Hill Training & Treadmill Challenge

Hill Training – 10 May 2012

Route: 2 laps around Taman Desa Seputeh

Distance: 2 * 4km = 8km (Garmin: 8.65km)

Timing: 46:20 for 5:21 min/km pace

I was late!!! I got there at 6:07 am (yes, I’m anal but hey, I only have the Garmin for a watch) and Kenny was all set and ready to go; by the tone of this, you would probably have figured out that under “normal” circumstances, it would be the other way around. Ok, put on the VFFs pronto and set the Garmin and since Murphy’s Law applies when you’re in a hurry or dire circumstances…{fill up the blanks yourself}.

Warm up: House to train station via furniture mall loop (920m; 5:48)

So even standing makes the hip adductor angry and since my calves woke me up mid-sleep last night (more on this later), I had zero clue if I could even manage further than the 10 steps I took yesterday morning. Right, made it past the 10 steps and it wasn’t as bad as yesterday. Sort. Of. Surprisingly, the pain/soreness (I know it’s not pain…but it’s more than just soreness – what do you call a muscle pull/strain? Oh, just a pull/ strain? LOL!) abated…if I run faster. Hence, I had NO CHOICE but to run slightly faster and dropped Kenny even before we finished this warm up loop. Not. My. Intention. At. All.

Oh, on the calf thingy...it cramped up real bad and I resorted to putting on the 2XU compression sleeves - helped and I managed to doze off............................after 15 minutes of PURE agony.

Lap 1 (3.381km; 18:03)

The highlight of lap 1: to be greeted by a black short-haired dog at the top of the incline at km1. Literally, almost ran smack into him. Scared the crap out of me. Now, if any of you’ve been following the news in the last 2 days, this is something you definitely don’t want. Thank heavens it did not even bark at me. FYI – it’s not a stray and I didn’t see the owner anywhere nearby; pretty irresponsible to my mind.

Ok, onto “happier” notes (if you can even think of happy when your brain is starved of O2, your heart rate shooting through the roof, your lungs are bursting and your legs are pushing sore on a hill run), I bumped into Kenny just after km2 as he made his way up to the apartments.

Lap 2 (3.382km; 17:31)

Another bump into Kenny about 600m into km1 and I was dreading the previous greeting at the top of the hill. I got lucky! Doggone! The rest of the ride was uneventful – at least I didn’t have to dodge traffic in this lap. Yeah, there were 2 close encounters in the previous lap. Nah, I didn’t think these could top the dog story…hence it’s mentioned in passing here.

Finishing mile: Train station to and around the furniture mall loop (965m; 4:53)

Ok, we’ve got…let’s just get it done. I could have skipped this but since my weekly mileage has been less-than-stellar and I had time, why not whiz around the furniture loop again, right? Now if only the heart rate, lungs and legs would get onto the party, we’ll be a happy camper.

Finished up the morning with a cool down of sorts on the elliptical and spotted this challenge.

Treadmill Challenge

And here is something for those gym/treadmill bunnies out there. Go sign up now!

Thursday’s Mantra: 3Rs - Rest, Re-hydrate, Re-fuel.