Did 11Kms - Still Okay

I sorta pushed myself too much early last week with calf raises and that had me sore for some three or four days. Yesterday I did some 11Kms with two friends.
It went okay and I am in no pain. I dont feel sore at all so this is good though we covered the distance at a jogging pace.
I will be buying a weighing scale in the next few weeks than I start watching what I eat.
Cheers.
A

Did 9Kms. Still Okay

I did 9Kms yesterday. I had done several calf raises the previous day so I am having sore calves. Still no injury thus far. I think what has helped me is that I work out at least four times every week besides my Sunday run. I shall keep at this until I can do 16Kms. Then I will consider changing my tact - either by working on distance or speed. I am likely to go the distance way though. I have also shifted work to my left leg somewhat.
This week I will go easy on my calves but do more squats and throw more kicks.
Next Sunday I will be doing 10Kms. I need to buy a scale and start cutting back on carbs and fatty food.
Cheers

Keeping Fit and Still taking it easy

Tuesday to thursday I get up at 5.15 am. My main objective for the next one or two months is to get fit, introduce my feet slowly into distance running and lose a little fat. So I stretch, warm up then throw kicks, having my hands touching my feet - right hand to left foot and vice versa until I break into sweat. Then I skip the rope for a while, do sit-ups, curls and calf raises. I am typically through by six. Once I get better, I will increase the time period then start reducing what I eat and we should be on our way to kicking ass on Oct 26th.
So I am just trying to keep my metabolic rate up for now and keeping fit and avoiding my activity level from flatlining for more than a day.
Cheers.

Did 7.5 Kms. Still Ok

I have two running partners now. One a pro and the other a beginner. Yesterday we did 7.5Kms. Hopefully we will be doing 10Kms by end of the month. Then 20 Kms by end of May then we can focus on endurance and speed in the months preceding October.
I bought a Camera and snarled at it after the run. I hope I am scary enough. Grrrrr....

Started with 4.5 Kms - I am well

I was lucky to get a beginner on Sunday who I jogged with. Because I was with him, I could not run a long distance hence he helped me avoid injury because I am a slut for distance and end up getting injuries. This year I want to increase distance gradually. He is limping in pain today but I am okay. I will cross-train during the week and do 6Kms on Sunday. I feel okay. No pain anywhere in my legs. Such a relief.
The war has begun.
A

October 26 is the date for the StanChart Marathon

Yep. Plus, our leaders have agreed so the political impasse is over. For now. I am starting training exactly on 1st March 2008 with a 5Km jog. This time I will be gradual in my approach to avoid injuries. I have 9Kgs to lose and 32 Minutes to Improve on my last time.
Wish me luck fellas.

My Injury has Fully Healed. Ready for War. But..

But my country is fucked in a very big way. I am traumatized but will probably start running next week. It's a living nightmare to be where I am at. My countrymen are killing each other, our Democracy has been fucked from every direction and most people are so mad that they are ready to kill the nearest person and are burning and looting shops, raping women and shit. I have two brothers who have had to move in with their families. Hundreds have been killed more than 500,000 are homeless. Someone was arguing that we should probably go down this road to full-scale genocide like Rwanda because once Rwandans had killed each other to near-extinction, when they got together, their economy has been growing ever since. Geometrically.

As it is right now, everyday, we are treated to arrogant talk and grandstanding by people who are part of an illegal and illegitimate regime. Everytime you try peace, you are told there is nothing to be aggrieved about and that there is no big deal about anything.
I am shocked at how fragile we are as a country and how much human beings can be shameless, dishonourable and unbeleivable. We hope we will find a way out even though everytime we try the way of peace, we are met with arrogance, offensive and provocative talk and downright stupidity and impunity.
A

No Fractures. Given Ointment to Apply for a week

I went to hospital. They did an X-Ray of my tibia. No fractures. I was given an ointment to apply for a week. And I will do exactly that and then resume training on Saturday. I have added a Kilo or so. This is my last week of rest then I resume training. Hopefully, I will be able to restrain myself to start gradually.
I would like to shed off Seven Kgs and be able to run 5Kms in under 20 mins.
That is my target for the next six months. I will also be running 24Kms (60 laps) once every three weeks or so.
Lets do it.
A

Going for Medical Attention Tomorrow

My injury persists so tomorrow I will see a doctor and get it sorted out. I shake when I imagine how I can run when I get injury-free. I have too much psyche bottled up, held at bay by some dubious, unfathomable, unassuagable, gratuitous injury that has no respect for a serious person...
Let me not get started.

Explored a Different Route

I explored a different route yesterday in a run that lasted 1hr 20 mins. What makes the route great is that it has four hilly sections and is therefore quite challenging and good for building stamina.
The problem with the route is that a large part of it has no pavement. So one is constrained for space and has to jostle for it with vehicles. That is risky and is an invitation to be run over especially considering we have maniacs behind the wheels of several vehicles in Nairobi.
So as much as I love the hills, its very unlikely that I will be using that route regularly. Instead, I will seek to lengthen my regular route.
A good thing from my run is that it made my injury worse. Worse because when I walk now, I feel some pain registering. Good because now I can easily gauge whether it is getting better or worse. Good because it will extract from me the right attention an injury deserves. If its not gone by the end of this week I may have to go and see a doctor. It is the only thing standing between me and distance.
My watch broke down so I will be shopping for one. Bloody hell.

Itching Already...

There is a 10Km (or so) track that is hilly that I am itching to explore. My injury has not healed yet but four days without running is invading my sleep with lucid dreams of running. I think I will have to run this weekend. On a new track. Distance and me will be good friends for the next several months.
The exciting thing is the peace and joy of the solitude and the releasing effect of the exertion when I am running. The passing crowds and the cold wind. And the simple but challenging task of lifting one leg and placing it in front of the other, fast. Again, and again. One gets into a machine mode, free from all the worries in the world, shedding off all the stresses, worries and excesses and leaving just the runner and the road in front of him.
Aaaah...to run is to be one with the gods.

Having Fun already...

Well, the marathon is done and I am taking a break. I realize that my writing has suffered very much.
The next thing I have to do is to develop a plan that will balance my writing and my running.
Anyways, I took the photos below at Windsor where we had a party. I am with colleagues. I am no 7.

Finally...2:02:27

I cleared the 23-24Km (according to some estimates) in 2.02 mins. We went through a long route because of confusion amongst the organizers of the race and as a result some 1.5-3 Kms were added to the distance. There were of course the elite runners who numbered around 200 and on our side of the start, there were at least 100 runners who run for a living. There were many experienced runners from over ten countries and of various sizes. I enjoyed the last 8Kms where I passed hundreds of runners. I estimate that we were 6,000 runners in the 21Kms.

At any rate, I am not too proud of my time. Mistake number one was that I forgot to carry along my watch so I had no way of timing myself and knowing when to push harder. This meant I could only use my body as a guide.

Mistake number two is that I adopted a strategy that was too conservative and I ended up completing the race with lots of energy left unused. I held myself back for too long and started too slow. So even as I was overtaking hundreds of people in the middle and end of the race and gaining a lot of satisfaction, I was still not fast enough because I was running among the slow.
I ran a very comfortable race. I never pushed myself and never put any effort except in the last 400m. I let my body pick its pace and I just let it go. I managed to be the best amongst my friends and colleagues and I passed the ones who started very fast, past the 13Km mark, so perhaps my strategy was not so bad. Everyone I passed past the 9Km mark never overtook me again as my pace picked. And I passed almost everyone I saw from the 10Km mark except one lady at the finnish.
Now, whats good is that I managed to complete the race without walking at any time. Secondly, I slashed off 32minutes from my last time. Thirdly, I learnt that I have lots of energy and now my strategy should focus on how to release it efficiently over the 21Kms.
I have already decided to slash off 40minutes from my time and enter the top 400 (I was No. 707 from No. 1369 last year). I am confident that I can do it in 12 months. I have what it takes.

Here is the game plan.

Rest for two-three weeks and let my injury heal and my body recover.

Start by running short distances daily or four times per week.

Reduce occurrence of injury by warming up for longer distances before picking up the pace.

Run 25Kms seven times next year. This is to help increase my glycogen stores so that I can confidently run w/o fear of burning out.

Strive to run 5Kms in under 20minutes and 10Kms in under 40 minutes.

Vary my running route to include Thika Road, which has hills.

Push myself as hard as hell through at least 600Kms in 12 months. But this is long term and I dont believe work gets done in the long term so I will formulate my short term strategy soon enough.
I am the proud recipient of the certificate and medal below.

Now excuse me while I enjoy my two weeks rest.

Did my Last Run 14Kms

My leg behaved quite well in my last run and I managed to pull off 14Kms before the darkness took over. I was with a slow colleague and to encourage him I ran slowly with him for 4Kms before I broke off from him. So I treated the first 4Kms as warm up. I was quite strong and my leg did not give me too much trouble yesterday. I finnished by backpedaling for 800m and worked on my crunches and arms. Yesterday the trainers I bought two weeks ago did not feel tight so I think that was also good: I "broke" into my trainers.
I think yesterday's session also marked a turning point for me because it showed me I should increase my warm-up distance. I warmed up for 4Kms because of the injury I had yet Paul Tergat routinely warms up for 4-7Kms during his runs.
During Last years Nairobi Marathon, I saw the Kalenjins (thats how we call people from the rift valley who are the gods of long distance running) warm up to a sweat and I was shocked because I was saving the little energy I had yet, to me, they were literally burning it away before the race! When the bell rang, they sprinted from the starting point and I never saw them again. Next year I hope I will have reached that level of fitness - enough to know my glycogen stores wont be depleted by a warm-up of a few Kilometers.
Anyways, my leg is better. And I will be giving it a regimen of massage and bandaging for the next three days and I am confident that by Sunday, I will be ready to do war. My knees are weak but I am strong and will be stronger in three days. I will probably tie some band around my knees on D-day to give it support. I am ready for war fellaz. I am looking at 1hr 40 mins thereabouts. I will run the bloody guts out of me if it kills me. So goddamn help me God.
Did I say God? I shouldnt have.

Took Stairs (20 floors) preparing for last run

My leg has improved. I worked on my lower abs in the morning and took the stairs to 20th floor (my office) - instead of the lift.
Today I intend to take my last run. I am hoping I will get some 1hr 20 minutes and do at least 14Kms. That would be great.
Then I will devote the next 3 days to stretching (to ensure I will get a full range of motion on dday) and massaging my injured leg.
You better wish me luck fellaz because I have a war coming up ahead.
Regards,
Jacob

Walked 9Kms. Still taking it easy

I walked some 9Kms yesterday, including walking home some 7Kms. The leg is much better than last week. I massaged it using Deep Heat and bandaged it to keep down the inflammation. As far as I can see, its not so bad even though there is some pain.
The lesson I learnt from last week is to keep away from hard surfaces unless I have some cushion, like shoes, or a carpet.
Tomorrow, I would like to run some 10Kms on the grass at a relatively slow speed then rest and wait for DDay. With a three-day massage-and-bandage regimen, I should be fine by Sunday.
One thing I realized from my run on Sunday is that when you are fit, you are fit. Nobody can take that away from you. Because even though I was nursing an injury, several runners came and ran and left exhausted while I ran on.
Lets hope I can get some 90 minutes on the grass tomorrow...
Cheers

Did 12Kms. I think I will make it

I walked for two Kms then jogged for 12Kms on the grass. It went pretty well and did not turn out to be as bad as I expected. It was easy but my legs did not feel that strong. I am considering doing another 10-12Kms on Wednesday then resting for three days. I think the moral of the story may be that an injury is as bad as how you take it. At any rate, I will be massaging the leg and bandaging it to keep off inflammation.
Lets see how it goes. Wish me luck.

Damn...

I gave my feet a rest period for the last seven days. I have however been cross-training; squats, crunches, press-ups, and so on. Yesterday, I did jump on the spot and ran around in my room a little.
I am sad to report that the pain and the injury persist to date. I will go to the field today and run slowly and see how it goes but as I type this, doubts have started creeping regarding whether or not I will participate in the Nairobi Marathon in seven days. It saddens me but I am not too worried since this was not about an event. I want to maintain a certain weight and a certain physical condition. This is a lifestyle even though I use events as markers and motivators. I want to be an athlete and even if I dont run on Sunday, I will simply set a new target for my athletic accomplishments. I am thinking of aiming to clear the next year's half marathon in 1hr 20 mins. So far, I have managed 1hr 43 minutes[with injuries and shit] this year but I think I can manage 1hr 20 minutes.
The good thing about this injury is that it will give me a reason to lazy around for a couple of weeks - say three weeks and I will look forward to running in the absence of pain and starting from scratch again, with renewed passion, plenty of experience and a better conditioned body.
I wanted to run for the next four days then rest from Thursday to Saturday. If todays trial proves that the injury is still here, I will stop all running and jumping activities and will spend the next six days stretching, doing crunches, calf raises, press-ups, massaging and bandaging my feet (to keep off any inflammation) and walking. Then perhaps, by Saturday, I will have healed. If so, I will still run.
Damn.

Walked Home

Yesterday I decided to forfeit the matatu's and walk home instead. Seven Kilometers. It took me 1.5 hours. My legs are better. Today I worked out in the morning for 40 minutes. Squats, preacher curls, calf raises and crunches.
I still pain in my right leg when I am going down the stairs but I am thinking of taking a slow jog in the morning tomorrow and see how it goes.
Because I was not wearing skin-tights, my pants did a number between my legs with the help of my trousers. It was dusty and the excercise was made a mess by hasty drivers who drove on the pedestrian's lane. I should probably walk some ten kilometers next weekend if my leg will still not have healed.
Tomorrow I am traveling again. The whole day. By road.
A

Taking it easy and preparing to taper off

Yesterday I relaxed. Today I am contemplating taking an 8Km walk to help my injury heal and somehow introduce my legs to excercise smoothly.
If I get better, I will probably run for four days next week then wait for the big day - three days of rest. I will keep you updated. Meanwhile, my right leg is speaking in tongues and its telling me who the F do I think I am to push her like that. And I am saying, "I am sorry but I need you mate. Dont die on me now..." And the dialogue continues.

21Kms - My Energy is Back Plus an Injury

I did 21Kms yesterday. 1hr 43minutes. I was strong and could have gone further but it was dark. I cleared the first 12Kms in under 1 hour; approx 58minutes.
I seem to have developed an injury in my right leg. Its not so bad. I cant massage it because it appears to be somewhere deep in the bones/nerves. I may walk some eight Kms tomorrow and review how I am doing by Tuesday.
Otherwise, I am on course. In my view the 1hr 30 minutes target is still in my sights and is achievable in two weeks.
Cheers.

10Kms on Tuesday and 5Kms yesterday

I am getting very busy at work. Anyways, as above. I am on a break today and will be doing 21Kms tomorrow. I have a nagging pain on my left foot - similar to a splintered shin but not standing in the way of my running. But pain nonetheless.
I did the 10Kms in 50mins. My energy is coming baaack! I peaked at around the 8Kms mark.
I am in love. I got a pair of asic trainers that are great!
Two weeks to go!

9Kms on the Road

This morning. At dawn. 9Kms. 45 Minutes. My energy is gone because I had to strain. It was not an easy run. I feel pretty banged up right now but its a familiar feeling.
I will probably take a break.

Did 12Kms On Saturday

I did 12Kms yesterday in 1 hr flat. I did it on the track. Each 400m lap took between 1min 40 secs and 2 mins. Most of the pressure was on my knees. I did not feel particularly strong but I was consistent throughout the 30 laps.
That makes the number of Kms I have covered last week - 50Kms. 21 on grass and 21 on the track and 9 on the tarmac.
Not bad. I will give my knees today and tomorrow a break and Tuesday I will be back with a bang of sorts. I intend to run on Tuesday and Thursday then do 21Kms on Saturday or Sunday. That will leave me with one week to taper off to the marathon. I want to see if I can achieve 1min 45 seconds per lap for 12Kms.
So far so good.

Back Home - 9Kms on the Road

It was great to be up at 5am on the road. The air was crisp and fresh as an apple.
As I warmed up in the first kilometer, I savored the feeling of solitude, the peace, the stable feel of the tarmac under my feet and the low traffic - both human and vehicular. No smoke, no dust. Just fresh air and a few early morning people and street lights.
It felt like I was back home after a long time. Recall that I have been running on the track for the past two months. It afforded me an opportunity to compare the two locations

Running on track has the following advantages:
1. You can run on the grass (the inner track) - this was the greatest advantage I got from this since it enabled me to recover from my splintered shins injury. The grass reduces the impact the legs suffer when running on a hard surface.
2. You can measure your progress (speed) more accurately since a lap is 400m.
3. There is company - mostly overweight people plodding along slowly so it makes you feel good about yourself. Plus you meet better people than yourself and you realize how slow you are so you cannot get smug or complacent.
4. There is daylight so the risk of incurring an injury becuse you dived into a manhole or pothole is eliminated.
5. The field affords you a chance to do other excercises like backpedaling, pressups, chinups (on the goalposts) and so on, which are not possible on the road.
6. You can organize to place water at strategic positions so you can do long runs without worrying about water supply.

Disadvantages of running on the Track.
1. Its a flat surface so if you find yourself on a hill, you may find the exertion excessive.
2. I think the bends slow you down. I have never proven it - just a thought.
3. It is found to be boring by some - like when you are doing 50 laps (close to two hours for amateurs like myself) seeing the same scenery can be boring. I didnt find it boring; I love running too much. Its just something I hear some people say. They should probably try treadmills to get the true meaning of "boring".

Advantages of running on the Road.
1. The grip of the tarmac is ecstatic.
2. The changing scenery makes the run a different experience at each distance.
3. The electricity poles, shops, buildings and petrol stations that flash past are a great motivator because they remind you that you are covering ground.
4. Its a new experience each time.
5. Its great when you are strong. I remind myself to Just keep going after I have reached the turning points.
6. There will be hills so you learn to deal with uneven surfaces and inclines.


Disadvantages
1. The hard surface is not good for your joints or muscles. Ask me. I know.
2. If you are running at dawn, you better be having streetlights because you may end up stepping in a pothole and getting injured.
3. Know your neighbourhood. Although its rare, some muggers target overweight people whom they relieve of their nice running shoes. Overweight people are typically affluent so are likely to be sporting some great runners (as Americans call runnung shoes).

Anyways, I did 9Kms in 45 minutes. There is pain in my feet and joints but I am not too worried since they are not shin splints. I was strong all the way. I need to look for New Edition's song Oh yeah - It Feels So good to Be Back.
Cheers.

Did 8Kms. Banged up and Gaining Weight?

Yep. I did 8Kms in 40mins. Darkness crept in so fast and I had to stop. I was shocked to find that I had gained 3Kgs! Yet I have spent the last few weeks taking my clothes to the tailor (trousers mostly) to reduce the waist from 37 to 36 and now from 36 to 35 so that they can fit. In the mirror, my abs are popping out and on the field, I am much faster. I can now run 13Kms in 1 hour. How come I am heavier? Is that bone density going up?
Anyways, I felt pretty banged up after the run. I dont know whats up with my body but its not getting any respite in the next 20days. I will push it then rest for five days to the big day. I cannot entertain the luxury of taking a break now so it will just have to get used to getting banged up. I just want to ensure I avoid an injury.
Fuck the weight gain. The scale was probably faulty. I am faster (but not stronger) and my abs have popped out. And I have a goal to attain: 21Kms in 1.5 hours. It breaks down to 7Kms in 30 minutes. I managed 7Kms in 32 minutes on Sunday. Yesterday I was taking it easy. It was actually supposed to be a slow recovery run. But I see every time I am on the field as an opportunity! So I pushed on. I feel banged up right now. Damn.

Did 21Kms

I managed 21Kms in 1hr 45mins yesterday. I felt pretty banged up after the run but it was a good run. My pace was fairly fast and I managed the first 7Kms in 31minutes so I am close to my target of 7Kms in 30 mins.
My lower leg injuries are gone and I am pretty strong though I got tired and really slowed down after 14Kms. I need to look into that.
I want to focus on increasing my speed these next two weeks and on being stronger. So weight training will come in.
Lets see how it goes. I should be going for some 12Kms Tomorrow. Today I am off. I am so hungry and I am afraid I may be transforming to a glutton. I just ordered two chapatis, an egg and a maize cob.
Now, excuse me while I eat.

Still On a Break

I am in Mombasa. I have been working out in my hotel room in the mornings. Squats, abs, calf-raises, pressups and kicks. I will be running on Sunday and will let you know how it goes.
Its a humid place here (its next to Indian Ocean) so I work out just in my pants and sweat pours pretty freely. What I am doing is giving my legs a chance to heal as I keep them away from the pounding that comes with running. I am also filling my glycogen stores which I will empty on Sunday. I am looking forward to Sunday because each passing day I feel like I am adding weight!
Cheers fellaz.
A

Did 13Kms in 1hr 2 mins - Taking a Break from the road/track

I struggled with some strange injury in my foot which I shook off during the first kilometer on Saturday. I then ran 13Kms. What was encouraging was that I ran the last two Kms in under eight minutes. I may be traveling this week and have decided to use it as a break and work on stretching my thigh muscles and strengthening my quads and hamstrings and calves. I also want to watch my diet, which I blew yesterday.
My plan is to work on kicks (which seem to target the same muscles that work when am running), squats (if my knees co-operate), jumps for my calves, and abdominals. If I travel, I will be visiting a humid town and I will work hard to cut some weight. The good thing is that I will be able to push my workout period to one hour instead of 45minutes. If things go well, I should do some 23 Kms on 30th or 1st September. That will leave me with one more long run before my marathon.
Cheers.

Did 12Kms. Still Going Strong

I managed 12Kms yesterday in 58 mins. This is an improvement. With this increase in speed though, my legs seem to suffer. I backpedaled for 800 meters and the shin splints still seem to be at bay. I am definitely stronger and faster and I am able to keep at a certain speed for longer.
I will try my best and have a recovery run on saturday (tomorrow). Even though every time I go to run, I feel like its an opportunity I should not squander jogging slowly. But I think I need the recovery run.
Cheers. I will try and slow down next week so that I can go for a 24Km run on 29th or 30th.
I need to weigh myself. I have cut out sugars in the morning and reduced carbs during lunch whilst increasing protein and vitamin intake to help my wounds heal and my muscles develop. Lets see how it goes. I want to be strong, lean and fast. Resistance training, diet and speed.
Cheers.