Morning intervals.

My long runs have gotten a bit monotonous for me at the moment. Couple that with shoddy weather and it really gets my morale down. This is the reason I've been trying to change things up a bit.

I hardly break a sweat, even on my 21 milers. I'm sure its because my body is so used to it by now that long distances have become just too easy. I have been concentrating on my speed this week and the results have been good so far.

Once again, I headed to the stairwell - 30mins doing sprints and I drip with sweat. Goodtimes!
300 sprints 55mins
3.5 miles in 20minutes - I am so happy with this!!! Its less than 6 minute a mile!!
20 by 60m sprints - I was gagging by the end of this. I dont push myself this much very often - felt great!
1.5 mile run/walk
36 lap swim (just over 1 mile) in 25 minutes.

I am so pumped this morning. The weather is back to usual - humid, hot and steamy. I shall not complain. Its a happy change to the dreariness of the beginning of the week.

Quickie!

Just wanted something quick and sweaty this morning (workout please).
This is what went on - the quickest way to get the heart rate up is to shut all the windows in the staircase and just sprint up and down. I know it sounds boring, but once your in the zone, it is seriously addicting.

300 doubles/600 single sprints 60 mins
7.5 *fast* miles @ tempo 53 mins
50/100 sprints 7 mins

Felt great!

Thursday

George Sheehan: At the end of a run, I no longer look, I see. I do not touch, I feel. I do not taste, I savor. The sunlight has become precious, the breeze a delight. I know the meaning of a handshake, the treasure in a smile. Being alive has become a spiritual and mystical experience.

For me, I cherish every genuine smile from a stranger - it makes my day and I try to do the same whenever I can. In todays world with all the chaos around us, its sometimes nice to take a moment to connect with another human being.

21 miles in non-rainy weather - thank the running gods for decent running weather!!
210 minutes

I slept so well last night - all of 8hours!!
This should have resulted in a good run. Instead, I ran in a tropical storm this morning - running in the rain is getting old very fast. The first few times it was fun. However, running in the dark with most of the street lights off, dodging branches, getting mud on your shoes and in your hair, is getting very very annoying and mentally exhausting. 10 or so miles in this weather is bearable, but I did 20. Oh well!

There have been police cars patrolling Singapore at night times. This makes me feel safe but they also have no idea how to behave around a female runner. I am always very aware of my surroundings - which is why I dont run with music. I also carry an army knife (pepper spray is banned in this country) that I know how to use. Anyway, this car was tailgating me for like 3 miles. This was getting on my nerves and I stopped several times to let them go ahead of me - in an effort to indicate that they were ruining my concentration. Long story short, they had no idea that they were being pests, so I sprinted away from them as fast as I could and thankfully, eventually, was out of sight. I dont like messing with my pace on long runs - if I run too fast too soon, I might not have enough gas in the tank to reach home.

A-n-y-w-a-y, here it is:
20 miles 210 minutes (a very grumpy morning!!)
30 laps in the pool 24 minutes

Needless to say, I am freezing!! And it took me 20 mins to get the muck out of my hair. I dont want to run in the rain and gusty winds anymore :-((!

Turning point.

I'm not quite sure what I want this to be about - perhaps a personal challenge?

So we all have turning points in our lives - even though they dont seem that dramatic at the time, you are still sort of aware that this.is.going.to.be.big. I have 2 such turning points. The first was, as I have previously mentioned, 1999. It was the year I first moved away from home and out on my own. Even then, I knew it was pretty special. It was also the year I started running - a turning point of sorts.
The second turning point for me happened just recently in August last year - and I am still finding my way through it. Long story short, I sort of semi-damaged my lungs and my breathing. It is *still* not 100%. Yes, I know! Hard to believe considering I regularly run 100 or so miles a week. However, I was *so* much fitter then and I sort of miss that.

I want to attempt a 200 mile week. Crazy I know, but I read something this morning and I am itching to do it. I might have to run thrice a day and I dont even want to know my grocery bill. Thats like 30 miles a day!!

If anyone can do it, it'll be me. I dont mean to sound like I am boasting - because I'm not. I have always said, I'm not a talented runner, just a consistent runner with a very high boredom threshold. Anyway, if I do it - you have read it here first!

820 or so stair sprints. Beautiful weather. The cleaning lady saw me this morning - I was a tad embarrassed being all dripping with sweat, but she gave me a thumbs up and said "I always see you doing something or the other". Considering shes about 5 feet and 50 or so years old, it made my day! Its funny how little things make you smile when there is so much to complain about on a daily basis if you choose to be negative.

P.S: this quote comes to mind. It was Pre (Steve Prefontaine - who I think was a bit of an idiot but thats another post, and he does have excellent quotes attributed to him) who said "runners often straddle the fine line between crazy and insane". I guess I do sound that way to some people, but honestly! I think drinking 2 pints of beer to be disgusting and completely unnecessary and people do that all the time. And dont even get me started on people who sit themselves in front of the television for 3 plus hours a day. That is fine? And being outdoors is considered crazy? Oh well...!

Excellent start to the week

Today was one of my favorite runs ever! It is a 'progressive run' which basically has one increasing speed gradually through every mile. It is especially useful to do one on a treadmill; since you are able to control your speed.

Since I find those machines absolutely mind numbing, I love doing them on the road - preferably a 13 miler. So here goes:

13.2 miles with the slowest mile being 9.30min/mile and the fastest just under a sub-7. This was quite easy and comfortable. The weather just about right and the legs were fresher than usual.
50 stair sprints - if you do them 2-3 stairs at a time it helps improve cadence when you run - in other words, it helps increase your stride when the legs tighten up after a long run.
30 freezing laps (1 mile) 23 minutes.

Yay!

Identity

On my way back home after a long night last night, I thought about my identity here in Singapore. While I will always be Indian and have that at the very core of who I am, my greatest fear has been losing this identity - the very thing that defines me. I have strange anxieties about losing my identity living so far away from home. Firstly because, to be honest, I have very little interaction with people. I tend to keep to myself and it has taken a very conscious effort on my part to be a part of this city. By having little interaction with people, I feel you are unable to express your identity through normal means. When this lack of interaction continues for any extended period, I think that can in fact change your identity, or you in some way forget your identity, or at least your previous identity, whatever that was. Secondly, I dont really have a home in this world, so I am constantly searching for something - and I suppose this is one of the reasons I run - to escape reality and to find...some sort of identity.

Sorry for this lame piece - just a few things I have been pondering on my runs - especially when the days menu has been planned :-)

4 miles or so at some point today.