I just got back from a great longish run through the sunset, so i'm writing this with endorphins coming out of my ears ;o)
Finally i think i've cracked the Chi-Running technique and am back coming towards peak fitness - about time, since the race is less than a month away now. I heard from a freind that i'm Estonias first ever and sole representative in the Marathon Des Sable this year, which means i only have to finish it to be a record holder!
The running in Jaco beach, here in Costa Rica is pretty simple. There are i beleive some good trails (i'll hope run some this week with a guy i met who organises adventure racing in CR) But the main obvious running choice is the beach. It's 5km long, so you can do up and down for 10km or twice for 20km (like i did today) or 3 times for 30km etc. I don't know, i thought there would be a breeze, but the humidity is still hellova high, and is probably the biggest limiting factor in running in hot tropical areas. There are two rivers, and one has a croc so be careful, but its actually quite cooling to run through these on a hot day anyway.
My first race when i got here was a 7km night race in Jaco, and even then the humidity is around 70-80% so the sweat simply drips off you or sticks there - i.e. sweating doesnt cool you down so you overheat, which of course saps your energy and, in time kills you (see last blog post)
I think however after 2 weeks here, my body has got used to it, and id say i can run normally with my full pack on for an unlimited period of time (boredom permitting!)
The main things i was thinking about today was technique - after about 10km, i felt a little tug in my knee, and in my lower back, so set about altering my posture to fix that. So with a bit of focus and thinking about the techniques Nick Constantine showed me in my last Chi -Running lesson i mentaly listed the things i still need to make sure im not doing -
1. I need to keep making stupid looking but effective prancing leg movements to ensure i was landing on the middle of my foot, not the heel. In the sand i was checking this too, and it seemed my footprint showed im landing in the middle - i'll need to take a video to check that.
2. I must make sure my knees are behind my centre of gravity and so arent taking any pressure or acting as brakes (i.e. most western runners do this, stop it!)
3. I need to peel my feet off the ground, rather than any sudden movements (thats easy in the beach Thankfully)
4. I need to relax my calves and ankles so the oxygen can get to them ok - i thought about this earlier before the run and incoroporated some ankle rolls and shaking my legs about much to bystanders amusement, before the run.
Anyway, with 2 weeks left here in Jaco, before two weeks of travelling before the race, i intend to now start on a 3x20km and 1x40km runs a week regime, to get me match fit, with surfing and yoga in between days to strengthen my middle more (and make me look more handsome generally of course ;o) )
But i know that in the back of my mind is the 92-94km day in the MDS, so its likely on the second 40km day, i'll attempt something crazy to whet my 'Ultra' appetite - (and make me realise that im actualy not so fit after all !) ;o) watch this space!!
Finally i think i've cracked the Chi-Running technique and am back coming towards peak fitness - about time, since the race is less than a month away now. I heard from a freind that i'm Estonias first ever and sole representative in the Marathon Des Sable this year, which means i only have to finish it to be a record holder!
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| When the tide is low it's perfect, apart from the heat and humidity (and rivers) |
My first race when i got here was a 7km night race in Jaco, and even then the humidity is around 70-80% so the sweat simply drips off you or sticks there - i.e. sweating doesnt cool you down so you overheat, which of course saps your energy and, in time kills you (see last blog post)
I think however after 2 weeks here, my body has got used to it, and id say i can run normally with my full pack on for an unlimited period of time (boredom permitting!)
The main things i was thinking about today was technique - after about 10km, i felt a little tug in my knee, and in my lower back, so set about altering my posture to fix that. So with a bit of focus and thinking about the techniques Nick Constantine showed me in my last Chi -Running lesson i mentaly listed the things i still need to make sure im not doing -
1. I need to keep making stupid looking but effective prancing leg movements to ensure i was landing on the middle of my foot, not the heel. In the sand i was checking this too, and it seemed my footprint showed im landing in the middle - i'll need to take a video to check that.
2. I must make sure my knees are behind my centre of gravity and so arent taking any pressure or acting as brakes (i.e. most western runners do this, stop it!)
3. I need to peel my feet off the ground, rather than any sudden movements (thats easy in the beach Thankfully)
4. I need to relax my calves and ankles so the oxygen can get to them ok - i thought about this earlier before the run and incoroporated some ankle rolls and shaking my legs about much to bystanders amusement, before the run.
Anyway, with 2 weeks left here in Jaco, before two weeks of travelling before the race, i intend to now start on a 3x20km and 1x40km runs a week regime, to get me match fit, with surfing and yoga in between days to strengthen my middle more (and make me look more handsome generally of course ;o) )
But i know that in the back of my mind is the 92-94km day in the MDS, so its likely on the second 40km day, i'll attempt something crazy to whet my 'Ultra' appetite - (and make me realise that im actualy not so fit after all !) ;o) watch this space!!
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