2012 KRRA Half Marathon

My first half marathon in almost TWO YEARS…

Start Line – 2012 KRRA Half Marathon

I told myself about a month ago, that I would start running again. I didn’t run a single race the whole of 2011. And so I signed up for the KRRA Half Marathon with only 4 weeks to really train. The last time I ran this race was 2 years ago in 2010, where I finished DEAD LAST (yup, DEAD LAST). The last half marathon I ran is actually the one in Lake Placid, also 2 years ago, which I must say was one of my most enjoyable runs/vacations I have ever had! So how did this run go?

First off, just like my previous KRRA half marathon, I didn’t have much time to train. But I have been running short distances as often as I can (usually 5km 1-2 times a week). And so my “readiness” to run a half marathon was pretty much the same as 2010. I have run a few half marathons before (although several years ago). But was I setting myself up for another last place finish?

Out of sheer paranoia, I checked the results from 2011. And I was relieved to find that there were a couple of runners above the 3-hour mark last year. So I’m thinking if those guys ran again this year, I might not be last this year. Perhaps that was wishful thinking.

So I took precautions (having learned a lot from my 2010 experience):

Running again

I was looking through my old blog entries and came across my experience running the KRRA Half Marathon in 2010. And I realized that I didn’t run any half marathons the whole of last year (2011). So I thought to myself, I should really run AT LEAST 2 half marathons each year. And it doesn’t have to break the bank. The KRRA Half Marathon in is Kingston every April, and the Brockville Half Marathon, held in September, is only an hour’s drive away.

So anyway, that’s my new resolution moving forward. I’ve just registered for the KRRA Half Marathon, which will be on April 29, 2012. That gives me about a month to train. Just like 2010, I’ve only been running short distances these past months (about 5km or so). So I should have time to run longer distances in preparation (maybe get a couple 10-km and 15-km runs in). And also, I should stick to my old running shoes for this run (although some new ones are probably due). Another positive note, last year’s run saw a few slower runners. So if the participants this year are like last year, I shouldn’t be dead last again… hopefully.

Also, I will most likely try to run the half marathon portion of the Ottawa Marathon, which is scheduled for May 27. I don’t think I’ll be able to make the Brockville Half Marathon this September, because I would have just gotten back from Malaysia, and will probably be busy getting everything (kids and all) ready for the new school year. Incidentally, I’ve never actually run the Brockville Half Marathon, because in the past, it coincides with the fasting month of Ramadhan. I will definitely try for next year. But for this year, I should still aim for another race in the Fall, maybe in late September or early October, before it gets cold.

I’ll be sure to blog about the races I run.

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012

It’s been a crazy 2011. As you can tell, I haven’t blogged much about it. Too busy, I guess… or no motivation. I didn’t put together a dashboard for 2011 either, like I did for 2010 and 2009. Tsk, tsk…

Anyway, to start off the year, I’ve compiled my goals for 2012, and put them up on a new dashboard for 2012. Check them out at http://www.azroykandan.com. If you’re too lazy to click on the link, here are the goals for 2012:

• Memorize 12 surah
• Read translation of Al-Baqarah
• Run 1000 km
• Run a marathon (or 2 half-marathons)
• Lose 25 lbs (currently at 201 lbs)
• Post 12 articles to gokun2.blogspot.com
• Post 12 articles to gokun2.wordpress.com
• Post 12 videos to youtube.com/melur02
• Win all 4 KCC chess tournaments (I won 3 in 2011)
• Get Arman’s CMA rating to 1300 (currently at 1027)

Wish me luck!

Lake Placid Half Marathon 2010

2010 Lake Placid Half Marathon

Hard to believe, it’s been a little over 2 weeks since I was in Lake Placid running a half marathon. I had an excellent time there with the family. My wife blogged about it, and my children have an episode about it on the Melur and Arman Show. All-in-all, it was an excellent family vacation. But at the request of my wife, I’ll take this opportunity to blog about my actual running experience at Lake Placid.

Unlike my last run only 7 weeks prior, I did spend a little more time training for this run. I didn’t train as much as my previous half marathon last year in Vancouver where I finished in under 2:10. But I was expecting to finish way better than my dismal 2:30 last place finish at the KRRA Half Marathon. I was confident, and excited. I was spending money to come here after all, and I need to make the trip worth while.

Dead Last – KRRA Half Marathon

Me in front of City Hall where the race is about to start

You heard it right! I was DEAD LAST in Sunday’s Kingston Road Runner’s Association (KRRA) Half Marathon. Don’t believe me? You can CLICK HERE. I finished in 224th place, in 2:35:50. Right after I passed the finish line, I overheard the words “Okay, we can pack up now”! So here’s how it went down:

First off, I have to say I was not prepared for this race. And even though I’d run 2 half marathons before, experience is no substitute for preparedness (or is it “preparation”?). I didn’t even have proper running shoes, so I got new ones just the day before. And if you’ve read any literature on running long distance, you need at least 2 weeks to break-in your new shoes before using them in a race. But my old ones were really in no shape for a race (but in retrospect, they might have been better).

Back on the Saddle Again

Well, it’s the New Year (It is in Malaysia anyway. We’re a few hours behind), and a full 5 months since we moved to Kingston, Ontario. And during that time, I hardly exercised. Gone are the days of me running in the Vancouver sun (or rain). I hardly have the time to go to the gym. And running in the cold winter air is just not my cup of tea (though we see many running outside in the snow nonetheless).

But that’s all changing. Just last month, my wife got me a new treadmill for my birthday. I’ve started running a little when I can. And for Boxing Day, I got myself a weight bench and a set of dumbbells from Wal-Mart. Well, the weight bench is still sitting in the basement, unassembled, but I’ll get to it.

Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon 2009

My wife and I at the Starting Line

I surprised myself this year. Last year, I ran the Scotiabank Vancouver half marathon in 2:28:42 (2:23:41 Chip Time) – a respectable time, I think. Granted, my training kind of tapered off the months leading toward the race, and I relied mainly on my stamina from cycling 10 km to and from work everyday. And I also have to say; my fear of failing that day spurred my focus, which enabled me to finish. It was truly a trying but rewarding experience. I think I made it more on sheer will power than anything else, and I ended up paying for it with tensed leg and neck muscles, which later brought on severe neck stiffness and pain. Two months later, I finally saw a chiropractor, which helped relieve my neck pains (yup, I was walking around with a painfully stiff neck for 2 months before seeing a chiropractor).

Anyway, long story short, given the effort I put in the last time, I was fully expecting to finish at around the same time. When I told my chiropractor that I finished a recent 10 km race in 58 minutes, she told he I’d finish in under 2:10 easy. I was like, “Nah!” But the pressure was on. Some things were working for me though. I was training more regularly (thanks Ayu, for spurring me on). Ayu and I took weekly long runs together, up to 8 miles. And though our pace was slow, we were consistent. Also, I know what to watch out for when it comes to my neck.