Year in Review - 2011

Happy New Year!!!

Thought it will be a good idea to have a quick look back at the good, the bad, and the ugly in 2011... Hopefully I have learnt from last year and make 2012 a better year...

Total Mileage for 2011: 878.7km

This include the 2 marathons and races of various distances... If I can stay injury free this year, I am pretty confident that I can break the 1,000km mark this year...

Weight Loss: 5kg

I was 75kg in the beginning of 2011. Yesterday, I weigh in at 70kg... Now you may say all those running to only lose 5kg is not a lot... I agree... I guess I could have lose more weight by controlling my diet if I wanted to, but, no way man, I am still gonna eat what I like and hopefully all those running will help keep the unwanted stuff off my system... It will be good if I can maintain or lose a bit more weight so that the stress on my knees can be reduced...

My shoes:

Extensive wear on the heel and also mid sole...

My first pair of "serious" running shoe, the New Balance MR1064, currently in retirement... This was recommended to me as a beginner's shoes as it provides good cushion for my feet. I have clocked around 300km to 350km with this pair of shoe... I should have got more mileage from it but my heel striking running style caused it to wear off faster than normal... Hence I have the excuse am required to get a new pair of shoes for more running...

ASICS Gel Nimbus 12

And then came ASICS Gel Nimbus 12... I got this pair just before the Geelong Half Marathon. I also completed the Great Ocean Road Marathon with them... I have clocked between 250km and 300km in them. They continue to be my training shoes and with my improved running form, I believe I can still squeeze at least another 200km from the Nimbus 12... As they are my training shoes, I wanted needed to get a pair of lightweight shoes for the Gold Coast Marathon... As my brother has been running for a while and know more about shoes, I entrusted him to find a suitable pair for me... He got me the...

New Balance MR890

New Balance MR890... in bright fluorescent yellow!!! Yah, I need all the attention I can get... Besides the colour, (according to Lena, I am wearing a pair of bananas...), this is a fantastic pair of shoes and they are my favourite... The 890 is one of the lightest shoes around and I felt very comfortable in them... I completed the Gold Coast Marathon with them, no problems... I have also clocked 250km to 300km as I have been using it for training as well as for races... A new version, 890 V2 is coming out early 2012 and I am keen to get my hands on the 890 V2 when this or my Nimbus 12 goes into retirement...

New Balance Minimus MT10

The latest addition to the family is the MT10. I got this as I wanna start exploring the world of ultra trail running and also transiting from "normal" running to barefoot running. I love this pair of shoes as it is super lightweight but yet sturdy enough to protect my feet from the harsh trails... So far, I have already clocked 86km and will be heavily relying on it for the 2012 trail runs...

My other gears:

I have also spent invested some $$$ on other gears... I did not include apparels in this list as they are pretty personal and individual... My rule of thumb: As long as it is cheap and comfortable... Here are my other gears, from head to toe...

Halo Headband Visor and Hat

My Arnette shades that went through the 2 marathons with me...

dhb Triple lens sunglasses... I used them more often now, especially with the clear lens for night runs... 

Deuter Race X 12l backpack that I use for my after work runs... 

Adidas water belt that I used in both marathons... Small pouch at the back for gels and such... 

Rely on my Garmin Forerunner 610 for all the stats...

Just a few of the other stuff that I got... 2 of my favourite brands are 2XU (compression wears) and Drymax (socks)...

Injury:

In 2011, Iliotibial band ("ITB") syndrome caused a major disruption to my training program... I spent a significant amount of time (3months) and effort (physiotherapy and acupuncture) to recover from this devil... The main cause is me myself... I had pushed too hard too fast, not realising that my body was no longer what it was 10 years ago... Big big lesson learnt... I am now taking things more easily and listening to my body more (erhmm.. my body is telling me to relax on New Year's day)... My trusty foam roller accompanied me through the darkest of time and I continue to use it to relieve my ITB, calfs, hamstrings etc... Also got myself a Foot Rubz massage ball for my feet...

my foam 30cm roller roller and massage ball...

If you are suffering from any injury, go to The Injured Runner and have a read for a initial self diagnostic and remedies... That said, I do recommend seeking professional help if possible without delay...

Proudest Moment:

There are 2 stand out moments, they are:

(i) crossing the GOR Marathon finishing line in May; and

(ii) the beginning of my Life Long Marathon in October.

As there can only be 1 winner, my 2011 proudest moment is My Lifelong Marathon!!! That said, crossing the GOR finishing line will stay in my mind for a long long time...

2012 Goals / Targets

My running targets/goals for this year:

1) Stay injury free!!!

2) Complete my first ultra trail (50km)

3) Complete a half marathon under 2 hours

4) Complete a marathon under 5 hours

Make this the year where you get out there more with your friends and families to run, swim, ride etc... I leave you with the following quote from John Bingham: "The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."