Less than three weeks until the Singapore Marathon - which means I'm into the 'taper' period, and actually have time to finish a blog about my training. It's been fun and challenging, and I thought I'd share a few things I've learned about running and training in Singapore.
I put together my own training plan and have done my best to stick to it, while also listening to my body. And occasionally taking a break for fun and travel.
Yes of course I have a color-coded Excel file detailing my endeavors!
It's been 3 years since I last ran a marathon, and the training this time has been a lot different for several reasons:
- Weather. I've never trained in such heat and humidity! This means:
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| (And this was after a relatively short run!) |
B) I'm having to mentally adjust my expectations for what I can accomplish in terms of race time. My PR (personal record) is 4:11:59 at the Twin Cities Marathon - but that PR was on a perfect 60 degree day. The Singapore marathon starts at 5am, when the temperature will likely be 75-80 degrees and it will only get hotter from there. Factor in 70-75% humidity and you have some difficult running conditions!
- Training. This is the first time I've trained alone, even on long runs. My training schedule, while based on a lot that I've learned from past coaches and running gurus (and some online searches), is still very much an experiment. I'm enjoying it though! It has been a good challenge to make a plan and then follow it through. Equally challenging is allowing myself to change plans when my schedule or body demands it - without succumbing to guilt, that is! Running alone can be really nice - plenty of time to think, no pressure to change my pace (this can be a drawback) and ease of scheduling. I also catch up on all my favorite podcasts, but it can get lonely with only Ira Glass, Dan Savage, Diane Rehm or Terry Gross for company! I miss the motivation of a team.
- Schedule. I've never trained this much while holding a full time job. Yowza. There is no time! Work and commuting take up about 11 hours of my day, so when I get home at 6:40, I gotta get changed and get running or it just won't happen. Some days it feels like all I have time for is running and throwing together a quick 9pm dinner, and then poof, it's bedtime. Fortunately, Jacob and I have always traded off cooking and dishes and he's been especially supportive in picking up the slack while I've been training. I've also had to say 'no' to fun activities, or leave events early so that I can get up and run the next morning. But it feels good - and affirming - to be able to back up your commitments. (That said, I'm also looking forward to less running after the marathon!!)
I've got the logistics of a good run down, including what to bring along and how to plan my route.
I lay everything out the night before if I'm running in the morning - clothes, hair ties, GPS watch, phone/headphones (preferably containing new podcasts), body glide (crucial), ziploc containing cash, credit card, public transit card, fruity mentos/starbursts, and a rehydrate tablet, a handkerchief and shoes.
I also try to leave Jacob an idea of where I'll be running by using MapMyRun.com to plot my course and leaving it up on my computer.
Having access to water at least a few times on a long run is, of course, preferable. Fortunately, most of Singapore is city and I have my pick of Cheers and 7/11s at which to stop and purchase a bottle of water. While I typically hate the idea of spending $1.50 for something I could get for free from my tap, it is a great plan for this occasion. I'm always astonished at just how quickly I sweat through everything I'm wearing and have had to retire a couple pairs of loose shorts because they get soaked and heavy and start to fall off! Another benefit of living in the city is that I can plan my pre-dawn runs on well-lit roads. I also tend to stick to routes near bus lines or MRT stops so that I could always hop a ride home if I had a problem. Finally, it is rather fortunate that MRT stations have public toilets that are usually fairly clean and stocked with TP. No running into the bushes for me!! (Yet)
Overall, this is a new experiment for me, and I'm trying get my mind right for the race. Before races, people often ask if you have a goal time. Like a lot of runners, I usually have a few goals - some that I share and some that I don't. Well, of course I want a PR. Actually, in my heart of hearts, I want to run it in less than 4 hours. But realistically, that's just not on when I look at my training times. The next best thing would be a PR. But I also want to prepare myself so that if I run a slower race, I can still feel successful. Even if I run a slower time, it may be a 'better' race, a better effort in tougher conditions. (But...I still want to PR...) And bottom line is, if I get to the day and the 'wheels fall off' (as my friend Neil would say), I'm just hoping to finish!
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