SCKLM 2019 the buildup and the run... and the aftermath

Training for SCKLM 2019 was good and strong in the sense that I sort of had changed the training theme onto longer mileage theme since Twincity, and then on towards MWM. I had lesser obstacles in the adaptation of sudden mileage rampup, longer sessions day in day out compared to before and lack of sleep. I could also introduced a new element than what I had for Twincity, now that I got the longer weekday mileage covered, which is with more workout type runs instead of only 1 workout a week. I could have opted for a 20weeks plan, but I couldn't since it coincided with Ramadhan. So I opted with a 16 weeks one instead. The earlier 4 weeks for Ramadhan, I just run it for normal maintenance, maybe some speed here and there, whenever time seemed limited. All in all, I had quite a good, #runmadhan in the end.

#runmadhan2019 highlights

Total distance: 110.93 km
Total runs: 12 runs
Longest run: 17km@6:13, 82%
Night run versus fasted run: 100.83/10.1
Overall average pace: 5:49 min/km
Overall average effort: 83%
Fastest pace: 5:25 for 6km @ 84%

So that has helped to hamper decline in fitness quite a bit. Post raya working week was the immediate WEEK 1 if you're opting for a 16 weeks training window. So it was very perfectly timed. Kudos SCKLM maybe, for giving a good enough time for us to train, not more not less?

The first 2 weeks was a lot of struggle though. The paces were about there but the paces was more than 80% mostly, even for the supposed easy ones. I had to change my house looping even, so that I had to encounter less uphills and the heart rate was a bit relaxed. Due to kiasuness though, the 2 longruns post syawal was 20 and 21km (MRP+10) was done at 5:57 & 5:56. Good in the sense that, I got a good pace in. Bad because, I kind of have the idea that the longruns, has to be at sub6 pace, nothing else.

3rd weekend I had KOKK 2019. 3 weeks after that was trying to get back into #marathontraining groove. All 21, 25 and 28kms was done at sub 6 pace as well. Broke 2 hours on WEEK 7 with 3 mins PB improvement. And one of the biggest achievement was on WEEK 8, where I could do midweek long of 17km (alternate 2 mins@10km pace) at 5:48 with 79% effort. Vo2 max seemed to be stabilised at 52, and I ended the week with the dreaded 30km, supposed to be done at MRP+10-20 from km 4 onwards for 27kms (target pace was 5:55-6:01). The outcome was:

• 27km average of 5:48, way lower than the target pace 
• ended comfortably with a lot to spare, without much trouble in the middle and with very minimal food intake
• 79% effort, maintained vo2 max 52 and status was peaking after and
• runalyze gave me a 3:53 target marathon timing. 

The last part was almost surreal. I would not even dare of dreaming of a sub 4, not in these few years at least. So again, this was both good and bad. And keeping tabs of my blog here have managed to put things into perspective a bit.

DO NOT GET OVER REACTED WITH THE PROJECTED TIMING.

That can be easier said than done. But one thing to be sure of, this seemed to work with my breaking 2 strategy and can be adopted for race day:

• Take at least 10 mins off from the target. This is as evidenced with the runalyze right before my PIIACUF breaking 2. It was exactly 10 mins off. 
• What I had targeted for myself at the start was ambitious enough. Just stay true to that. No further adjustment required. Because it is hard to even do that
• I may have adjusted the HM pace quite a bit, because it felt relatively quite easy. So I had shaved about 10secs off from supposed HM effort in 1 of the workout.
• If I did really get better fitness wise, let it work itself out at the final leg of the marathon as a surprise, as much as it had for the breaking 2 race. Rather than adjust your timing, expecting a very good ambitious outcome. 

So week 8 was almost the pinnacle of this cycle. Things was not as easy on week 9. After it got to peak, it on recovery, then maintaining. I had also adjusted my target easy run pace to about very low 6 pace. And the run didn't feel that much easier as well. I should know full well that this is wrong. I should be embracing the slower pace, as I am embracing the faster pace.

Among the key things that I have done differently this time.

• 70km above weekly mileage seemed to be too huge for me. Now I'm talking about 80km weekly from Week 8 (there was a dip at week 9 due to Eid but the workout was in, only deferred).
• 3 sets of 30km, including PJHM. 

***

After more than 5 years, an attempt to continue what was started begins

***

The earlier writeup was a very good build up. At this point of writing (Dec 24, 2024) a lot has happened. And that is a story for another time. 

Simply put, the good things didn't last. My shinsplint came back again. I had to make a tough decision of getting off running. and it was a complete off for a good 3-4 weeks. Cannot really remember it by now

I compensated runs with indoor cycle. Cycling, zwifting was already an in thing at that time. Had some good friends already into cycling, so I had some good tips on how to maintain some aerobic fitness. They recommended to do 90 rpm cycle, which is not easy. May have tried for some minor runs prior to the event day just to see if I could run. May have bought my 1st 2XU shin sleeve at that time as well, which has proved to be effective and so much worth the money considering that it has lasted a good 5 years. I almost had never run without it until 2023. Even then, I was only running without it for a very short time, until my shin started to show some signs of aches again. And I have been diligently having it on again. 

So come race day, I remember that I had almost given up. It was a devastating feeling cause I know I was at my fittest ever. It was the year that sub 2 was in my hand. I had the best training runs during this time. But due to the pain, I came into the race thinking that I would not be able to finish it. The pain would have gotten so bad that I couldn't even go one. These thoughts was both my safety net (from feeling too depressed for not being able to finish it) and also as an alternative approach by convincing myself to even get to the starting line.

The race didn't go as bad as I thought it would. 

I could run and run. The flickering pain was there. But nothing agonizing. The fitness wasn't that bad as well. I remember to have finished it enjoyably. It was slightly more than 4:30 but lower than 4:40. My best KLSCM Full Marathon definitely. 

Too bad, right after the race was also the time that I finally decided that I needed to take full time off, in order to fully recover. It was the time time that I had finally considered cycling. When I have made a statement before that "Never, will I ever, take up cycling". Well, as they always say, never say never. 

Yaya was one of the motivator. Not long after the run, I went to find a cheap bicycle. And I got hooked up ever since. 

I was off running completely for 6 weeks after. But I think I might have tried to run mildly after that 6 weeks. Will check again and update if I'm feeling it. 

Nevertheless, it was a good write up at that time back in 2019. Recalling how good and obsessed I was with my performance at that time. From 52, I am at mere 46 now. Hope to be able to bring this back up. Age, shouldn't be a factor.