Moving - now follow me at http://runoutrunback.com/

Hi all, I've been disappointed with the experience on Blogger so I'll be moving as of today to Wordpress. You can follow me at http://runoutrunback.com/ on a much nicer looking blog! 

Bye for now! 

Weekend in Malaysia: sand running benefits and technique

This weekend we visited Sibu Island, Malaysia for some diving and time reading books on the beach. 

With just one week to go until the half marathon, the beach also became my new training ground. 

In theory it takes about 3hrs45 to get to Sibu Island from Singapore. However, in Friday evening traffic and the ridiculous queues at the border, this crept up significantly. We'd hoped to arrive at the resort - Sea Gypsy - at 10pm, but it was actually 11.30 by the time we got there. 

Sea Gypsy is a great little place, and definitely one I'd recommend to families or groups (if you're looking for a Romantic trip away for two, try nearby Batu Batu. More expansive but apparently it's the bomb).

Sea Gypsy is really well priced - we paid $860 (Sing dollars) for 2, including accommodation, 2 dives each, travel and all our meals. They were really good about making sure there was enough veggie food for me and gluten free for Simon. 

Accommodation is basic but really nice. We stayed in a lovely little beach hut. From our veranda we could look out over the ocean through the palms. 

The only criticism would be that it's a bit too English. There wasn't much of a local feel going on and not much local knowledge expressed. I think that showed in the quality of dive sites we were taken to.  

The diving was pretty dull and I have to say, given that there are some amazing dive locations not far, I can only assume that a local dive master would have managed to find us better places to head to. 

The running. 

The beach is just over 600m long which is pretty good. I had visions of having to do lots of little sprints, but it was easy enough to work through to 6km without getting too bored. With crabs darting about and gorgeous scenery, plodding up and down the same stretch of beach was actually quite pleasant. The only downside was running past people drinking cocktails on the beach 10 times... there's nothing like viewing other people's sundowners to feel like a total bore. 

Running on the sand is a great workout though. It builds muscles below the knees, and it good for your arches and tendons. Apparently you also burn 1.6 x more calories over equal distances. 

Make sure you warm up on the wet sand though (see right) before moving up the beach. Soft sand running is hard work so you need to be ready for it. 

It's also really important to try to run on the most even bit of sand you can find or you end up putting a lot of extra strain on whichever is your down hill leg. Running laps gets around this a bit as you even out the over worked leg but the flatter the better.  

Although I didn't explore the rest of the Island, I wouldn't be surprised if there were so good tails. I just didn't really fancy getting lost on a tropical island and attacked by the jungle life on my own.  Given that on Friday I managed to electrocute myself whilst packing and on Saturday I got stung my a jelly fish, I was worried what bad luck might await me... it always comes in threes after all. 

Running beauty: a third of young girls believe it's unacceptable to be hot and sweaty

According to a recent study, one third of young girls in the UK believe it's unacceptable to get hot and sweaty. From what I've read the study is not hugely in depth but I think we can assume that these young girls are worried about looking unattractive when they're working out. No, running is not always the most glamorous of sports and I don't look like Heidi Klum when I run, but that's not a reason not to do it. 

I'm sharing my beauty tips and tricks in this post, but when it comes down to it, really I feel my most attractive when I'm running or have just been for a run. Aside from the healthy glow you get from a good work out, there's nothing like feeling in tune with your own strong body to make you feel confident and alive. 

To anyone unconvinced that being hot and sweaty is unacceptable I ask you to look at these natural beauties who kick ass in sport. 

For the average runner, I think this picture says it all when it comes to runners 'beauty'. Yes, I know it's gross, but just be thankful I didn't share a picture of the top of that toe. That's truly a fright. 

'Hidden' black toe 

I hate going for pedicures because I don't think anyone else should ever have to touch my feet. On the other hand, I live in a place where flip flops are the default shoe option so my feet need to be presentable. This is my attempt to hide the dreaded black toe nail... 

I'm not one for glossy magazines, fashion, facials and being a girly girl but at the same time I prefer not to look like a total fright. When you're working out 6-7 days a week sometimes that can be challenging. 

In the main, I like to use organic, all natural, vegan products but I do bend on occasion if I feel like a product is worth it. Here are my product tips for minimising your impact on the planet and counteracting the hours of being a sweaty mess. 


Deodorant

Deodorant has got to be the most important beauty purchase so let's start with that. I use Crystal. It works and it isn't full of aluminium, doesn't clog pores and so on. 

Hair 

I'm lucky, if I leave my hair alone, don't wash it, brush it or blow dry it, it falls straight and neatly. However, I run early in the morning, it gets gross and needs attention to make it not look terrible which means it ends up looking just shy of terrible rather than nice. There are a few things that, when I can be bothered with them really help though. 

Number one trick though, don't wash too often, just rinse. 

This stuff is the bomb. 

It's super cheap, all natural and doesn't leave any residue or nasties in your hair. To date, I've only seen it on sale in Australia so I stock pile whenever I'm over there. It's great. 

Dry shampoo is also a life saver. This isn't so natural but it's great - it's part shampoo, part volumizer so it counteracts the 'hat hair' look that your running cap can give you. 

Feet

Please don't judge the product on how badly I paint my own toenails. It's not the nail polish, it's all me. 

Butter London make great nail varnishes with significantly less scary chemicals. You can tell the difference as soon as you open the bottle. No scary smell. I generally find that most nail polish can't handle the amount of miles I run but this definitely 'goes the distance', if you'll excuse the pun. The nail foundation base coat is brilliant. You can wear it on its own to just make your toe nails look clean and nice. I prefer darker colours though to hide the scary black toenail I have. 

For keeping your feet soft I go for Badger Balm. Don't worry, it's not made of Badgers. Vegetarian, remember. It's got peppermint and Tea Tree so it's very cooling and refreshing on tired feet. It's also organic and doesn't cost too much. 

Skin 

Top tip. Wear a hat. No one wants sun burn or the damaging effects of sun on your skin in the longer term. Apparently have higher risk of developing skin cancer so, wear a hat and wear sunscreen.

I don't usually like Clinique products as I think they're too full of chemicals, but I converted for the Even Better Even Better City Block. 

It's SPF 40 and it helps with pigmentation which is a bit of a problem for me. It's also 'anti pollution'. I have no idea what that really means - something about antioxidants maybe - but since I run on busy roads  lot, I'll take all the help I can get. The only downside is that it's got a bit of colour in. 

I don't really suffer from runners acne although I know that can be a problem for people. Running in hot weather with sunscreen can block your pores and black heads can become an issue. There are thousands of products that claim to deal with this but the only think that seems to work for me is a little bit of baking soda mixed with apple cider vinegar to make a paste. Use it as a scrub and rinse thoroughly. 

Apple Cider Vinegar is a natural astringent so it really cleans the pores and baking soda is apparently used a lot in microdermabraison. 

This is by no means a full list of options available but they are definitely my must haves. 

One week till The Sundown Half Marathon, medical check paranoia

It's here! Well, almost. 

I am now one week away from The Sundown Half Marathon. 

Because I can't count, I started my twelve week training plan twelve weeks ago which means it finishes tomorrow. In order to keep week 13 to tapering and to get around the fact that I'll be diving in Malaysia this weekend, I went 'freestyle' this week and made up week 11 2.0. 

Do you like the way I made a week '13'? 

This means I actually had my final 'long run' (it was actually just 11ks) last night.  (This whole week was a step down from 11.1.0 as I ease into the taper). 

I'm a bit free form usually with my training plans anyway which is to say that often, I just don't use one. Or, when I do, I often doctor it so much that it doesn't really resemble the training plan that I started out with. This time though, I've been pretty loyal - except for switching out one day per week of running for a swim or bike session. There are two reasons for this. 

1. Singapore weather is hideous. I know it's going to sound like I'm crazy but, it's about 31 degrees Celsius EVERY DAY and sunny pretty much EVERY DAY but, once a day the heavens open for an almighty downpour.  The humidity we have here is likely to be mentioned a lot on this blog so I won't go into it now. All this, means that sometimes you want to swim. Or spin in an air conditioned room.
2. I'm convinced that I won't get injured running 5 days a week, but may if I run 6. No explanation, 5 just feels more appropriate to my knees. 

Anyway, why I am I sharing this? I'm freaking out. 

1. Having now gotten to the end of my plan, I'm not convinced by it. The long runs just don't seem to have been long enough AND I don't feel like I've done enough runs at my half marathon pace. Yes, I know - the long slow run is the backbone of any plan - but does anyone else ever feel like they need to test themselves out a bit? Say, run 99% race distance at pace? That's probably just me. I actually snuck in 2 runs like that which were definitely not on the plan, but I'm glad I did. 
2. The race is at 00.30am. Otherwise known as the middle of the night, or if you enjoyed The BFG too, 'the witching hour'. No, I'm not really worried about witches (although you never know), but I am worried about the fact that, like a fool, I have done all my training except yesterday's run at 6am. I need to become a night owl. Fast. 

Apart from that though, I'm actually REALLY excited. 

On an other note, we're having medical checks at work across yesterday and today. Today is blood tests and yesterday was a ten point medical test covering fat levels, weight, blood pressure and so on. For some reason these things really freak me out. Even though I know that I run 6, I mean 5 days a week, I panic that my visceral fat will be off the charts or actually, I've been deluding myself and I actually weigh 100 kilos.  Does anyone else do this? I think it's just the idea of it being a 'test' that sends me crazy. 

Anyhoo, it was the worst medical test I've ever imagined let alone seen. It was as if we were being conscripted. Everyone lined up and went through a number of 'stations' to have various tests done while the results were called out for all to hear. No one wants their colleagues to know if their body fat is a bit on the high side. I thought this was bonkers, but I'm putting it down to cultural differences and me being over sensitive. 

Motivation: Unbreakable - The Western States 100

If you have any interest in running whatsoever you need to watch this film. 

I'm at a loss as to why it took me so long to get around to watching this film but since buying the DVD I've watched it three times. 

Unbreakable is about the 2010 Western States which was arguably the most competitive year of the race in terms of talent toeing the starting line. Focusing on the four men most likely to win - Hal Koerner, two time defending champion, Geoff Roes, Anton Krupicka and Kilian Jornet - the film gives you an inside view on the men that define Ultramarathoning today and how they live, train and race. 

A really nice touch is how Banna weaves the story of Gordy Ansleigh in throughout the narrative The Western States was originally a 24 hour horse race which, in 1974, after his horse went lame, Gordy completed on foot. No support crew, no fancy equipment, just sheer grit and determination. He is credited with having established The Western States in it's current form and, in so doing 'invented' the ultra.

It's a JB Benna film - you may know him from The Runner or Ultramarathon Man - both of which are great, but this is a cut above to me. But then, I'm obsessed with the Western States. 

**Spoiler alert (although the race was 4 years ago...)** 

Geoff Roes wins in dramatic style, coming back from a relatively distant third, and making the last 10 miles look effortless. 

Watching this film taught me a lot about:

1. Mental strength: Geoff Roes talks about training for the tough moments rather than the highs. Roes says that if you work on the times you're flying you'l gain maybe 5 seconds a mile. If you train for the lows, you can save minutes. He certainly proves that here 
2. Running as a practice: often, as runners, we follow really precise training plans and try to stick to them religiously, loving every day that we tick off. These guys approach it more like a daily practice - like yoga or meditation. Something about that feels much more organic, much more natural to the sport itself. And well, clearly it works.

If Unbreakable isn't enough to make you get your kicks on, check out this link to I Run Far for more inspirational films.  

What to do when it all goes wrong in 5 steps

A friend asked me the other day what I do when I don't get the feeling I was hoping for post race. A more precise way to frame this question might be, 'what do you do when, having slogged your heart out for months of training, you then fail to execute as well as you'd hoped, and are left heartbroken on the finish line'? 

This might sound a bit dramatic (I'm sure that I feel these things a little bit  far too deeply considering that I run for fun), but in my experience dreams dashed hurt us mere mortals just as much as they do the Gods and Goddesses of our sport. The issue is that well, you just feel a bit silly when you feel like this after not doing a local race quite as well as you'd hoped. 

**Disclaimer: I haven't actually watched this video the whole way through properly because it makes me anxious just watching it. Paula Radcliffe has long been a hero of mine and I just can't see her in this much distress. Sport does this to me, whether the ending is good or bad. It started with Linford Christie won the 100m in the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. The London Olympics went so well that I almost needed Isotonic drinks to replace the salts lost weeping. Mo Farah owes me two bottles of coconut water.

So, what do you do? I'm not a sports psychologist or any sort of great champion so this is in not put up as a model to follow but this is basically how it goes for me: 

1. Be sad, angry, frustrated. Decide that I've been deluding myself entirely and all those previous great runs were a cash of chip measurement error or a broken Garmin. I should throw away my trainers immediately and never run again
2. Dagger eyes to anyone that tells me that I did so well compared to x, y, z/it's the taking part that counts/blah blah blah. Whatever. If it was the taking part that counted then why did I train? 
3. Re-group and get over myself. It's a race, not my life. It doesn't define what I'm worth.   
4. Remember that the result was one part of a long process, and remind myself that through the training cycle I have 
1. Got a lot better at running 
2. Learnt a lot about myself and this moment is probably when I'm learning the most 
5. Get back out there. It was one run out of thousands. Wipe it from the record 

I don't think there's really anything wrong with getting so wound up over a failed run as long as you move on.  If you really want something and you don't get it, it would be odd to be completely okay about it. I move through these five stages at different speeds depending on the situation and sometimes I go backwards a bit before getting to five. 

I'm getting better at it whenever it does happen. I also feel like each time I come back mentally a lot stronger with my love of running renewed. Getting kicked to humility the hard way reminds me why I love this sport. It never gets easier, you just get better at it. 

Now, I feel awful about having a Paul Radcliffe failure on this blog without a bit of balance. Here she is smashing the world record in London, 2003. 

Race Report: The Green Corridor Run (Swim)

It's pretty difficult to explain just how much it rained today during The Green Corridor Run. I've tried to think of an appropriate description but nothing comes. I think the only way to explain it is to tell you that apart from the first corral - which thankfully we were in - the others were cancelled because the course was considered too dangerous. 

There was an all out tropical storm with unbelievable thunder and a fair amount of lightening. The mud was so sloshy that by about 1km in my trainers were completely soaked through and squelching with every step. There were people slipping and sliding over the make shift pathways that the organisers had put down over the worst parts of the course. The final 500m was so wet it felt like doing pre-hab work in the pool rather than running. 

In short, it was brilliant. I love trails. Mentally I was whisked back 15 years to school Cross Country. It was amazing to see so many expat Brits clearly in their element. I have no justification for this statement, but I'm convinced that my compatriots will have placed considerably higher than usual in today's race. All those English summers toughen you up for this sort of thing. 

This picture was taken about an hour before the start, half an hour before the rain began... The sky was so clear at this point. Little did we know that the heaven's were about to open. We look very clean and shiny. That did not last long. 

Looking online there have been a few disgruntled customers from today's race, but we thought it was really well organised. Lots of clean toilets, water available, a place to pick up bibs in case you didn't get the chance the weekend before, an easy to access start line and so on. The only thing was that we started 10 minutes late because they were trying to weather proof the course but, given how it turned out, I think it was well worth the wait. 

I had a few concerns going into the race that getting 6,000 people through what looked like a pretty narrow course that passing people would be pretty tricky.  I think that in good weather it wouldn't have been such a problem as you can probably run 4 across even at the most narrow points, but with the centre muddied out so much and everyone scrambling for dry ground at the edges it was pretty tough. I think, as usual though, it would have been a lot easier if people had chosen to run in the right waves. The first wave was for people that were capable of running 10k in under 55 minutes and I'm pretty sure a large number of runners were being overly optimistic saying they could do that on muddy trail. The first two kilometres were a bun fight for that reason. 

So, how did it go? Well, we made it through the monsoon. Today wasn't about a PR or anything for me (although given that I've never run a 10.5k race before I guess technically I can claim one), it was part of my prep for the half-marathon in 2 weeks time. I planned to run at my half-marathon pace and then finish strong with enough left in my legs to feel confident about the coming race. Objective achieved. Indeed, I finished so strongly that I almost feel a bit guilty for not trying harder. That's my personality all over though: do what you set out to do and then feel bad for not setting the bar higher. 

I'll be back next year Green Corridor and then it'll be all out war... 

The best part of the day though was just how well Simon ran. Official times aren't in yet but we think he came in about four and a half minutes faster than expected. Amazing. Especially so when you consider that two weeks ago he was saying that he'd rather not run since he was under trained! I am very proud. 

Post run we squelched our way back home pretty swiftly. The rain was bucketing it down far too hard even for stretching let alone taking pictures and chatting. I must admit, I was very surprised that the bus drivers were willing to take so many mud ridden passengers. We were expecting to have to jog home another 5km. 

After a quick change we then headed up to the Suntec Convention Centre to pick up my race bib for the Sundown half-marathon and so the next challenge begins..

On a side note, I think we may have over done the amount of washing detergent needed to get the mud out of our trainers. 

Somewhere, under all of those suds there are two pairs. Let's hope that they come out okay, else I'm about to get my first taste of a barefoot half-marathon... 

A big well done to everyone who ran today, and managed to get through the tricky conditions.