Positivity Friday : The rise of half marathon and How to Foam Roll

 This month's edition of Runner's World had a special feature on the Half Marathon and I thought it would be great to share it as my Positivity Friday post. Apparently half marathon became a popular trend from 2009 onwards with 65% people in the USA who made their running debut in the category. I personally started in 2010 after catching the running bug and signed up for my first half marathon as a motivation.I have loved it ever since with the hope of achieving a sub 2 half marathon in the near future. So far I have only ran 3 half marathon and 1 10k races and I am looking forward to do 2 more half marathons before the year ends. There are so many great races across USA that I could be keen to do. I shall reconsider it next April if my financial situation allows me to hop onto a plane to do a running trip. That would be absolutely fantastic.

If you run often, one of your BFF would be the foam roller or the stick and this is one loyal friend who will always be there to hear you moan about all the soreness after the hard work. I try to foam roll after each run and I have found a good foam rolling guide. I have done almost everything in the guide except rolling my chest.

As with all my other Positivity Friday posts, I will like to share with you all my favourite photos and quotes I have found this week.

Source: inspiringchickpic.tumblr.com via Konstantin on Pinterest

Source: fitblackwomen.tumblr.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

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Grass fed beef patty sliders with Havarti, Portobello and rocket

I found some slider buns at my quick stop at Nosh to get milk and bread and I can't resist them. Pasta dinner can wait. It's sliders for dinner. Also bought some lean beef mince for making the patties. I love homemade patties. It's so simple and taste so much better than the stuff you get from the supermarket which I suspect is made out of cardboard.

 You might think that I was munching on these crackers while preparing my dinner. Yes I did. I also use them as a substitute for breadcrumb as I didn't have any at home. I actually don't buy breadcrumbs. I found this opened pack of italian rosemary flavored crackers in the cupboard. Perfecto! I crushed these crackers in a ziplock bag using a mortar so it's really quick and simple.

Chopped some spanish onions, cracked 2 eggs and add the crushed crackers into the mince. Add a little salt & pepper and chilli flakes for added flavour. I rolled the mince into a small ball and pressed it with a spoon and fry them for about 2 minutes each side. While  meat were resting, I sliced some havarti cheese on top to melt it. Lastly, I assembled the slider buns with patty, havarti, portobello, rocket fuel sauce and rocket leaves , secure it with a toothpick and put it back on the frying pan to give a nice crunch the bottom of the buns.

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Week 5 on FRST program and Sunday brunch at Selera Newmarket

This is going to be a long post. If you don't really want to read about how I haul my ass through 18km of sweatiness, you still have a chance to stop reading now. If not, I hope you will enjoy my random rambling of what I do on a Sunday morning.

I am into my fifth week on the FRST 3+2 program and this week's long run is 18km!! I have never managed to convince myself to get out of bed on a chilly morning and run alone for 2 hour and 23minutes!! This is a new first for me and I am glad I did it although I am not entirely sure how I talked myself into it. How was it? Great. I had the biggest smile on my face running and singing as I pound the pavement and run up some hills. Must be something in the water or maybe I'm just a nutter. I felt light on my feet and not huffing and puffing when I run uphill which is great. I also notice that my knees haven't been throwing tantrums from the higher mileage I am running now.

I am enjoying my training and and feeling really fit now. My Runmeter tells me that my average pace was 7:52 but I felt faster than that. I need to buy a Garmin as soon as I can afford it as I am getting fed up with Runmeter's randomness!

What made my run really pleasant was my cheap handheld water bottle. I have had it for ages but never used it because I wasn't sure if I like holding onto something when I run. I must it didn't bother me at all and I would rather hold a bottle than wearing as a belt. I have used a Camelbak before and hated it because it was so warm and heavy on my back but I had to so that I can stay hydrated. I was planning on getting the Lululemon +Amphipod bottle but now I not so sure if I really need it any more. This one is cheap and if I lose it I am not really bothered because it only cost me $3. I think it's only 300ml but I got a refill at the park's water fountain so it's all good. I think I will bring this with me for a race so I don't have to stop at as many water stops.

I got this Rucanor drinking bottle via Wiggle and it's awesome. Easy to drink and doesn't leak! 

He didn't look too happy that I woke him up from his Sunday morning slumber. 

 When I came home after being on the road for close to 2 hour 30 minutes I was exhausted. I don't know how I coaxed myself into running alone for such a long time. Maybe I already have the mental potential to run a marathon, just need to work on my fitness. Overall, I feel strong and not running out of breath which is really encouraging. My lower back was a little sore when I got home but legs were not too bad. I also drank lots of Nuun diluted in water to rehydrate. I ate some toasts with orange juice although I wasn't hungry but I was craving badly for salty food so I went to Selera in Newmarket to have my sinful Char Koay Teow ( Stir-fried rice noodles). It's got loads of carbs, some protein, salt and some fibre. Balanced meal ! 

My running motivation: A big plate of Char Koay Teow from Selera Newmarket as refuel.

Lunch was followed by a trip to Queenie's Lunchroom in Freeman's Bay. The coffee was really good and they have lots of magazines to read.

Tamarillo tart from Queenie's Lunchroom 

I was really exhausted after the run and I just want to go home after all the food. I had a little nap too because I was spent. Other than the fatigue and sore lower back I was doing quite well. Last year when I was training for my half marathon I had so many injuries that stopped me from training properly and the longest run I did was only a mere 10km and it got me really nervous. I just hope I will be able to keep training for the next 11 weeks and enjoy the results of my hardwork. Maybe not a sub 2 half marathon but shaving off  10 minutes of my previous race would be really sweet. I am enjoying my training this year way more than last year because I am feeling great and I understand the purpose of each run and the benefits. Knowing why you are doing something really puts a perspective into one's training. It keeps you motivated and focused.

If you are also training on the FRST aka Run Less Run Faster, please let me know how you are going with your training.

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Update on my 4th week on 3+2 FRST running program

Let's talk about running.

I am into my fourth week following the Half Marathon training program from Run Less Run Faster aka FRST 3+2. The program advocates 3 keys runs a week complemented by 2 cross-training sessions to increase your cardiovascular fitness without the extra strain on your legs to prevent injuries and overuse. My aim is to someday achieve my goal of a sub 2hr half marathon. To do this, I have to be fitter and faster through a more structured training program and not just go out and run like a monkey. Ok, more of like a turtle because I am slow and steady :P

So how do I feel? Am I faster? I don't feel like I am faster yet but I do feel stronger and that I can push myself a little more. There are times when I fun a 4" per km for a short stretch of my run and that is an improvement. What I need to improve on is to be able to run a consistent pace because I suck at it. I will go all out for 5 minutes and bong the next 10 minutes and it's not good. I need to pace myself out better. I know that a lot of seasoned runners are very good at it even without using a Garmin, they have a feel for it. I have to start to learn how to feel for it until I get a Garmin. I am still all broke after replacing my car and multiple stops at Lululemon.

Here is a peep of the running program:

Basically Key Run #1 are track repeats, Key Run #2 are Tempo runs and Key Run#3 are your good old weekend Long Run which is also the most important of the three runs. My calves were really sore after a sports massage last week and I skipped Key Run #1. The book also emphasized that it's ok to miss a run or even a week's worth of running and not to worry about replacing it but if you have to miss more than a week's worth of running, you may have to revise your goal time.

The key is to stay healthy by not over-training. In the past, I would have tried to make up for the lost run but I took the advise and just twice last week but complemented it with a gentle spin on the stationary bike.

 I love my Saucony Fastwitch 5 to bits. I am going to get another pair but not in the same colour because I can't find it anymore. I did my long run in Cornwall Park which is really wonderful family park to run in especially on a Sunday morning when I feel I have the track to myself.

After lunch, I went to the local store to window shop for shoes. I was keen on trying the Kinvara 3 but they don't have it yet so I've tried the Kinvara 2 just to get a feel of the shoe. I like how light the shoes are but they are only available in pink!! Nope, I'll just wait for the Kinvara 3. I have also spotted the Brooks Pureflow and Pureconnect. I like the Pureconnect but it's a very minimalist shoe and needs a little bit of getting used to before I can imagine running in them. The Brooks Pureflow looks a little more solid and supporting but it looks very geeky. Sorry, I can't get past the looks of running shoes look sometimes unless they make me fly through a race and get a sub 2 half marathon.

This is the only time I have walked out of the store without buying any running shoes. The sales assistant looked a little pissed off with me when I told him that I will come back another day. In the past I feel that it is fair to pay a little extra for the service at a brick and mortar store versus buying it from a faceless website overseas but I don't think I will feel the same next time. Personally, I find that buying a pair of running shoes needs more consideration than other shoes because if you pick the wrong pair, you may end up with an injury that may force you out of training for a while.Anyway, I went over to Burger Fuel to have a treat of spud fries with aioli...so good!!

What is your favourite running shoes?

Do you prefer buying your running shoes online or from a store?

Do you like your fries with ketchup / aioli/ mayo?

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