After a energy-sapping but fulfilling trails run at MR in Ops Sunbird Week #2, the Sunbirds were looking forward all week to the hills session at Mt. Faber this morning. The heavy rains at dawn could not dampen our spirits, and when we reached the training venue at 6:45am, it was a nice surprise to see quite a good turnout in spite of the weather.
Knowing that Team FatBird training runs are rarely canceled, and with the advisory given that we will proceed with training when rain is lighter, many were happy they showed up when the rain diminished and stopped by 7:15am.
Keeping the briefing short, the respective training groups were able to be dispatched towards the hill slopes of Labrador Park @ Basebuild Pace. The cool post-rain weather made for a pleasant journey along the 4.5km to the heart of Labrador Figure-8 start point for the 2.2km rolling hills repeat.
Those who have not been to this training area were enjoying the flora and fauna of the surroundings, and with the seaside breeze blowing in the faces, made everyone run at least 15sec ahead of their intended training paces.
Learning to work the uphills, keeping to good running form fundamentals, and tackling the downhills kept the motivation of the runners high, making the training so enjoyable that time passed quickly.
Before we had a chance to feel drained, the main segment of the hills workout was completed and that left the respective groups with 8km of a rolling slopes run back to the SAFRA Clubhouse. There were lots of chit-chats and sharing of knowledge and experiences amongst the trainers and trainees, keeping all engaged throughout the entire training session.
With the distances and challenges progressively more intense, the reports of tight muscles and aches are starting to flow in - time to include comprehensive stretching, myofascial massages with foam rollers and introduction of deep-tissue massages to keep those muscular groups and engines well-oiled and sufficiently supple for the continued marathon preparation journey.
We look forward to more intense base building with hills and trails in the next few weeks, and with the foundation of the first 3 weeks under our trainees' belts, we are confident that we can only get stronger to enjoy the training ahead and most importantly, build up our experiences and friendships as a team.
The Thrill-Seeking Sunbirds Thrashed The Hills in Week #3
