Sunday, November 30, 2014

Weekend #12: Operation Finale


And so we have reached the final session and Ops Finale of the 12-week Sunbird marathon training journey, and what a blast we've had.



All the Sunbird trainers and trainees were out in force, decked out in their bright Sunbird 2014 attire, busy taking 'graduation' pictures of themselves and with their friends in each respective training groupings.


A pre-race briefing was conducted to advise all SCMS participants of the key preparations to make in the remaining week, and how to keep an optimal state of preparedness through to Dec 7.



The weather this morning was rather cool at first, with the sun creeping out at about 7:30am and blowing hot by the time we were midway into our run.  It was a good time for conditioning our tolerance for the heat and humidity, which may come out at about the same time on race day.



The mood was great and confidence levels high among all trainees.  They have worked diligently to progressively build up such a good foundation with sustainable Optimal race pace that to be able to do a good SCMS race is a foregone conclusion, barring any unforseen circumstances like freak injuries or catching the flu bug.



The groups of runners pacing together in their bright yellow and grey tops were a sight to behold along the ECP runway this morning, which was unusually devoid of runners, presumably all taking it easier ahead of next weekend's race.



We were able to hold on to our Optimal Paces for both 13km (HM) and 18km (FM) relatively comfortably, with nary a challenging feeling to complete the finale LSD within regulation time of 130min.



There were a couple of reports of tightening muscles causing minor discomfort to major muscle groups, nothing which a good recovery and myofascial or deep-tissue massage would not resolve.



With the successful wrap of Operation Sunbird, we would like to wish all Sunbirds a fruitful and PB-breaking run at the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2014.  



We would like to take the opportunity to thank all Sunbird Trainers and Support groups for their painstaking commitment in the admin, logistics and training aspects of the entire operation.




The Sunbirds Are Race Ready!
Operation Sunbird - Follow Our Pace, Win Your Race!

Facebook photos by FatBirds Chin, Arnel, Ronnie

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Weekend #11: Tapering Has Started


With the longest run locked and loaded last weekend, the Sunbirds were back in force for the start of Tapering this Sunday morning.  The trainees were also excited about receiving their Sunbird race singlets to try out for use on the big day.



After the pre-training briefing and some quick photos, the respective groups ran off independently towards Fort Road.  By now, many of the Sunbirds are already familiar with their paces and are putting in their final touches to the race and hydration/fuel plans.



The first part of the LSD was a tad challenging as the sun peeked through the clouds.  Most of the Sunbirds were able to sustain Optimal Pace through to 21km without too much of an issue.  The Changi Coastal stretch provided some relief from the Sun's rays, helping many to sustain and coast through till they reached the Sailing Centre.



There were more runners at ECP this morning, putting in their final bursts for the SCMS on Dec 7.  The Sunbirds having done 11 weeks of progressive training looked very composed  and steady in their strides, giving them confidence of a good showing in a fortnight's time.



The number of stragglers have greatly diminished and more Sunbirds have upgraded to faster groupings, leaving just very few in Group 4.  That is testament to the progress they have made in just 11 weeks of structured buildup with the marathon training program.



All returned strongly back at C4 Nest by 11am, with faces glowing with a sense of pride and confidence that they have put in all the hard work, and it is now a matter of keeping their bodies well oiled for a smooth delivery on Race Day.



A few final tips and advise were given to the Sunbirds to help tweak and adjust some of the weak areas, before breaking off for home to have a good rest and recovery, with time left to enjoy the remaining half of the Sunday.



Next week will be Ops Finale and a graduating milestone of sorts for the Sunbirds, and we look forward to all dressed in their race day Sunbird attire for some nice shots for the album.

The Sunbirds Are Poised For Excellence!

Facebook Photos by FatBird Ronnie

Monday, November 17, 2014

Weekend #10: The Longest Run


The hard core group of Sunbirds turned up bright and early for a 6:30am flagoff for the longest distances (HM-22km, FM-35km) in the Sunbird training program.  The weather was looking great and all the runners seemed prepared to complete what they have set out to do.


The lean team of Sunbird trainers started off with their respective groups towards Fort Road, aiming to sustain Optimal Pace (OP) for at least half of the prescribed distances, but preferably maintaining past 20km.  The experienced Sunbird trainees were more than capable to tracking their own paces, with a number able to track heart rate zones as well.


The first half of the run was rather cool, at least the portion at Changi Coastal Road.  Proper hydration and refuel procedures were being observed well by the Sunbirds, providing the impetus for Optimal Pace (a tad faster than Marathon Pace) sustenance.



The Changi Coastal stretch was more bearable for the FMers this morning, coupled with cool shade provided by large trees lined along the PCN.  It was a little surprising not to see that many runners preparing for their long runs, save for the SAFRA Running Club and the group of elite Singapore National runners comprising Mok and his team.


Our Sunbirds were indeed focused at their tasks at hand, and through to 21km, was still able to meet OP.  The chit-chat bit in the first half of the run did help to ease the stresses of the runners as well as keeping their paces in check, to avoid crashing and burning too early.


The HM Sunbirds did very well to complete their 21-22km and were certified race ready.  The FM Sunbirds did well to sustain OP all the way back to the 28km mark at C4.  After a quick isotonic drink with 1-2 pieces of banana, the groups went on to complete another 7km to make it a total of 33-35km for many of the Sunbirds.

 

We were glad to see the Sunbirds performing so well to peak at this stage of training.  The confidence levels were definitely heightened with the good training LSD this morning, and we are looking forward to a great marathon run for most of the Sunbirds.


With the longest run completed satisfactorily, all Sunbirds will enter into recovery and Tapering phase.  Any small niggles and pain points will need to be addressed and remedied in the coming 2 weeks.  Intensity of runs will be maintained with a gradual drop in the volume and distances covered.  



We look forward to session #11 with anticipation for a shorter tapering run and to collect the well-deserved Sunbird 'finisher' singlet in recognition of our successful journey of Ops Sunbird 2015.

The Sunbirds Made It At The Longest Run!

Facebook photos by FatBird Chin

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Weekend #9: Showers Of Blessing


We woke up to thundery showers and howls of the wind this early Saturday morning.  Our Sunbird wet weather contingency plan obliged all to turn up for training, and eventually a nice group did show up at Carpark C4 Shelter.


The live weather updates were showing the movement of large rain clouds in the southern sector of the island.  While waiting for the rain to abate, we handed out the training tees to qualifying trainees who have with consistent attendance at training.


The rain trickled to a stop by 7:20am.  We flagged off as a group towards Fort Road facing cool winds and nice weather.  The plan was to do the first half of the distance at Marathon Pace (MP) and the second half of run at Optimal Pace (OP).  Many of the ladies who were signed up for the Great Eastern Women Run the next day did a shorter 18-21km as warm up.


The first 10km was great as all groups were seen enjoying the cool after-rain weather, finding the paces comfortable but yet maintaining a conservative stance in not speeding up.  As we approached Changi Coastal Road, the sun was peering through the thick clouds, emitting weak streaks of sunlight that was to get stronger as the morning wore on.


The smaller trainee pool allowed the pacers and trainers to give closer attention and also dispense some race day preparation tips.  The HM Sunbirds had a field day in the nice weather, while the FM Sunbirds managed a strong pace for at least 25km.


On the return out from Changi Coastal Road, the sun's rays beat down the backs of the runners.  Coupled with the tiredness of the legs, there were drops in pace across the groups by about 15s-30s/km.  Still, the Sunbirds persisted and when some got their second wind, they were able to maintain MP all the way back to C4.


Most of the trainees were glad they made their way down to ECP in spite of the heavy showers, and were rewarded with satisfying workouts and pushing their thresholds.  With the lessons learnt from the training LSD, some fine-tuning was in order to tweak the readiness and plan for a desirable set of results on Dec 7.


The majority completed Weekend 9's run plan to satisfaction, meeting most of the training objectives.  We look ahead to the longest LSD in Week #10 where we will put Optimal Pace into practice and going the longest 22km and 35km distances of the entire Sunbird program.

The Sunbirds Braved The Storm!

Facebook photos from FatBird Chin