at the Wave Run), a Mizuno face towel & a water bottle. Plus, I will get discounts at various outlets like World of Sports (obviously) & GNC. So total cost for the spike is RM227.





I haven't tried it yet, but my event is next Sunday, so I'ma spend more time in the track this coming week, maybe at UPM track. Or UKM track. I won't be challenging for medals la, since last year's winner clocked 37 mins. I just hope I can contribute some points towards the overall standings.

I finished at 68 mins & got the shoebag... Haih....

I didn't even realize there was a cert in the goodie bag until I get home.

On the next to last hill, there was a guy wearing cap & a t-shirt that says,"JUST DO IT". At first I thought it says,"JUST DIE".

I was at the UPM track today to try out my new spikes. I really loved it. Just felt like I was floating. I did intervals today, 1 x 2 miles (8 laps), 2 x 800m & 1 x 400m. I felt a slight pull in my left calf muscle, but after warming up, it felt better. But it came back after I finished training. Hopefully I can recover soon enuff before my race this Sunday. There were some runners on the track today. I'ma go there again on Thursday, but it depends on my leg's conditions la. But I was really happy with the spikes.

Seemed like we have a discussion about feeding here. The thing is, if U use a product other than it's designed for, U won't get the benefits & if U go around telling ppl in doesn't work, then it's worse la. Powergels I believe, is designed to REFUEL, not to recover. That's why it's in gel form, to enable Ur body to absorb it faster. Powerbar has other products designed for recovery. In recent years, becoz of the variety of products that they have, Powerbar has classify their products into 3 categories : Energize, Refuel & Recovery. I bought some Powergels when I was collecting my racepack for Mizuno, the salesperson promoted one of the bars from the Energize category. She said that U dun need to eat breakfast, just eat the bar & it can last for 8 hrs. I just laughed in my heart la. I dun think ANY food can last U 8 hours. Maybe can if U just eat it & go to sleep.

Powerbar was one of the 1st sports-specific energy bars around, it's been around when I was cycling back in 1991-2000 (state & national). Back then, becoz I got no money to buy & Powerbars are not available as widely & as easily as recent times, I used Cloud 9 chocolate bars as my feeding. In cycling (& also in running I believe), the general rule is to feed every one hour. Heck, I even used Cloud 9s during races. The trick is to use stuff that works for U & tastes good, so that U will eat enuff of it. For cycling it was easy to feed & U can still consume solid food. But for running, U need something like a gel la. For swimming, I dunno if U can feed during swimming, I've never seen Ironman swimmers feed during the swimming leg of a race.

Another cheap solution U can try is Choki-choki. It may sound funny, but I relied on those to get me thru 7-8 hours of trekking in thick forest. It's cheap (30 sen each I think), it can last an hour (at least for me), & it's packed in small tubes & U can carry a lot of it. It's in paste form, so U can absorb it quickly & it tastes good.

Resting heart rate. Miguel Indurain (5-time Tour de France winner) had the lowest resting heart rate that I know of : 28 bpm. That's like one beat every 3 seconds. His VO2 max was 80+ liters. Back in those years, that was considered superhuman edi. My resting heart rate these days is about 50 bpm.

This post has been edited by tenno: Oct 28 2009, 10:10 AM

It was me who was at the UPM track yesterday. I saw only one guy wearing Saucony. Were U wearing red sleeveless & red shorts ? U wear specs right ? I think I saw U while I was warming down. I was the Malay guy with red vest & blue tights, I had my calf guard on both legs.

I dunno la on weekends. But nobody seemed to check IDs or whatever, so I guess it shud be okay. My team paid for the usage of the track & field equipments until 30th, so I'll just say I'm from Treasury, if anybody ask la. But I have plans to use the track to do my speedwork after this, as the UPM track is the closest track from Putrajaya.

Hmm... interesting. Maybe I can try that.

On the subject of feeding, I shud stress here that U shud avoid using new stuff on race day. Try it out on training days & on race simulation days. U'll know what to eat & when to eat it. I guess the same goes to shoes la.

Running using a spike yesterday that was less than 6 oz light, I hope I can use lightweight shoes on the road as well, for races. Like the Adizero Pro (5.6 oz), most other race shoes like Saucony Fastwitch & Mizuno Wave Ronin 2 are in the 6 oz region as well I believe. But running on track is different a bit la, since the track has some sort of cushioning as well.


This post has been edited by tenno: Oct 28 2009, 11:02 AM

It's okay. I'll be there tomorrow, if all goes well.

Of course. Especially early season & also later time of the year. Sometimes I just couldn't get my heart rate up, no matter what I do. Same goes with pace. Overtrain, burn-out, same thing la. When that happens, I'll just take a few days rest, do other things la.

Yesterday I ran in my first back-to-back 10K this year. It was my Ministry's Pesta Sukan, & the event is 10,000m. There was 10 ppl in the field & I was the only one wearing spikes. I knew my condition is nowhere near perfect, & I've told the athletics manager not to expect anything. I guess I was the biggest runner, the others were all runner's size la. One 50-year-old told me I shud play soccer, judging from the size of my calf. So I told him, I played soccer before.

So off we went at about 7.30 & 2 runners flew off at the gun. I decided to follow the 50-year-old "abang" as he was going at a pace I think I could maintain for at least 4-5K, around 5:25. But then at KM4 I lost contact with him. There was a guy wearing Pacemaker vest, & he was at UPM last week as well. He works for Bank Negara I think. At KM3 the leader lapped me, the 1st of many actually. I managed to lap 3 slower guys, 1 guy actually managed to come back & lap me at around KM7. At KM7, the leader had finished the race at a time of 37 mins I think.

With 3 laps to go the officials decided to end the race, so I stopped after 22 laps (8.8km) & finished with a time of 53 mins. I guess if I'd finished, I could've broken my PR of 59:07. But then, maybe some other time. I thought I finished 6th, but the official results said I was 7th. I guess there was some confusion when the guy I'd lapped earlier managed to take a lap back, but then he would still be behind me. Whatever la. This race I learned quite a bit about my current condition. I think I'm building my base nicely now, but I'm still lacking speed. But I dun wanna divert from my current training program, I'll just go along with it, currently in week 5 of my 10-week program.

This post has been edited by tenno: Nov 2 2009, 11:12 AM

I started at about 6:45 this morning, did 12K. I wanted to test the Powergels, so I took 1 at 10K (planned to run 15K actually). It tasted awful (tangerine). & definitely need to chase it down with water. If U just take that stuff without water, felt like it was choking my throat.

Overall it was okay this morning, I'ma do the Klang Pacers NB 12K next weekend, my 3rd race in 4 weeks....

Is that what they call it ? I'm going. But the bib collection at KPAC office la, if at the stadium/Padang Sultan Sulaiman, better la.