Ennui

The Putrajaya Night Race is just 2 weeks away. I still can't get my acts together. Motivation hitting the trough. Low in mood and energy.

Discipline

Sometimes, I wonder if I have got what it takes to run 10km every morning.

Sometimes, I wonder if I can do all the crazy runs that I hope to do before it is too late.

Sometimes, I wonder if it is at all possible for me to complete 10km below 40 minutes.

Sometimes, all I need is discipline.

Mental Fatigue

This week has been disastrous for me in terms of performance. I have been unmotivated, sensitive to aches and tiredness.

Mental fatigue sets in.

Apparently, running volume is the key to endurance performance.

Limits of Endurance

I came across some interesting ideas that could aid an amateur marathoner.

Maximal oxygen uptake or VO2max
This value is determined genetically and determines the limit of oxygen burn rate for a person.

Lactate Threshold
The more accurate metric that determines athletic performance. It measures how close a person gets to his VO2max for a particular activity and it can be improved through training.

Lastly, an interesting discussion on how to train for a marathon.

Training as usual

Since the Angkor Wat 10km run, I have been training at the municipal stadium weekly.

I have been thinking of doing one adventure run - perhaps an ultra-marathon - somewhere crazy. Alternatively, I could train to bring my 10km time sub-40 minutes and just concentrate on that for the next year.

My next adventure run would most probably be the Nepal Half Marathon or the Dubai Marathon.

Angkor Wat 10km Run @ 47:53

I couldn't believe my time!

This is the most fascinating run I have had so far!

Run #10: Monsoon Run

Subang Jaya Municipal Stadium. Dark, cloudy skies. 7am. 8km.

I ran.

I ran because I haven't done so for 2 weeks and I felt suffocated.

For the past week, amidst the haste of workaday life, I imagined myself of running carefree through majestic backdrops: running through the Yosemite valley, the mountainous plains of Colorado, through the lonely village roads in the Japanese mountains...

Perhaps, I just felt like fleeing from the drudgery of working for my pain quotidian.