The reason why I center my commitments first from the internal self is because I believe when the self is “calibrated properly”, the other things in life will also fall in place. My 1st C is Commitment for Learning, 2nd C is Moderating Alcohol Intake and here, the 3rd C is The 3-Hour Marathon.
The 3-Hour Marathon is the “holy grail” of many amateur runners like myself. It requires a different level of commitment on top of a running enthusiast. In fact I don’t even know whether it’s achievable based on my current fitness level and Personal Best of 3:27:16 or 4:54min/km Marathon set in SCSM Dec 2023. A 3-Hour Marathon requires an average pace of 4:15min/km, perhaps some perfect weather conditions and a sound refueling plan. Fundamentally, the key is to be consistent in the training program week in week out for everything to fall in place. In addition, there are many other areas which need to be worked on at the same time, including Training Program, Strength/Core, Plyometrics, Injury Prevention, and Motivation.
Polar Training Program and Lactate Test
I am currently using a Polar Pacer Pro. 2022 was quite a breakthrough after setting a daily running (or exercise) goal, and leveraging on the Polar Heart Rate Based Training Program.
In the later part of Year 2022, I was encouraged to go for a more specific Lactate Threshold Testing, which I found out that my “Easy Z1 & Z2” should be adjusted higher, which meant that I had been training too easy for a large part of the year. Hence the intensity of my Polar Training Program was adjusted upwards leading to the Dec 2022 SCSM which I was preparing the whole year. Thankfully, with the consistency in training for the large part of the year, I finally broke my Marathon PB 3:31:29hr set at 20YO.
Stryd – Training by Power
With a good marathon in 2022, I wanted to be a little more specific in my trainings for 2023. My coach then suggested using Power to train instead, as there are some limitations to HR-based trainings. Unfortunately, the aftermath of an intensive 2022 meant that I developed some injuries to my ITB and hip flexors. For Jan and Feb 2023, I could only do very easy short runs, to maintain my fitness. Thankfully, I was also introduced to using foam-rollers to rehabilitate the troublesome parts of the legs. Miraculously, after 2-3 weeks of consistent foam-rolling, my injuries became bearable for me to continue with decent cardio and even regular weekly soccer. Combined with the (Stryd) Power training, I managed to set a Season Best in the 5km and 2XU Half-Marathon.
I went on to do my first ever Ultramarathon in the Bedok Reservoir UM with a respectable 21 loops around BR at 91.98km over 12hrs from 7am to 7pm. My form towards SCSM 2024 looked good and I was confident of breaking my PB again. However, my race strategy didn’t go as planned, as I was over-confident and started way too fast. Eventually, I found myself cramping up for the last 15km and finished a disappointing 3:28:35hr at 4:56min/km. Nevertheless, the consistencies of my runs in 2022 and 2023 meant that I built a good base for an even better 2024.
2024 – One Marathon Per Month
I am quite certain that my mileage is on the lower end of the spectrum (49km & 43km per week in 2022 & 2023 respectively). However, to achieve a decent marathon time, you probably can’t run away from having a much higher mileage. Hence for 2024, I set a min 40min session as a daily training target, up from 30min daily, while continue to train by Power via Stryd. On top of that, I set a One Marathon Per Month personal challenge for 2024, so as to get used to the distance, and also to fine tune my hydration plan for the marathon.
I was happy for my first self-timed marathon effort in 2024, which I did not suffer any cramps and running continuously (less 2 water break) for the entire distance. With a smooth effort level, I was surprised with a timing of 3:37:14hr 5:09min/km. My next self-timed marathon will be on 25th Feb 2024. Let’s hope this monthly challenge will come in handy by the Dec SCSM 2024.
Strength, Core & Plyometrics
I had always been weak on supporting exercises, although they are definitely important for the overall conditioning. Hence I am also reminding myself find ways to slot in simple targets to achieve. Exercises like Pre-Run Drills, Plyometrics, Planking and Crunches could come a long way for me. Like how Atomic Habits suggested, I’ll start small and slowly make it a habit.
Injury Prevention
I was on rehabilitation for a good 3-4 months in 2023. On hindsight, it taught me a valuable lesson not to neglect seemingly negligible daily rehabilitation exercises like foam-rolling and stretching. Of course, an important aspect is also getting sufficient sleep as the body gets stronger via proper recovery.
Motivation
It would be crazy enough to think that I can do this alone. Thankfully, I am part of a very supportive running community, Enjoy Your Run! or EYR, where many passionate runners like myself gather weekly for group training, and exchanges knowledge in the chat group. It might sound a bit crazy at times, but the FOMO and the motivation from the members keep myself on my toes and wanting to keep improving.
How Everything Looks Like Coming Together
As I mentioned, it would take a whole lot more to achieve my running goal. However, instead of getting too obsessed about the outcome, I would instead lay out all my small habits that would help me achieve this goal, including ->
1. Training by Power using Stryd Training Plan.
2. Min 40min Daily Run. Above usually consist of 5 sessions per week. I’ll slot in Easy 40min Recovery Runs (or Soccer) on the free days.
3. Commitment #2 Moderating Alcohol will help me to stay more disciplined and allowing the body to recover better.
4. Include easy Pre-Run Drills like Lunges, High Knees and A-Skips.
5. 1x Plyometrics per week to improve stride length and cadence. Drills include Calf Hops, Power Skips, Side Skips, Butt Kicks, and Bounding.
6. 1min of Planking before showering daily.
7. Stretching daily before bedtime.
8. 5min of Foam Rolling 2x a day.
9. Turn up for EYR Weekly Saturday Sessions at ECP.
It might seem weird why I’m sharing personal running goals on my Financial Services blog. When I discussed initially about my 7 Commitments for 2024/25, I felt that the Whole Person concept is more important for me than being narrowly focused on just one area. Hence my goals and commitments center around Family, Personal and Career. Keeping healthy had always been important for myself, so that I can take care of my family members, friends and clients. And it is just that being competitive by nature, I take my running ambitions a little further 🙂 I hope to be a positive influence to people around me and to connect with many more like-minded people.
PS:
Last Week -> Moderating Alcohol Intake
Next Week -> Onboarding Clients Onto “The Clarity Program”
Wee Khai,
Chartered Financial Consultant
“Your Journey to Financial Clarity”
Wee Khai 