21K Pre- & Post- Run Experience.

I just finished my fastest ever half-marathon (2hrs exact.).

Here is a chronicle of everything I did to make my run more fun and fast, and what I will do next time.

Pre-run

Sleep

The weeks up to the Run, I did a lot of sleeping. On average, 9 hours every night. Yes, it meant some sacrifices had to be made. Like staying up late less than usual, and telling the Manager to adjust working times. I am thankful for very understanding people.

Pros

Rest makes all activities more enjoyable. You can't have too much!

Considering my vast sleep debt, a few more hours of sleep per night is like a drop in the ocean.

Cons

Some studies seem to be indicate that sleeping more than 8 hours a night is related to a whole host of illnesses. Maybe it's not a good idea to sleep more than 8 hours every night in the long run.

(http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/physical-side-effects-oversleeping)

Muscle

I ran only the hiking routes. As a result, I had no problems running up and down all the slopes, barely feeling their impact at all.

Flexibility

This is where I could really improve a lot more. My normal stride is fairly short and suited for bumpy non-road surfaces. I didn't really learn to run properly on roads. More road jogging.

I heard yoga is good for runners (I think there's yoga marketed towards almost every sport). Not really interested, but might gain some flexibility.


During Run

Weather: Awesome. Couldn't be better. The sky was a nice blend of sun and cloud, with plenty of breeze to cool down the runners.

Crowds: Awesome turnouts this year. Causeway Bay and Tin Hau became incredibly crowded. Some pedestrians didn't look so happy, since the running route made them wait for crossing.

Runners: There were quite a few people trying to run with yellow umbrellas. One was surrounded by multiple taunters who apparently thought that yelling at other runners was a better use of effort than running faster. The race marshalls ran alongside and told him to shut the umbrella. I thought the whole encounter was pretty disturbing, but extremely courageous of the umbrella-man, since the easy way out would be self-censorship.

Most people in my run were slow. I must have passed people at the rate of about 3 per minute. It's not a bad feeling, but it did waste a lot of energy, slowed down my run and increased risk of collision.

My guiding principles for this run were...

"The faster I finish, the less the body damage and sooner I can start recovering!"

"Try to run past everybody, take everything offered."

"Drink only sports drink. Distilled water dilutes electrolytes."

"Walk through water stops, then get out as soon as possible."

"Uniform pace all the way, @ 10km/hr." 


Post-run

After the run, I wisely chose to avoid the Causeway Bay area and went straight home to rest, as much as I wanted to celebrate.

Stomach Ache

Hours after the run, my biggest pain is not skeletal or muscular...it's my stomach and intestines (diarrhea)
Running with a wet-shirt in sub-20 temperatures is a recipe for flu and digestive system issues.

Correction:

Wear a windbreaker next time.

Try not to spill drinks on shirt! :)

Drink a big thermos of hot chocolate after run to warm up the tummy!


Muscles

Needs no explanation, suffice to say, my muscles are feeling way better than last time. Could always feel better though!

Correction:

Start training earlier. Train harder. Do more hills.

Go bananas with the bananas, chocolate and tea tree oil.

Tea tree oil is great for relaxing muscles and preventing chaffing. I consumed a good 2 bottles of that good stuff during and after the race. If I could get a bottle before the race, I would be even happier.

Go for a stretching class to learn correct stretches for every relevant muscle.

Joints

Ah, the weak link in all runners, or old people.

Ankle: A little tired.
Knee: No pain.
Hip: No pain.

Correction:

Joint supplements. I wonder what's really good for runners?

Running posture is critical. I don't think I'm doing it right.  I'll go to the marathon clinic for the coming run.

Less sitting, more standing. My joints feel weaker after sitting. 

Find something else to do besides gym and running. I hear cycling is fun too.

Cardio

I'd be in big trouble if something went wrong here. Thankfully, nothing of this sort has happened yet.

Still, I have a nagging feeling that I didn't do enough cardio workout.

Correction:

For a full marathon, I would expect to double the workout duration to build cardio endurance.


Conclusion

Am I ready for a full marathon?

As happy as I am about this half-marathon, I think it would be a close call if I did the marathon next year. I also heard that inadequate training leads to permanent cardiovascular damage, adding more reasons to be cautious. I think I will do at least another half-marathon before attempting a full-marathon, to reach a higher standard for preparation, run and recovery.

Time will tell. I hold no expectations.


Update:

SCMP Infographic:
http://widgets.scmp.com/infographic/20150126/marathon2015/