During the post-race discussion, SKT suggested that I stick to a routine of running 2km a day, 6 days a week. 

"Do that, and I guarantee your race time will improve," he said.

I was supposed to test the results of this "training" suggestion at the next race - the 10km category at The PJ Half Marathon. 

Regrettably, I have since discovered I'm pregnant so there will be no more races for the next nine months and no chance to test this for a while.

Anyway, in theory, after one month of running 2km a day, 6 days a week, the distance is supposed to be gradually increased.

Anyone care to tell me how it goes?

Call it petty, call it whatever you will...

Sometime back, I read in The Star that only the top 30 women will receive a medal for completing the PJ Half Marathon.  Since I am unlikely to ever make it into the top 30 with the kind of commitment I give to my "training" schedule, I've decided to stop wasting my time with this race.

Well, since I'm pregnant now, I guess that rules out running altogether, anyway.

A tad overdue, but here is the low down on the Pacesetter's Race:

Sunday 21 May 2006

Actually, I should begin with the day before...  As usual, full arrogance in play, I gave the race as little respect as I would have given any regular 10km race not organised by Pacesetter. 

We went to watch "The Da Vinci Code" at GSC 1Utama and then went over to PL & J's house for supper.  By the time I got to bed, it was 2am. 

Having spent the earlier part of the day in Brandi's class, I was pretty beat by this stage.  It was quite evident when I mistakenly set my alarm clock at 5:45am thinking I had set it for 5:15am. 

Despite the shortage of restful hours, I woke up immediately to the alarm feeling more alert than I ever did on any other race day.  I was up the moment I switched off the alarm without even an indulgent stretch in bed.  It was probably just as well, since I had fifteen minutes to get ready and arrive at our usual meeting area.

It wasn't until I received a "wake-up" call from SKT (actually, it wasn't so much of a wake-up call as it was a "just-checking-if-you're-on-your-way" call), when I realised my alarm clock mistake. 

I hit double time with the lathering of sun screen, took two pieces of bread into the car (all the while regretting that I had left my Power Bar at the other house) and left the house.  I made it to the meeting point at five minutes past six, just in time to observe G parking his car.

My bread was extremely dry and I had a difficult time swallowing it.  I forced it down all the same, for even I did not have the audacity to attempt 15km on an empty fuel tank.  Luckily, SKT had a spare Power Gel that I gulped down gratefully.

Once again, I had succeeded in undertaking almost zero training for this race, and I paid for it with a substantial drop in my timing - clocking in at 1hr 55mins.  It took me 1hr and 18mins to complete the first 10km (an extra 8 mins more than my 10km timing).

The only good thing I can recall about the race was that the double-hill was a lot more comfortable than I remembered from previous races.  I don't really know if I can attribute that to past race experience, the fact that I began with a slower running pace, or that there was an improvement in my incline tackling abilities. 

My biggest failing in this 15km race was my underestimation of the additional 5km.  Most of the races I normally attend are 10km in distance, so I thought, what's another 5km?  Now a half marathon of 21km - that is a respectable distance. 

Humbly, I eat my words.  After wobbling across the finishing line with legs feeling like jell'O, I promised myself that I would never discount a 15km run as a game to be trifled with.

Even so, the pain was worth it - every last meter just so I could have this:

My precious!  The reason behind which I race...  This little piece of pewter to mark all my past glories. 

Perhaps an absurd reason, it is my reason nonetheless... 

Brandi's workshop started at 10am on a Saturday morning.  It was quite a task to wake up so early as I had to follow the hubby to work first before he could drop me off at Camp5.  We were house sitting for my in laws and I didn't want the long drive home after our movie that night.

The session started with some warm up exercises just to get the joints moving and to minimise injuries.  We followed these with some stretches by hanging on jugs on the walls.  I was starting to get pumped by this stage, and I was sweating from the heat of the sun blasting through the full glass panels at the lead wall.

We went down into the boulder cave and Brandi took her through a series of exercises to gauge the level of our abilities. 

The first exercise was on a slab requiring us to traverse from left to right using only our feet and our left hand.  The right hand as allowed to palm the wall, but not use any features or holds. 

The second exercise was a repeat of the first but using our right hand instead.  The third exercise - yup, you guessed it - hands free.

I had to thank Coverboy for his extensive lessons on the importance of foot-work and balance, for I made it through this section fairly easily.

The next exercise took us to the "high ball" wall - my least favourite area in the entire gym because I'm scared of heights.  I tend to freeze when I get to three quarters of the way up, unless the holds are just bomber. 

Brandi wanted to test our ability to handle slopers so she gave us the problem in the picture above that SN is working on.

I bombed at the orange hold because I got scared.  I was pretty sure I could hold it, but fear got the better of me and I refused to let go of my right hand until my hands were so pumped I couldn't hold on any longer.  Even though I knew I could fall safely from that height (as I did when I jumped off the first time), I still couldn't overcome that stupid thought that I would rather jump down deliberately rather than allow myself to fall making a move.

Move that orange boulder one meter closer to the ground and I am almost certain I would have committed the move.  Whether I would have succeeded or not, was a different question altogether.

The fifth exercise required us to do a relatively simple boulder problem and find as many "hands free" resting points as possible.  The trick was in finding the "hands free" resting points - which is obviously a handy skill to have up your sleeve.  I think the most anyone managed to find was about 13.

Core strengthening exercises dominated the rest of the morning up until lunch.  The first of these required us to hold onto two jugs at the base of a roof.  We had to lock our arms and swing our legs up to kick two spots on the roof - first with the left leg, then with the right leg and then crossing over with each leg.  We had to repeat this twice.

Needless to say, only AR, a.k.a. the man, managed to do repeat the example that Brandi had demonstrated.  And since she succeeded quite easily, her next task was to hold her foot on each hold for a moment before letting it drop.

The rest of us were given a slightly easier task where we had to hold two jugs and extend our legs out towards a vertical wall.  For twenty seconds, we had to walk our feet around the wall.

In the picture above, S was working the second exercise, but I think you get the idea.

The group watched Brandi attentively as she demonstrated how to make the exercise harder and easier according to our body lengths.

Then we each had to take turns practicing the exercises.

After this, we broke off for lunch, where I pigged out heartily on a hotdog and waffles with ice cream.  I was a little embarassed that everyone kept noticing how much I was eating.  Perhaps I ought to have guessed by then that something in my system was up...

We came back to Camp5 feeling rather sleepy with full stomachs and digested our food as we watched a few hardcore climbing videos.

In the next session, Brandi demonstrated how to make dynamic moves and dynos.  By this time, my left arm was starting to feel a pull and I had to sit out for the rest of the session. 

SKT was nearby watching and after describing the problem with my arm, he recognised it instantly as muscle fatigue.  Much to my chagrin, rest was the only cure. 

I talked to Brandi a little after that about strain injuries, especially the elbow problems I had been getting.  It appeared to be a muscle imbalance issue and all I needed to do was work the opposing muscles on my forearms by doing wrist curls in the opposite direction.

There were more discussions at the end of the class, but I missed out because J had bought tickets for the Da Vinci Code at 6:15pm instead of 7pm.  Apparently, they went through the basics on circuit training, among other things.  I'll have to get the details from AR.

This was the group that took part in the class, with Brandi in the middle and three of us missing.

Photos are by courtesy of Anna Rinna - and once again I didn't ask for permission before stealing them.  Sorry for the abuse of friendship, Anna.

The day before Brandi’s class, I decided to do a spot of “light” climbing with C.  I hadn’t been climbing for a whole week and I didn’t want to appear too rusty the next day.

After a few top-ropes, we went over to the boulder cave.  I spotted a black boulder problem that I knew C could complete.  With a bit of spurring on, C was soon sitting at the base of the problem.  She made the first move in her first attempt after a little beta.  She was fine until she saw the dynamic move.  After some hesitation, she dropped off without trying.

“Get back on where you fell off and try the move,” I told her.

She moved slowly, but she got back on.  She shuffled around a lot before she attempted the move.  Her left hand touched the hold but the grip was not firm enough to keep her there and she fell off.  I knew at once the thoughts that had flitted through her head before she made the move.  It wasn’t a lack of ability – it was a lack of confidence. 

“Do you know why you didn’t stick?”  I asked.  C stayed silent looking at the hold.  “I bet you thought before you made the move, ‘Is she out of her mind?  It’s so far.  I’ll try anyway, but I really don’t think so.’  You didn’t think you could make it, but when you touched the hold, you were surprised, weren’t you?”

She laughed sheepishly.

“Try it again.  You’ll get it this time.”

And she did.

FA Cup finals match between Liverpool and West Ham was one of the most exciting matches I have ever seen.  Admittedly, I have only watched previous matches with one eye on the tele and the other on something else, but the excitement generated by this match was simply contagious. 

Now I understand why the hubby is so hooked on it.

I got to the gym at about 4pm on Vesak Day.  Being a public holiday, the car park at 1U was a madhouse with cars bumper to bumper as they scouted around for the smallest area capable of housing their vehicle.  You know it’s bad when you start to see cars parking illegally in non-designated parking spots.

It must have taken me about half an hour before I finally made it inside Camp5 and caught up with P, E and J.  A and J were there, too, loitering around in the top-rope section which was somewhat unusual for them.  They gave the perfect excuse about not having a rope to lead, then became somewhat chagrinned when I told them I had a rope in the car that I had just lent to AT.

There is something about climbing in the presence of many people that makes me nervous.  The last time I felt this way was when I was climbing at the Summit Gym Competition years back.  There’s a hollow in the pit of my stomach and a weakness in my limbs as I look up from the base of a route.  Anxiety clouds my mind and I feel uncertain about the routes that I know I can send.

I seem to prefer the quieter days in the gym when it’s just me, my belayer and a few friends.  Those are the days when I am not embarrassed to attempt anything because I’m not afraid to fail.  There are no eyes to judge me, but only the friendly eyes of my friends that serve to spur me on to greater heights.

Perhaps that is what is so appealing about bouldering in a group.  As each member of the group takes their turn to climb, the rest offer an intense aura of support and encouragement that envelops the climber.  That feeling of team spirit is not unlike the warm fuzzy feeling of a “feel good” movie.  You feel it regardless of whether you complete the problem or not.

Bouldering has a completely different feeling to the isolation of climbing – where you are too high to connect with anyone else.  You can rely only upon yourself as you meditate your emotions in an effort to control your own mind.

Bouldering and climbing - two disciplines as different mentally as they are physically.  Not unlike the concept of Ying and Yang.  The practice of both has a synergistic effect in augmenting your climbing abilities.  I would even venture to add that you are only half complete as a climber with one discipline under your belt and not the other.