Training in the rainy Season

Wow it has been a while, to be honest, I have completely forgotten to post and time has caught up. Oh well better late than never right?

It is rainy season in Saigon again now, which limits times you can run, but also has some benefits. I will just make a quick list here on this blog:

• evening runs will likely get rained out, late afternoon and evening is just when it rains, it is what it is, so if you really want to make sure you get that run in that day, do it in the morning.
• the rain does cool the temperature a little bit, so it can be pleasant running just before it starts
• the reverse can be true on days when it doesn't rain, it will be very muggy and humid, so beware
• beware of puddles, not the normal "oh look there is a puddle" I am talking about, "hey there was a road here yesterday, now its a lake"
• while we are at it, that water gets trapped everywhere, and if you happen to step under a loose paver, splash, you got street sauce all over your new runners and your leg
• if you are a runner that takes motivation from seeing others running you will also find it hard to get motivated as less and less people will be running during the "off season"

All in all i am not sure if I prefer the rainy season or if I detest it, but as I said above, it is what it is and if you want to keep running then there is really no way around it. 

Whats your opinion on running in the rainy season? Did I miss anything in my round up?

Differences on running in Vietnam to other countries

Last week I had the privilege of going to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland/ Australia. I took my training schedule there and didn’t miss a single run, actually, I ran much better than I have in a while, on average dropping as much as 15-20 seconds per kilometer. This got me thinking about the main differences between running in Saigon and running in other countries, for this comparison I will base my assumptions on Australia, but they are applicable to other countries as well.

  Air Quality

 You don’t need to be a runner to know that the air quality in Saigon isn’t great, there is sadly still no website that consistently tracks the air quality here but some people have started comparing it to Beijing and other infamous air quality cities. The moment I stepped of the plane in Australia I just took a massive breath, what a revelation. During runs this of course translated to getting more oxygen with each breath, which helped me not take as many breaths, keep the heart rate down and generally feeling fresher while running quicker.

  Temperature

Another general one and I won’t go into too much detail here but it is naturally easier to run in 20-25 degrees, with almost no humidity, then it is to run in 30-35 degrees with 90+% humidity. So once again that helped me keep the pace down.

  Sidewalks and running tracks

 This one is not as common, everyone that has run in Saigon will understand that sidewalks (in the off chance they exist) are not meant to be run on, they are a marketplace, external café terrace, motorbike parking, garbage dump and you have to constantly dodge something when running on them. For most of my runs here I run on the shoulder of the road, I know that’s not totally safe, but at least the under-foot conditions are fairly stable, so I can concentrate on traffic without constantly having to look down. This was a major change to Australia where all my running was done on sidewalks and specifically designed running tracks meaning that I could really focus on my form and run freely, knowing I won’t get struck by a car, or have to dodge freshly caught fish on display for sale when I turn a corner.

  Dogs

 During my week running in Australia I did not encounter a single stray dog or dog that wasn’t on a leash, this sadly is different from the experience I have running in Vietnam. On average during my daily run I will pass about 10-15 dogs, with maybe 1 or 2 of them being on leashes. Now I am by no means saying that all of these are aggressive or that you should be scared that any of these dogs will do anything. It is just an observation that there are a lot of dogs around and there is a potential that some of them might be aggressive.

  Other runners

 Having designated running tracks also means that you get to see and meet a lot more other runners, that’s something that I really like, as that gives you the chance to tag along with someone who might be a little quicker than you and pushes you harder, in turn someone else might see the same opportunity in you. I usually run around D2 so there are some runners, however still not a huge number. I am still working on sorting out a running group in D2 which would be a great way to solve this “annoyance” and get to meet some new people.

  Scenery

 Scenery (Parks/ beach/ ocean) was also a major change, while Saigon has many things to offer, scenery for runners isn’t normally what people think of. Sure I do love running through the street life here, especially in the early mornings and watching people do their morning sport, set up the food stalls, shopping at roadside markets etc. It is different though when you get the chance to run through a forest right at your door step or go for a 5K run that brings you to the beach and a national park. This isn’t really a complaint or anything; it’s just an observation that running in Saigon is often a very urban experience rather than going out into nature.

  Water stops

 This last one, I am not really fuzzed about but I know that some people are so I have put it in here, Vietnam doesn’t (to my knowledge) have any water fountains where runners and other people can stop to get a mouthful of water and continue running. This has never been a problem for me, even on longer runs, I usually just keep 20,000 ($1) in my pocket and if I do end up needing water there is usually a 24 hour market somewhere, with a small (500ml) bottle of water being around 4-5,000 (25 cents).

 This post is not in any way meant to be a critique, I absolutely love living and running here, sure there are some minor annoyances, but If you can manage to get your training runs in here it is just bound to make you a little tougher.

 Please leave a comment below if you think I forgot anything or if you agree / disagree with any points.

 Happy and safe running

How to bounce back from dissapointment

As you could see in my previous post, my last marathon did not go as planned, or should I say as I hoped, because I did not really have a plan for this one. Which also means that I am not really that dissapointed. The race was a good eye opener for me, it gave me a reality check as to where my Heart Rate is at as well as how I need to improve my training for future race. I took the Monday off running as I was traveling back from my destination marathon, but also because my legs were seriously sore. On Tuesday I went out for a short "recovery run" which was ok, the first KM seriously hurt but then the muscles got less stiff and I started to run more freely, without pushing the pace at all. I came home happy that I went for a run (as I always feel after) however there wasn't much to cheer about. Wednesday I went out and really wanted to push it, there is a Strava segment right near my house, which I wanted to get a new PR on, which I did if I compare my times, however for some reason Strava did not recognize the segment, however I ran my best KM time, best Mile, best 400m and best 0.5 Mile. So that was something to feel good about and get the spirits up again. Thursday I went for a 5KM run, which started really slow, but instead of taking a walking break which ym head wanted to do, I told myself to do strides every time I got tired and then continue running, I finished the 5KM without a single walking break and getting progressively faster on ever KM throughout, finishing with a 5:07. Friday I am taking a rest as I am planning a medium long run tomorrow morning. Overall this week has been alright in regards to running. I have realized that I can indeed still run fast, and that I need to start doing so more if I want to improve. I also realized that if I can run a 3:36KM 3 days after a marathon I can probably run a good bit faster than that as well and will be working on building proper speed work and tempo into my training week. I guess this post is meant to highlight that instead of trotting along feeling sorry about the race that was and perhaps did not go 100% jump back on the horse, enjoy the run and sometimes through in a run in which you give everything and just see what happens, you will come back home and feel that little victory!

Danang Marathon 2015

Preface of the race: my last marathon was in 2013, in Melbourne Australia, this year I wanted to get back into running and decided to sign up to the Danang Marathon in Vietnam. This was my first "destination marathon" which was cool in it self as it was like a mini holiday, leaving from work on Friday evening and coming back Monday morning. Flight was good, Hotel was great, Danang is beautiful, so no excuses. The Danang Marathon is a two loop marathon, meaning that you have to complete the 21.1KM loop twice, which is tough from a mental aspect. The Marathon also features 3 Bridges, 2 of which are quite tame, 1 is a massive bridge, more on that later.

We had a nice Carbo-load dinner the night before

The race itself, Race start was at 4am, which meant a 2:55am wake up, which was different but not a problem at all, nerves kick in at that time and the usual preparations for a marathon (water, vaseline, laid out clothes) all took place. Our hotel was 250 meters from the start line which made commuting completely hassle free. The marathon lets the 42.2K runners start with the 21.1K runners, which I wasn't a massive fan of but to be honest it didn't really bother me once the race started.

The first 5KM

I was running with my dad and another friend of mine, we were chatting, running around 5:30 min/KM pace, Heart rate was around 170 so that was great, i was feeling fantastic, the adrenaline was taking over a little bit and I could see myself, in my inexperienced madness pushing forward a little bit and trying to keep up with runners which had a better base than me.

KM 5 -10

5:45 average pace for these 5KM, first bridge down with no trouble, at this point I realised that my dad was right behind me which was great, because I wanted to run with him anyways, he thought he would hold me back, i knew it would be the other way around ;) I pretty much followed him for the next few KM as we were approaching the big bridge. HR was still stable, I was taking on water well and also having a gel ever 45 minutes (just what the package says to do, not really a strategy behind it, will have to improve that next time as well)

KM 10-15

Here comes the big one, KM 11 saw us approaching the afformentioned "big bridge" (taken from wikipedia) The Thuận Phước Bridge (Vietnamese: Cầu Thuận Phước) is a suspension bridge that crosses the lower Han River at Da Nang, Vietnam.The four-lane, three-span, bridge is 1,850 meters long and 18 meters wide,^[1] and has a main span of 405 meters. Its two major pillars are 80m in height. It is the longest suspension bridge in Vietnam

The way up was quite tough, especially because once again I did not train for this scenario enough, I should have run more bridges in training especially late into the long runs, this would have prepared me for this scenario more, we went up the bridge in 5:45 and then 5:55 to reach the top, on the way down we reached 5:09, taking advantage of gravity and probably shooting through the legs a little quicker than I should have. HR went up to 190+ and stayed there for the next 4K's which was beginning to take a real toll on me.

KM 15 -21

Somewhere around KM 18, I had to let my dad go, as I could see he was running better than me and I was struggling to keep up. I needed a walking break badly, this is before I even completed one loop, so at this point I am struggling mentally more than anything because I start doubting myself and more and more runners are starting to pass me. However during this quick walking break I decided to draft off a local runner by the name of Dung Pham, he was running his first ever Half marathon, and needed a little push and I was needing a little push just to make it to the halfway mark, so we started chatting and miraculously we both started running faster again and he made it to the finish as I turned right to continue, congratulations Dung!! According to Garmin and Strava, I made it to the 21.1K halfway mark at about 2:03/ 2:04, not the best time but not terrible either. I got to see Sarah at the halfway mark, which was great and I ran/ hobbled/ walked with her for about 250/ 300 meters which was awesome.

The second loop

I am just going to summarise the second loop in one big bloop because there isn't really roo much too say, I crashed hard, my heart was not ready to run much further so I had to take frequent walking breaks and as soon as I would run my HR would shoot up to 190+ again to try to get me to stop. at every aid station I got ice to put into my hat to keep me cool as well as water to pour over me. with the walking breaks my pace deteriorated, however I kept moving forward, that was the main focus. The aid station volunteers were fantastic, everyone of them was super enthusiastic, except the 1 guy on the last one who was sleeping on the table ;) but me and the other volunteers made fun of him so its all good. Towards the end of the second loop adrenaline kicked in that this finish was actually going to happen, however at that point I had massive stomach cramps which made running difficult. I met Sarah and my parents about 100 meters before the finish, Sarah gave me my German flag, which I didn't even manage to hold up correctly as I crossed the finish line, however finishing was overwhelming. A massive congratulations to my dad who beat me by an estimated 5 - 7 minutes ( Official results pending) and a massive thanks to Sarah for getting up to see the start, the halfway and the finish and also a massive thanks to my mum for being there at the finish. Thanks to Very for the photos, and Hajo for the training tipps and runs, keep them coming.

Quick mention to the organisers: the race was fantastically run, the police blocked off almost all of the roads (not a common thing in Vietnam) the aid stations were great. Danang is a beautiful city and the finisher area was great as well. The sunset party had all the makings of a fantastic party, however exactly as we rocked up, as one of the first guests, a torrential downpour started which meant we stood under an umbrella with some really nice Japanese guys and shared a corona but then decided to make a dash for a taxi ;) If you are looking to run a destination marathon next to a beautiful beach, I highly recommend the Danang Marathon, I will be back and better prepared in 2016.

River Run Saigon

I finally ventured out and tried a new running route as well, its not quite Venice, but hey its a pretty nice run.

On Saturday I decided to go on a run with a German friend of mine, it was raining in buckets which had advantages as well as disadvantages, more on that later. We started at City Garden Apartments which is where my mate lives, so the first Kilometer is through little Alleys which are full of vegetable and meat vendors, which is really interesting if you have never seen something like it before.

after that you have to cross a major road on a bridge, which is the only part of this route I wouldn't recommend, but you can easily start from the other side. After that the route becomes very easy and is fully customisable

Basically you just follow the river, there is a nice public garden all along the river, so you are not running directly on the road, you are running with the river on your right shoulder and the garden on your left shoulder, not something you get to say too often in Ho chi Minh city.  There are a few workout machines such as these :

Along the river, which if they are in use can make for a tight squeeze, that's what I meant with it being a good thing that it rained before, because no one was using them.

The run itself was great, I felt much stronger than I have in a while, I didn't really feel too fatigued, my HR didn't spike and I was able to hold a conversation while running, all of which felt great. 

The sidewalk is in pretty good condition, there are a few times when it dips a little bit, which you would normally not notice, however because it had rained and was still raining, a few puddles had formed. The route is great because there is a bridge about every 750 meters, which you can cross to turn around and run back on the opposite site, this means this run can be anywhere from 2K all the way up to 20K without having to run the same route twice. 

Call for comments:

• Please let me know if you have run this route before, and know any great places along the way? 
• want to join up for a run together?
• any other runs you can recommend?

Segments and a morning run in An Phu

After being sick for over a week and consequently doing almost no running it was great to be out again. At this point I would like to say this: getting up at 5am and going for a run has always, yes always, given me more energy than sleeping in till 6 and then just going to work.

I went to sleep past 11 yesterday and woke up at 5.10 (after snoozing once, hey we are all human) and Bam, energy galore after my quick 5K run. I'm more active at work, come up with better contributions and at the same time, also blogging again.

Segments on Garmin Connect and strava are fantastic, if you are like me, your typical morning route can become a little boring and mundane, especially when it is not necessarily the most picturesque route, I really need to start incorporating the river into my run a little more, especially the early runs when the sun is rising. Anyways, I digress, having Segments and rankings online really motivates me to push myself further in different parts of my run because "I can get a better ranking online" as stupid as that sounds when you say it out loud, it is also motivating!!

As you can see above my Garmin took a long time to warm up today, so the GPS is a little off, but luckily I know the distance of the route I run pretty well so I could do some quick edits. Another thing I love about running in An Phu is that you almost always run into familiar faces, meaning that while the route is always the same, you do see new faces on the loop who might give you a quick runners salute :)

Those are the Strava achievements that I broke on the run today, pretty happy with that, I can definitely see my improvement, which is very motivating to keep training.

FIrst Run in the City

                  

After having lived here for a combined 7 years, I have finally managed my first run in the actual city, normally I always run in an phu, so it was a nice change. The chance came to me because of a colleague of my GF who is staying in town at the moment and suggested a Saturday morning run leaving from his hotel, the new world. Finding a parking spot for my bike near the new world was actually the hardest part, as for some reason, some parking attendants here are very protective over their spots and which buildings you are allowed to go into, I mean I am paying for the spot, who cares if I actually go into the building or not? Someone please explain that to me.

After the parking mini fiasco, we met up at the lobby and set off on the route, I was wearing my ultimate direction AK running vest, which meant I could securely put keys, money, phone, water in there without having to worry about loosing anything, thats probably the biggest issue with running somewhere where I have to ride first, what to do with all my stuff. Other than the pack I also opted for a Hat (bad choice in headgear though, more on that later), Melbourne marathon running shirt (represent), adidas running shorts and Energy Boost adidas running shoes (more on those later as well).

The route took us parallel to Pham Ngu Lao street, on Le Lai, which was pretty quite at 8am on a Saturday ;) and through the middle of a roundabout at the end of the Bus Depot, this is probably the biggest difference between running in the city and an phu, there is way more traffic (duh) which means your eyes are constantly scanning 360, looking for the next danger, which isn't as scary as it sounds and is actually quite fun because it means your run wont be monotone at all. You also occasionally get a nice "Hello" from someone on a bike which is nice. 

Continued onto Nguyen Trai street, which saw us passing quite a few markets and actually had some sidewalks which were runnable, definitely a plus. Protip, always run against the traffic if you are running on the road, much easier to see what is coming at you. We followed Nguyen Trai street until it turned off to Tran Phu and then made the cut onto Vo Van Kiet and turned "back" city bound. Vo Van Kiet has the making of a perfect running spot in Saigon, picture this, trees and river bank on one hand, city skyline on the other. Sounds wonderful right? Straight out of the New York marathon promotional youtube video. At this point you remember that you are actually not in a youtube video and someone had neglected to put a walking track or sidewalk next to a 4+2 Lane road (the 2 being motorbike lanes) so you are running in the motorbike lane, which is actually not as bad as it sounds, its wide for a motorbike lane so we did not have any close encounters at all. It is really cool when you start seeing some of the taller buildings in town, such as the Bitexco tower and get a sense of, I am getting closer to the finish, I really liked that aspect of it. 

We followed Vo Van Kiet until Cau Ong Lanh, at which we cut back onto tran Hung Dao, finished with a loop in the Park and were back at the New World after 9km, the great thing about the "loop" is that it is almost infinitely customizable to match your needs, only want to run 3K, no problem, want to adapt it to match your Sunday Marathon training long run of 32 Ks, no problem either, just continue on Nguyen Trai and cut back way later, and once you are on Vo Van Kiet, you essentially cannot get lost.

A word on the weather before I talk about my gear, setting off at 8 am, and having run in Vietnam for a bit, I thought we were fine, however it was seriously hot and humid on Saturday. While my legs and body didn't really have a problem, my heart was definitely pumping in over drive and my head was boiling to the extend that it gave me headaches. Keep that in mind and don't be too obsessed on your pace and overall time, enjoy the run for what it is and give your heart enough walking breaks in between to catch up. Perhaps running earlier would have also helped, although a 6.45am wake up on Saturday was probably pushing the comfort levels.

Now let's have a look at the gear I took, shirt and shorts, excellent, no complaints at all, no chaffing and also light enough to not become annoying after being soaked in sweat. The aforementioned hat, this was quite a thick baseball cap, in black, big mistake, whatever good it did in keeping my hair out of my face and "protecting me from the sun" it failed at providing much shade and the color and thickness made it very very hot underneath. I will be looking for a different hat for my future runs, either a visor or a trucker hat (not in black). The Energy Boost shoes, I have had them for a while but actually have never gone longer than 5k in them, were very good. Nothing hurt after the run, my feet were actually relatively dry and cool, thanks to the techfit upper. Personally I would still prefer a slightly thinner sheet of Boost but it does what it promises, so plus points there. The Pack I spoke about in some detail above, can't say anything bad about it, it provides ample space to keep everything, plus 2 Water bottles without stuff sloshing around or being distracting/uncomfortable on the run.

Some details on the run below, it was quite a slow one compared to my normal pace, however the weather and conditions didn't allow me to run much quicker on the day:

Distance: 9.08KM

Time: 56:31

Pace: 6:13/KM

Calories: 798 

 Do you have any different routes in the city? I have thought about running in the zoo, not sure if that has been tried? What do you usually take on your longer runs? Feel free to let me know if you want to meet up for a run sometimes.