Just Keep TRI-ing

My initial target for this race was to break the 3:45 hours barrier, but I was forced to reevaluate my goal when my preparation for Dubai Marathon was dodged with injuries. I will be very happy with a sub 4 hours finish or just rewrite my marathon's PB of 4:11:49 which I did during my debut in Turin last November. I have not had the best of preparation and lost almost 3 weeks of training leading up to the race because of Runner's Knees. I also lost a bit of fitness, did virtually zero strength training and gained some 4kg. That caused me some anxiety. 2 weeks to the race, I was really worried, nervous, scared and anxious with a prospect of DNF (Did Not Finish) the race. I know it's all mental now. I kept visualising a strong finish in my mind km by km before I retire at night. My strategy for the race was to run my original marathon target pace of 5:18/km as far as possible and keep re-evaluating my condition before the pain comes and deal with it later. I will ...

I love my little bouncer, especially when I watch my favorite programs on Jim Jam Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.8

I was sad and shocked when I learned that the Salters (Angie and Tony) are leaving Qatar for good soon. They have been very kind and never stop encouraging and motivating me to become a better runner. When I joined DBRC, Angie was one of my Idols. I had a 'crush'  on her when I first saw her at RAK Half Marathon last year. I was still at my infancy in running at that time and only been running for few months. I saw her on the opposite direction of the race route where there were some 8 kilometres separating us before I make the U turn. I completed the race almost an hour behind her in 2:45:56 (Angie finished in 1:55:30). I went home with a new target after RAK. To finish a Half Marathon sub two hours and to beat Angie Salter. Angie was my inspiration. I signed up for Asics Gold Coast Half Marathon and trained hard for it, in Doha summer, but I was still far from catching up with her. One day during a track session, I managed to keep up...

5 Days to Dubai Marathon. Alhamdullilah my knees are better. I ran 14km last Friday faster than my marathon pace without any problem. I hope my knees can hold up the whole duration of the race this 25th January. The Rock Tape works like magic and I am sure, I will be taping my legs all over for Dubai. IT Band, knees, calf, shins, everywhere. Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.8

I have not trained as much as I would loved to since having this 'Runner's Knee' issue. My Dubai Marathon's target is now pretty much hanging in a balance. I am not able to get an earlier appointment with Aspetar for consultation either. So I was just pretty much resting. I was informed that Kinesiology Tape could help. So I bought a box, and went out for a run last Friday. I managed to run comfortably until 10 kilometres. I stop and walked back to my car as soon as the pain started. Well it was an improvement considering the pain started from 7km last week. My coach said, the pain will return as long as the hip stability issue is not addressed. The knee was a victim not the culprit in this situation. And to do that I need a doctor / physio to prescribe a specific type of exercise. In the mean time I can only pray, train lightly and hope for the best. I will still be running in Dubai (read Stubborn). I will walk ...

Turin was special. It's where I did my first marathon. I am proud of my achievement, though I was initially bitter for not able to finish it sub 4 hours. Turin taught me about respect, perseverance, patience and humility. Running a marathon isn't easy, but it really satisfying. You see how spectacular the race was in this 6 minute video. I was somewhere in it.

I had a chance to run with Bayern Munich FC first team players last Friday at the Aspire. Well it was a coincidence really, but who would have thought eh? Remember I was injured during my run last Friday? So, after 2 hours into my session, I stopped at one of the circuit training equipment near the Grand Heritage Hotel for stretching. Then I saw a group of 30 - 40 guys, running in a marching formation all clad in orange Adidas tee approaching from Aspire Academy's direction. I thought they were just students / athletes from the academy and did not really pay much attention to them. Some of them smiled at me when they ran passed me. They all look very femiliar, then I saw the Bayern Munich FC club's crest on their shirt, no wonder they all look very familiar. Arjen Roben, Van Buyten, Thomas Muller et'all. Without second thought, I joined them at the back of the pack for about a kilometre before we parted ways. They went into the football fields and I turned ...

I have been having pain on my knees when I do my long runs for the past three weeks now. It is a relapse of the same condition I had earlier last year. I blogged about it HERE . It was so painful, that I had to stop running and resort to walk run walk survival mode taught by my running buddy Peret Whately, to complete my session. When I had it the first time 2 weeks ago, I thought it was a result from running in a pair of a new shoe which still not completely broken in yet; and the fact that I switched to  a minimalist (Asics Gel Excell 33) instead of a stability shoe (Asics Gel Kayano 18) that I am used to. The pain would gone after a day of rest and a good massage. I can still run the short runs and speed intervals during the week, but it hit me again last week when I ran on the Corniche for my Friday long run. I thought it must be because of the hard surface of the Corniche, because I ran in my old Kayano that day. Again the pain was gone after a go...

Good news Doha runners, we will soon have our own home, not one but two marathon races. Fingers crossed it could happen as early as this winter season. The first one is Qtel Doha Marathon 2013 on 26 January 2013. The event will be sponsored and organised by Qtel themselves. It was all over the press recently. Read Here  and Here . The title of the race maybe quite misleading as there are only 10km and Half Marathon races in this event. They are hoping to organise a full marathon next year depending on the response it gets in this inaugural edition. This is a very encouraging news for us, as the longest road race we currently have now in Doha is the ever popular Doha College 10k. How I wish it was announced sooner, like 3-4 months back. Most of us will be in Dubai that weekend to participate in Dubai Marathon. So if you are in the city and have been running regularly, why not participate and su...