Pollution or what ?

Int he run-up to the Olympics 2008, there are many press articles about the problem of pollution in China and Beijing in particular.
Due to the sensitivity of the issue here, real data are unavailable or anyway not realistic.
Being a long-stayer here, I guess that my lugs are already thickened by NOx and particulates and getting accustomed, but I can bring here some evidence of what is in front of the athletes.

This morning, 7.50am in Dongguan. Due to the northen monsoon, the air is cold and dry. This is the view from the balcony of my Dongguan's flat. What is that mist ? it does not really look like "morning mist" ....

Few minutes later, on the road to the factory...

"weird" feeling

I do not know if other marathon runners had the same feeling before their marathons, but I feel basically "numb".
I am tapering 20/30% off from my peak, 3 weeks ago I set my lifetime PB on 10k, no more heavy workouts in the past 10 days : I would have supposed to feel pretty energetic and in "runner's high" .... no, I feel like: legs like stones, I would rather sleep 24hr and I do not see myself running for 2h3x' in 3 days ...
possible explanation:
- typical "pre-race" nerves ...
- mental and hormonal build-up: I can guess that the body "knows" that Sunday will be a great battle so it is storing energy for that day
- I am in physical burn-out already

What I feel at the same time daunting and fascinating about the marathon:
- actually have to run the first 30km before knowing the answer about your true form
- it is a "one-shot" race, no second attempt (for some months) if something goes wrong

Running a fast marathon is probably one of the hardest mental and physical efforts for the human being ...

Samuel Wanjiru's tapering strategy

if you feel doubts about how to taper for a marathon, either you follow the advice of "Runners' world", either you read this incredible news from Japan : Sammy Wanjiru scores a new record in an Ekiden race just 8 days out from his marathon debut .... I guess that "take it easy" for the 15 days before the marathon has different meaning for different athletes

Race Predictions for Fukuoka

First a weekly recap and later my predictions/committment for my incoming marathon:

- total weekly 90km/56Miles with a good long run of 21k/13M
- total weekly drive: 982km/610Miles (year peak ..)

- I feel like crap: a Herpes in my mouth, but worse of all I feel a sciatica-like pain in the right buttock from last week long run (silly idea to run without orthotics) ... The pain is decreasing day by day but still there especially at higher speed. I guess that I need to pile up in Voltaren and other anti-inflammation pills ... a real mishap after avoiding even the slightest leg pain or injury for all the training cycle !!! I hope everything goes for the best before Sunday.
I should be also rest more because I do not feel too energetic at the moment.

RACE PREDICTIONS:
- more than 2h45' : a real disaster. This also mean a DNF, due to the time cut-off in Fukuoka
Shall be unlikely unless the pain in the leg comes out very strong
- 2h42 to 2h45: mmm .... disappointment. I think I am in better shape than Boston (2h42') and Fukuoka is faster. But it can happen if the leg pain shows up in the last 12km
- 2h40/2h41: great ... a PB
- 2h39: fantastic. If everything goes well, I must be shooting at this
- 2h37/2h38: wild dreams, supported by Jack Daniels' Race time predictor (34' for 10k = 2h37 for FM ...). In such outcome, I buy you a bottle of wine

There are never "easy" wins .... you must give 100% when you wear a race number

The estate where I live in Hong Kong houses 9600 residents (10 block/40 floors/6 flat per floor). That is pretty standard in Hong Kong (do not raise your eyebrows ...). The management usually sets up several activities all year round to enliven the community (tournaments, interests classes, etc, etc). Today was the day of the annual Running Festival, where on the 1km driveway around the estate, they held a bunch of races for kids, youths, adults, families resident in the Estate.
Coming out from 3 wins in the past, I was pretty confident in another easy win of the "Male Adult" 2k race: a solid pace with the leaders and a surge in the last 500m was usually enough to earn some admiration from my neighbours. There are plenty of runner enthusiasts in the Estate, but the best of them are around 38min/10k runners, so easy prey of a very fit "BY7".

So I crawled out of bed 15 minutes before the start, slip on short/shirt/shoes and jog to the (early) 7.15am start. The plan was for a "recovery" day: warm-up, race, some cool-down to reach 8/9km easy after yesterday's long run.

At the gun, the unexpected: a young guy (probably just turned 18 and who likely raced in the Youths in the previous years) started fast, very fast. My legs were cold and heavy like marble, my Polar was showing a 3'10"/km pace (!!!) but the guy was simply pulling away. I guessed that it took me at least 600m to react from the shock and made up my mind that even if it was supposed to be an easy day, I did not like to lose my winning streak. With 1k to go, i was probably running in 3'15" (!!) and 10 seconds behind (crazy ...). I slowly gained space to him and let him ahead to cook for a while, placing a surge with 500m to go right while I was passing him.

At the end: win in 6'18" for a 2k on cobblestones !!! This for a "easy" neighborhood race ....

Legs like stone for the rest of the day ...

Someone have suggestions ?

I am looking for suggestions from the readers (few) of this blog:

how would you carry some gels during the marathon ?
I plan to intake 4 gels during the race, that should give me some small energy for the final miles.
2 can fit into the small pocket of the running shorts, but I am tinkering on where to stick the other 2....
using arm pouch ? (horror...), sticking them to the number bib ?, pinning to the singlet (will not they bounce all around ?) ?

NOTE: in the past I never made too much use of gels during marathon, but in the last Boston, I started with 2 on my own and than take other 2/3 given out at the food station at mile 18. It was really a good boos and felt full of energy also in the last 2/4 miles, when I would be normally struggling (placebo effect ... let it be)

Trial Run

Hong Kong has many pleasant aspects, one of these is that roads/paths/cycle tracks are all lit, well kept, safe, well organized. It is basically all set out for a 24/7 life.

So heading out at 9.15pm for a long run after an hectic Sunday was an excellent way to close the day and the week; the air was getting cooler and there was a sustained northerly breeze from the sea. The cycle track from Shatin to TaiPo spans for over 20km along the sea and it was the ideal setting for a trial run: around 30km, with 15/16km (10Miles) at Marathon Target pace.

after a 10km warm-up, I did made 15km at a 3'44" pace (6'00'/M sharp). The HR was in perfect target (167-168bpm) for the first 10k, than started to drift over 170bpm mainly because of the breeze getting stronger (around 10Miles/hr), so it was more demanding to keep the pace.
I cut short of the last km because of persistent pain in the right buttock: I guess that wearing the NB RC600 without orthotics was not a good idea as i was probably overpronating too much and straining the muscles too much. This is a corrective action to test asap.... or I will have troubles on race day.

total weekly: 103km/64M