Week 2 @ Chandler - Running has been hard to come by..

It's been almost 2 weeks since I arrived Chandler.. Not much opportunity for a workout due to work and sun-sets early during winter @ 5.45pm. Really need to make full use of the gym at night. Weekends is reserved for jalan2.

Week 1 - zero mileage, ended with the Arizona Rock n Roll 42k
Week 2 - 5km recovery run on Tuesday.. That's all :(
Week 3 - I must ramp up my training !!

My next race - supposedly the 2/2 Arizona Road Runners Desert Classic @ Surprise, 1 hr from here. Still in 2 minds if I should run as i just completed my run last week.. Also, I am really itching for the Lost Dutchman on 2/17.. The next one will be Phoenix Marathon on 3/2..

Went to Sedona and Flagstaff over the weekend (1/26-1/27).. Really a superb place to have a run -rave run to be exact.. Too bad it was drizzling the whole day and on Sunday mostly, so didn't have a chance to do any run. Sedona Marathon will be on 2/2.. Should be an exciting route with the roller coaster run..

RW : Runners and Blood Clots: What You Need to Know

I thought this is a great source of information especially the risk of DVT.. Smething one may not think much about..

Source : http://www.runnersworld.com/health/runners-and-blood-clots-what-you-need-know?cm_mmc=Facebook-_-RunnersWorld-_-Content-Blog-_-BloodClots

 

Athletes may be at a greater risk for developing blood clots than the rest of the population. Here's how to protect yourself and spot symptoms.

By

Jenny Hadfield

Published

January 17, 2013

I just heard that you developed two blood clots in three months! How is it possible for a person like you, who is fit and healthy, to develop clots? —My family and friends.
"Listen to your body."
I’ve heard it a thousand times and have written it just as many. Little did I know those four words would save my life.
I was flying home from Munich last fall. I was in Europe for a site visit for our upcoming Danube River Marathon Adventure and had quite the expedition to arrive home. It included a two-hour cab ride and a two-hour flight, followed by a 10-hour flight to ORD. Needless to say, it was a lot of sitting and a lot of time in the air—but not something that was new for me.
About halfway through the flight, my calf started aching like it was going to go full throttle into one of those nasty charley horses. It never seized, but it continued to ache. A little voice whispered, “It is a blood clot,” but I thought to myself, “Not me! I’m an athlete who’s healthy and fit. I just finished running Rim to Rim and the Inca Trail Marathon!”
Fast forward one week later. I am still walking around with a dull ache in my calf, and I know in my gut and my head it just may be a blood clot. It didn’t feel like an injury because it didn’t respond to rest, flexibility, or ice. It remained a dull ache that felt like it would seize at any moment.
I connected with my doc and she immediately sent me to get a Doppler ultrasound to rule out a clot. After 60 minutes of ultrasound searching, the technician found a small but deep blood clot. Thank goodness she had tenacity, as the first technician was ready to call it day after about five minutes.
I was put on a round of aspirin, sentenced to wearing really ugly compression hose for two weeks, and allowed to run at easy efforts for a month.
I went on living my life, traveling, taking my aspirin like a good patient, moving more, and sitting less. Until late-December, when after flying home on a four-hour flight from California, the calf pain returned. This time, it was more intense and a little higher in my calf. My gut told me it was another clot, and this time I reached out to my doc sooner and listened more quickly.
After a trip to the ER, it was official. I had a second clot, and this time it was larger and more significant. The risk is that the clot would travel to my lung (pulmonary embolism), a condition that can quickly turn fatal. I have a friend who raced an Ironman this fall and had the very same symptoms, and by the time he got the diagnosis, he had developed two clots—one in either lung. Fortunately, he’s doing well and recovering.
So, I went on three rounds of injectable blood thinners and pill-form thinners to prevent further clotting and reduce the coagulation factor in my blood.
I’ll spare you all the drama (more ugly hose, fear, and a few tears), but I’m sharing this with you because I never thought it could happen to me, an athlete. I moved all the time, ate well, and was in good health.
How could I develop two blood clots in such a short period of time?
Good question! I’ve been analyzing the heck out of this for weeks, and there are several circumstances that increase the risk factors for athletes developing blood clots. What confused me the most was I travel for a living. I’ve been all over the world—so why now? Please keep in mind, this relates to my health and it may not be true for you. The intent is not to scare, but to inform.

• Inactivity. I sat for a prolonged period of time. Immobility is on the top of the list for risky behaviors for clotting. In total I sat for over 14 hours with very little movement on my way home. I usually get up on flights every one to two hours and walk around, but I fell asleep for hours this time and didn’t move as much. I also forgot to wear my compression socks as I normally would.
• Dehydration. It decreases the plasma in our blood and increases the viscosity, making it thicker. I confess I enjoyed the free wine aboard the riverboat and was likely quite dehydrated on my journey home. In general, most endurance athletes likely walk around in a mildly dehydrated state due to training and racing.
• Fitness. With fitness, our body increases the red blood count and oxygen-carrying capacity, which can increase the thickness of the blood.
• Medications. I was in a state of hyperthyroidism due to over-medication. Short story is I made some serious diet changes upon finding out I wasn’t hypothyroid (gluten-free/Paleo-ish), and in that time I went from being hypo- to hyperthyroid.  That can increase the coagulation factor in the blood.
• Genes. Finally, it could be that I carry a genetic trait that lends itself to the development of blood clots. That doesn’t seem likely, as at 45 years old this is the first time this has happened. My money is on the Perfect Storm theory, as I had a host of variables that all came together at the same time to create the first clot. At that point, I was at risk for developing another in the same leg. But I’m not House. I’m not a doctor and I don’t play one on TV. I’ll let the doctors continue to search for the whys.

The key is to be aware as you train, travel, and race. Airhealth.org says that about 85% of air travel thrombosis victims are athletic, endurance athletes like marathoners. They also cite the following athlete risk factors for air travel:

• Low heart rates and blood pressures
• Bruises or fatigued, sore muscles (i.e. post race)
• 82% are under the age of 60
• Altitude can increase coagulation factors

Be Aware of the Signs and Symptoms During or a Few Days After Flight (or Long Drive)

• Often feels like a muscle cramp that doesn’t let up in time
• Can feel worse when standing or walking
• Swelling in one leg (versus both as is normal in flight or driving)
• Bruise or tenderness in lower leg or behind the knee
• The area is warm to the touch (this wasn’t the case for me)

More serious Signs and Symptoms

• Unexplained, sudden shortness of breath
• Rapid breathing
• Cramp in your side or chest, painful breathing (my friend said it felt like back pain)
• Chest pain radiating to the shoulder
• Fever
• Coughing up blood
• Feeling lightheaded and dizzy or fainting

I was lucky because I knew in my gut it was likely a clot, but had I been coming home from a race like my friend, I might have blown it off for a calf strain. In some cases, your doctor may miss it as well. Be informed, listen to your body, and know the signs and symptoms. If these symptoms line up with your condition, insist on an ultrasound.
Prevention Strategies
How can we can help prevent blood clots on planes, trains, and automobiles?

• Perform leg extensions every 15 minutes while seated.
• Get up and out and move around every one to two hours.
• Hydrate with an electrolytic beverage (tomato juice, sports drink) versus water and avoid alcohol – read why here
• Be aware of your medications and the risks, and you and your family’s health history
• Graduated compression socks can reduce edema and risks of developing clots. Talk to your doctor before wearing as they are not recommended for people with circulation problems caused by arterial insufficiency.

To learn more about DVT (deep vein thrombosis) visit http://www.preventdvt.org/.
I’m going to write it again because it is so important – listen to your body, know your body, and be mindful as you travel through life. It something doesn’t feel right, get it checked out.
Happy Trails.

My 42km on my 42nd big day - A Really Rocking AZ Rock n Roll Marathon !

Date : 20 Jan 2013 | Location : Phoenix Washington St-Scottsdale-Temp Sun Devils Stadium |Distance : 42.37km | Time : 5:14 | Pace : 7:25’/km | Condition : from near freezing 3degC to 20degC, running under noon direct sunlight | Route : mostly flat | Satisfaction level : 4/5

What a raced it was – a race totally into the unknown and I must thank my lucky stars for coming out of this alive and well !

This was my 5th full marathon. When I signed up for the PF Chang’s Arizona Rock and Roll Marathon (10^th edition), I have no inclination how the weather will look like besides it being a winter for AZ. Boy, how wrong I was ! I arrived on Jan 15^th to a freezing 0 deg C night temp and that was the 1-week coldest spell in >20 years in AZ. Although the temp got slightly better over the last few days, it was still freezing cold for all of us.

The pick-up of the race kits @ Phoenix Convention Center was a smooth one. Took me 20+minutes to arrive at the destination.. and a US12 parking fees. Much better than finding a public parking place as I have no idea where are those. The fact I could find my way there (using Waze of course) was an accomplishment itself. The race pick-up and expo was huge, much bigger than the one @ SCMS. I picked up both the Kids Rock and my own race kit. Corral 4 was my wave startup location based on the 4:15 finisher time I entered. Huge merchandize area selling everything from shoes to running tees/jackets (it’s winter !) to all forms of sports nutrition and training equipment/tools.

Saturday (Jan 19). Kids Rock for the kids. Venue : Temp Beach Park (20mins away from San Cervantes). We all dressed up in 2-3 layers of clothes as it was a 3deg C morning. Race starts at 9:30am and they are all divided by Grades, from Kindergarten to 6^th Grade. Jadyn is in 3^rd Grade while Jaden 1^st Grade. The fun run distance was 1-mile along the ‘beach’ front while Kindergarten half of that distance. With 1,200 kids and many more adults, we arrived to a carnival like atmosphere. There were the Disney crew warming up the kids with songs and dances.. The race was a fun run and every kid gets a finisher medal – a cool rock guitar medal, and of course a nice running tee. The kids had fun and went back with even more stuff – more tee-shirts (as they gave away more free tees), pop-corns, engraved medals, blankets etc. The park is pretty nice place for the kids to run and skate on its promenade along the beach.

 

Sunday (Jan 20). The BIG day. I wanted to run a 42km to commemorate my 42^nd birthday and this one came at a perfect time. The morning was equally cold – 3deg C. The race route starts from Phoenix, then goes thru Scottsdale before ending at Tempe near the Sun Devils Stadium. I planned to drive to Temp Beach Park to park my car and then hop on the Light Rail to the starting point at Phoenix. Alas, it was not to be as the roads leading to the park was closed and I have no idea how to go to the park – GPS did show that :(  Alternately, I made a detour to the Phoenix and decided to park at the designated place. The race was scheduled to start at 7.50am. Arriving at ~6.30am, I was able to find the designated car park easily. No need payment, so it was great. The Arizona Center car park was a short distance walk to the starting lineup @ Washington St/3^rd St. I did some warm-up, queued pretty long for the pee.. then we were ready to start !

The corral allows a wave start which is great so that there are no scrambling at the start with the fast runners at the front and slower ones at the back.. Standing at the starting line, you can see some runners started to take off their jacket which were used to keep them warm right before the race and threw them to the pavement. Those were then collected by the volunteers for charity. I kept myself warmed, at least as warm as can be – wore the long sleeve tee inside, followed by a Rock 2 Rock purple tee outside. Good thing I brought the gloves, else I would have gotten frost-bite. No kidding, it was THAT cold. Frankly, I would have gave up the race by the 1^st 5k if my gloves did not keep me warm. The gear check-in (we call if baggage deposit) was simple. Just your last name and the UPS courier truck. Quick and easy process.

The flag off was smooth, took me close to 3 minutes to reach the starting line-up. The first 5k went on well. Then the air started to get too cold for my comfort as the faster you run, the more the cold air will go into the lungs. It was uncomfortable but I could bear with it. The first 10k was completed in 55:22, a pace of 5:32’/km.  One thing for sure. The crowd, the cheer groups and the volunteers were fabulous ! One will not get bored as for every 10m, there will be someone clapping, cheering on the runners, showing giant playcards.. and this went on all the way until finishing line !  Simply fantastic. One of the highlights of my running history.

By the time I hit 15^th km, I felt a twitch on my right calf, then quickly followed by my left. And it felt like PNM all over again. Cramp striking so early ! I soon felt uncomfortable but I still managed to continue run-jog-brisk walk.  But the effects was clearly seen. My 2^nd 10k slowed to 6:32.

I hit the half mark @ 2:08 and that as the time we went into the Scottsdale town center with great fun-fare and carnival-like atmosphere. But I was limping along. But the cheers helped a bit for me to jog, else I would have given up much earlier !  I started to do stretching by the curb more often but the pace has slowed to slow jog as for small stretches, then brisk walk. Now both my calves and also my quads are hurting and stiffened like hell !

The 30k until the finishing line was the hardest – it was a long stretch of straight road leading to Tempe and I was running (or rather walking) under the noon hot sun. There were no shades and the sunlight pierced through directly. I am glad I wore long sleeve and compression pants and my neck/face was fully protected by the sunblock… and I read somewhere that the ozone layer is thinner during winter.. Geez.. By 30km, my camp has subsided a bit but now, it was my left knee pain ! I could not run for a stretch without feeling the pain. Could be ITB I suspect.. and so I decided not to risk more injury and walked all the way to the finishing line, albeit with some very slow jogs from time to time..

Overall timing on my Garmin:

First 10k – 5:32

2^nd 10k – 6:32

3^rd 10k – 8:11

4^th 10k – 9:05

Last 2.37k – 8:51

Overall, it was great race. The experience was invaluable. Who would really have opportunity to really race in a winter with a temp swing from 3 to 23 in 4-5 hours time !

I thoroughly enjoyed the race – the volunteers were outstanding (every water station could easily have 40 volunteers, or more !), the cheer group and spectators were simply fabulous in cheering.. they were simply generous with their inspiring words.. The runners were well behaved with great ethics (like stepping aside when slowing down/stopping – btw, not many people walk. Many just run or jog.. simply awesome !). It’s an experience I will cherish for a long time. The timing was a PW but I have no qualms over it – 1) it was a run @ an unknown weather condition, 2) I have not run for the past 3 weeks and now went straight into a marathon – I have to blame myself for that.

Moving forward, I need to bump up my training plans and strength training. The winter season where the sun sets @ 5:45 and goes totally dark by 6:30pm. It will be a challenge.. Next marathon – Phoenix Marathon on 2^nd March 2013. Something could come up in between now and then :)

It was a chilly 3deg C at the starting lineup

Put all my photos into a collage

The finishing @ Tempe.. 23deg C

New Year's Run (2013) - Kulim Half Marathon

Distance : 20.66km | Time : 2:05 | Pace : 6:03mins/km

Condition : near perfect weather | Route : flat and hilly

Satisfaction level : 3/5

Kulim Half-Marathon, an inaugural race. My opening act for 2013. I didn’t have high expectation for the run since it is very low key, and the advertisement only came out 1.5 months before the run itself. And there wasn’t much info about the logistics, the aid station etc. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t let go a chance to run at Kulim, a place I call my 2nd home, what’s more it will be a New Year’s Run.. I decided to give it a chance and hope it doesn‘t turn out like the SP HM.

It was a new year, and although I am in the midst of my preparation for the AZ RnR, I didn’t think and plan too much about this run. The race was supposed to start at 7am, so I left home around 5.30am. Smooth traffic, but raining all the way. Stadium Keladi was an easy spot. As soon as I arrived, I spotted a few familiar faces in Ling Teoh, Qamarrul, Ramlan, Hafiz, Alex Cheah, Oon, etc..  Not bad. We were told to wear their tee-shirt, else will be disqualified. I reluctantly adhered to it as I also want to avoid getting too wet as the slight drizzle was still on at that time.

As the time approaches 7am, there was only a small group of runners. Really small, the smallest I have ever seen. There were 12 female runners and probably 50-60 male runners. The sky was still dark (due to the cloudy weather) when the race was flagged off at 7.10am. We ran through the Kelang Lama area via a small road, then into the MPKK and Full Wealth, exited at Petronas into the sekolah kebangsaan. I guess it was an orientation day as the traffic was pretty heavy at that time with many motorcycles and school-going kids, not to mention the lorries. That was probably the worst moments, and dangerous throughout the run. We then entered the University KL, passed by Infineon and entered into the back of First Solar. The route took us through the small industries area of Kulim Tech Park before going back to Stadium Keladi.

The time taken was 2:05 (split 1st half @ 5:44, 2nd half @ 6:22). I reckoned I would have done a 2:09 or 2:10 if it’s a 21.1km race. The hilight ? Seeing James Lee at the finishing and snapped the pic below. So awesome to have a friend to come and support ! 

Overall, happy with the run but the hilly route is still a kill-joy for me ! Must train harder.. AZ trial – here I come !!

+ Nice scenic route

+ Near perfect weather (no sun, cold breeze)

+ Sufficient water station (4 stations, good spread)

+ Good traffic control by Rela/police

I must applaud the great effort by the organizer in planning out this local run on a shoe-string. Medal was originally meant for the top 20, but the organizer decided to give out all excess medals and certs to all participants. Alas, I have gone home by then.. Too bad :(  Always the next race to get my first medal, and that will be AZ RnR !!

Last 200m. Pic courtesy of James Lee

Phoenix Marathon - 2 March 2013

I just signed up my 3rd run in Arizona ! I am all set for the PF Chang's AZ RnR @ 20 Jan..
The Desert Classic is an unknown now that I want to spend more time over the precious weekends with the family and the Surprise trip is 1 hr+ one way.. Pretty long drive actually. Will most likely skip and do a trial run somewhere.
As for my 3rd run, it'll be Phoenix Marathon on 2 March 2013 !

Registered. US$105 (registration fees : US$99).

Some useful FAQs:

Where is packet pick-up, and when?

Location:Road Runner SportsTempe Marketplace
43 S. McClintock Dr.
Tempe, AZ 85281
(480) 968-2022Directions

When:

March 1st Friday 10am-9pm

Do I need to ride the bus to the starting line?

Yes. There is no parking available at the starting line.

What time & where do I need to get on the bus?

The first bus will leave at 4:00 A.M., and the last bus will leave at 5:15 A.M. The buses will pick runners up at the corner of Dobson Rd. and Bass Pro Dr.

Is there a place I can drop off my sweats during the marathon?

Yes. At the starting line a truck will take items back to the finish. We highly recommend you put your items in a bag with your race number on it. This will help sort your items at the finish area. Clothing dropped at any other point along the course will be considered a donation to charity.

What is the average temperature on race day?

The average temperature at the start is 52 and the average temperature at the finish is 68. Our race starts early, so you will finish the race well before the high of the day, and March offers very mild temperatures in Phoenix.

 

The Route Map - Usery Mountain Park to Tempe

Elevation Map - mostly downhill !!

2012 Wrap Up

2012 - done and dusted, 2013 - a year of unchartered territory (running in USA !!) and full of excitement (more FMs ? Training for Ultra ?) ! Fingers-crossed.... Just wanna end the year in a better shape than I am now !

Did some reflections for 2012. Overall, it’s been a great one with more mileage compared to 2011 (1512km vs 1050km), did 3 full marathons and recorded my PBs for the full (4:12), 3 half with a PB@1:53.

- My best moments ? SCKLM

- My worst race ? PNM

- The most colorful race ? Rock to Rock

- Best organized race ? Valdor Run

- Worst organized race ? SP Half

- DNF ? Men’s Health & KRI Ipoh HM

Medals collection




Running Summary at a Glance