August 20th, 2010
Olomouc Half-Marathon, Jana Petricova and Darren Douglas Lee
Recently I ran in the Olomouc Half-Marathon in the Czech Republic with the wonderful Jana (see the cute blonde on the left). It was her first “half” so I made a training event out of it. I’m going to make a point of running more events with friends of various running levels, it reminds me to have fun. We still make reference to the dreaded “BFA” that passed us at the end of the race.
In running an event for “fun” I can look at Olomouc objectively and see that no matter how well panned events are there’s always the potential for a “gong show” ending. Imagine training for months, perhaps even years. All of your effort is focused on a single event, it’s your life. Many, many people and factors are involved including the all mighty dollar. The big day arrives, an hour of running later, it’s all over. Crossing the finish line with a fantastic sense of accomplishment, it appears you’ve won the race. For Stephen Kibet and Stephen Tum, both of Kenya, heartache followed shortly after as they were disqualified. They had followed a media truck off of the course in the middle of the race resulting in a disqualification. If ever there was a time to hate the media this is it.
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Tags: Edmonton, Event Organization, Loop the Lake, Running Goals, The Czech Republic
Posted in Calgary, Canadian Derby Edmonton Marathon, Edmonton, Loop the Lake, Running Locations | No Comments »
July 27th, 2010
Trail running at elevation.
At the top end of the competitive world of distance running even the smallest advantage becomes significant. Living and training at altitude is a popular way to achieve an advantage over those at sea level due to the changes in the body from the reduction in available oxygen in the air. I’m not an elite runner nor do I live at altitude so why should I care? I think it’s a fascination I’ve developed through running of the metamorphosis that takes place as you make your way through the training process.
The only way the body can deliver internally the required amount of oxygen to the rest of the body is to provide more vehicles. Think of the red blood cells as the pride of any middle aged balding man who seem to love red sports cars. The more you have the sexier and more fit you must be – right? The blood cells are the vehicles the body uses in the circulation system. In the thin air above 5000 feet/ 1500 meters the body is forced to adapt resulting in a higher red blood cell count. Unfortunately the adaptation doesn’t include new hair growth.
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Tags: kenya, running biology
Posted in Running Facts, Training | 2 Comments »
July 24th, 2010
I thought I lost it but it’s back, just a little taste but enough to leave me reflecting on past running joys and longing for more. It sounds like the words of an addict, some would argue they’re in the same league, I’m referring to a runner’s high, the chemical reaction that happens in the brain.
It’s a rare euphoria that happens on or shortly after a run. It’s a mystery to me but when it consumes me I’m on top of the world. I suspect it’s the result of endorphins released by the brain to combat fatigue or pain. A survival mechanism with a primitive past. Something to keep us going when other parts of the brain insist on stopping. Personally it’s an Utopian state that I’m thankful every time it happens.
Research has recently confirmed as reported in the New York Times that endorphins are responsible for the elevated state. The problem was that it would take a spinal tap (something I’ve experienced at a personal level, not fun) to confirm this theory. A test requirement that’s both expensive and not something that most research subjects are willing to volunteer for. The process can be painful and time consuming as it makes the subject immobile for upwards of 24 hours. Recent advances in neuroscience using PET scans combined with recently available chemicals have reveled that the endorphin theory is in fact true. Running long distances results in our system being flooded with endorphins resulting in mood changes, an altered state of euphoria that brings out the addict in the best of us.
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Tags: Doctors, meditation, Why I Run?
Posted in Why I Run? | No Comments »
July 14th, 2010
Tinea Versicolor example on chest
A typical run in Taipei starts at 5am for me. The sun is rising and its already 30C on it’s way to 36C. As consistent as the sunrise and the temperature, the amount of sweating has become a part of the training process. It turns out that hot and humid sweat are also a ripe environment for anything living, including little creatures on my back.
Within 5 minutes I’m soaked. Stopping for a quick break or stretching at the end of a run results in a puddle around my feet. I’ve never lost weight through sweat at this rate before. The basic breakdown is 2kg per hour of running as a maximum before dehydration and heat stroke become a potential issue, I consistently loose upwards of 4kg.
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Tags: Doctors, Moving to Taipei
Posted in Long Run, Taipei, Training | 2 Comments »
July 12th, 2010
Taipei, Taiwan 101 building and city scape.
I’m back in Taipei after a few months in The Czech Republic. The next month of training will be in preparation for a series of three races in Canada – Loop the Lake (Half Marathon, August 7, 2010), Canadian Derby Edmonton (Half Marathon, August 22, 2010) and the Toronto Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon (September 26, 2010).
The Czech portion of my training focused on strength. Running the Silva Nortica cross country marathon in June involved hills and the need for endurance. I enjoyed being in the woods, the uneven terrain and solitude reminded me of Canada. My heart would go through the cycle of jumping out of my chest and recovering as I made my way up and down the trails. Gasping for breath brought back fond memories of the trails on The Sunshine Coast just north of Vancouver.
Advanced Marathoning by Pete Pfitzinger and Scott Douglas
The Canadian races will be an attempt at increasing my speed. Loop the Lake is a training event where I’ll monitor my fitness level. A 5 min/km pace will test how well I can maintain the pace over the duration of the race. Based on the results, the Edmonton race will be an incorporation of the feedback and an effort to set a new personal record (PR) at the half marathon distance. 1:49:29 is the PR time to beat. At 5km/min, 1:45:00 could be the next race duration I’ll fixated on for my number days. Both races will ultamatly lead to the goal of a strong finish at the Toronto Marathon a month later. Running a sub 4 hour marathon remains as my main focus.
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Tags: Moving to Taipei, Running Goals, Tempo Run
Posted in 10km, Intervals, Tempo Runs, Training | 4 Comments »
