Date:                         Sat 24 Jun 2006. 

Target:                      15.65 km = 9 laps damai + 2 hill laps at 5:1 ratio

Actual:                      13.15 km = 7 laps damai + 2 hill laps at 5:1 ratio (2 laps short)

Timing:                     Lap 1                    damai      1.25 km   10:15       à 10:15

                                   Lap 2                    damai      2.5 km     10:27       à 20:42

                                   Lap 3                    damai      3.75 km   10:38       à 31:19

                                   Lap 4                    hill           5.95 km   17:32       à 48:51

                                   Lap 5                    damai      7.2 km     10:19       à 59:10

                                   Lap 6                    damai      8.45 km   10:37       à 1:09:47

                                   Lap 7                    damai      9.7 km     10:47       à 1:20:34

                                   Lap 8                    hill           11.9 km   19:07       à 1:39:40

                                   Lap 9                    damai      13.15 km 11:13       à 1:50:53

Pace:                         8:26/ km average.

Time of run:             6:15 am

Route:                       Damai lap (1.25km) & hill lap (2.2 km)

Weather:                  Cool but humid.  Light wind.  Cloudy.

Calburn:                    947 approx

Postrun Wt:             Dunno

Shoes:                       NB 765

 

Comments:  Plan to start hill training after taking it easy from last week’s PJ half.  Only ran once since then (easy 5k), so thought ready to handle at least 15k during weekend with two hills.  Turned out to be extremely disastrous.  “Two hills too soon”  Hahaha..

 

Pre-run didn’t carbo load or anything.  Was reasonably hydrated, except that took 50 mg rospi in the evening.  Bus trip back was ok, wasn’t terribly cold or anything.  Upon waking, did feel some body aches, but dismissed it due to suboptimal bus seating.  Drank some liqs pre-run.  Prepared 2 rewater bottles of diluted 100+.  Run started well enough, 1st lap reasonable fast.  Felt no discomfort or anything.  Lap timing was also conservative, on purpose.  Progressed to third lap, which is rewater lap.  So take the bottle, etc.  Then proceed to the hill lap.  Surprisingly, transition from Damai loop to hill was not that difficult.  Going downhill was kind of treacherous due to inexperience, seems that was leaning backwards & braking sorta.   Rest of downhill was fine.  Then uphill again to Damai loop start, ouchy.  That was the part that felt hard (as start to tire).   At this point there’s still no sign of anything wrong.  So shifted to do three more laps of Damai loop.  During last loop felt tired, but dismissed as normal because was consistently doing 5:1 ratio.  Sorta debated whether to do the second hill lap.  But did it anyway.  Again, was with rewater bottle going onto the hill, two gulps at every walk break.  So, I thought that was reasonably hydrated.  Again, the main steep part was not a really a problem, although calves were on the verge of cramping.  Downhill was careful.  Then the uphill again, that was when felt really exhausted.  Heart felt like wanna explode.  Transition back to Damai loop, just want to get one lap finished before walking back.  Run finished 2 laps short, but just 25 seconds slower than expected at LSD pace.

 

Postrun:   Went upstairs.  Stretched.  Calves felt really tight.  Now I know why hill training comes so highly recommended.  It’s during this time that started to feel bad.  Got worse and worse.  Rewater, but still bad.  Changed, still bad.  Headache.  Body ached.  Felt hot.  Skin felt sensitive.  Breakfast time, could barely get downstairs.  Breakfast, bad taste in my mouth.  Woozy.  Had no appetite at all.  Then vision turned yellow.  For me this was always my passing-out signal.  So went straight from dining table to living room sofa & lied down & kinda slept it off.  Woke up, almost 12 pm.  Felt just slightly better.  Showered.  Felt cold.  After lunch wifey massaged mein tired legs.  Took some paracetamol.  Dozed off again.  Evening still the same.  Bad taste in my mouth.  Nausea.  Same in the evening (around 7pm).  Dinner still had bad taste in mouth, nausea.  More paracetamol.  Went to bed early.   Felt chilly.  Tossed & turned thru the night. 

 

Sunday felt decidedly better, although still had bad taste in my mouth & light nausea.  Lasted whole day thru the nacht.  Legs felt good however.  Wifey’s massage therapy had worked wonders.

 

So, what went wrong?

Not enough hydration pre-run?  Due to rospi intake?  Due to too much coffee?

Not well pre-run (ie body ache not due to suboptimal bus seating)?  Virus attack?  Just on the onset of fever?

No carbo-loading?  Too depleted after PJ Half?  Still depleted after 6 days?

Route too taxing – not ready for two hills?  “Two hills too soon?”

 

Monday as I wrote this, I found this in Dr Pribut’s site at www.drpribut.com/sports/humidtxt.html.  Excerpt follows:  “Heat Exhaustion - Heat exhaustion is caused by dehydration. The symptoms include chills, lightheadedness, dizziness, headache, and nausea.”

 

Hahaha…  4 out of 5, sure sounds familiar eh?   But, as always, self diagnosis is inconclusive.

 

Anyway, decide earlier today to go for 7k this evening if feel like it.  Will see.  Need to rehydrate really well.

 

Lesson learned:  Totally hydrate in day before LSD or any race.  No rospi!

 

So now have to rethink training strategy.  I’m taking it too fast too soon.  I think I’ll stick to Damai loop exclusively, at 5:1 ratio, until wt is down to 145 before going to next level.  Damai loop is already a little hilly in the first place.  Let the big hill & interval training wait a little longer (perhaps after Putrajaya Half).  Mebbe after that only will I go for PR attempt again in KLIM2007, 2:30 goal.

 

Characters:  I may have had heat exhaustion…  I don’t care about any stupid characters!!

 

 

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