relax, don't waste energy

17° celsius. dry. 19:18 (1:17:23)

i was a little bit late. after a quick change into my running gear, we went for the warm up running around the stadtpark. there were about 20 of us altogether. the thursday's training had begun.

today's training was all about 10 km easy run. we all ran together for the first 5 km round and since sunday is the big halfmarathon day for most of us, we had the choice of either to stop after 5 km, run another round at one own's pace. most of the runners decided to run in berlin and gave a thumbs down to the hamburg halfmarathon, even though the hamburg halfmarathon includes the north german championship and hamburger championship title to be won. the motto for sunday is really to enjoy and relax in the capital city.

i ran the second round together with steffen, svenja, dagmar, norbert and carsten together and we ran at a moderate pace. not too fast and not too slow. we chatted and joked a lot during our run and it was really fun. time flies fast and before you know it, the 5 km round came to end. i was satisfied with myself today even though there was a tiny bit of twitching in my right ankle.

hopefully this problem will go away before the berlin halfmarathon!

alsteration (week 13) : 36.907 km
alstering : 14.66 km
non-alstering : 22.247 km

total running (march) : 197.214 km
davon
alstering : 65.97 km
33.45% gehört zu alsteration

ankle pain but still running

16° celsius. sunny but windy. 18:44 (1:12:58)

i still blame on my stupidity for doing too much on a given short time. 30 km run, sprint training, badminton and fitness exercise within 5 days must be the cause of my pain in my legs. it went ding-dong between right and left. right ankle, left knee, right thigh, left ankle, right knee and so on. i was really frustrated cause the berlin halfmarathon is only in a few days time!

so as usual i ran slowly towards the alster and did some stretching exercise once i was there. the weather was a bit colder due to the wind (which i hate a lot) but there were so many joggers around the alster. i started slowly at first and continue to pick up the pace once i settled in. halfway through the alster i met my teammates, carsten running together with karin. both of them would be running in berlin too. gee... karin looked really fit - i wonder how fast she would be running in halfmarathon.

i felt a little bit comfortable while running and at times i had to slow down when i felt a twitch in my ankle. don't overexert yourself! lucky for me nothing serious happened. i had decided to run just one round of alster, just to go easy with my legs. once again, i saw my teammates coming in an opposite direction. carsten gave me a hi-five - smacking right in my right palm, ouch!

did the same thing after i completed the round, stretching and warming down before i ran back home. not quite really. i took a train for the last kilometer cos the wind was getting stronger and my legs were getting softer.

alsteration (week 13) : 24.421 km
alstering : 14.66 km
non-alstering : 9.761 km

total running (march) : 184.728 km
davon
alstering : 65.97 km
35.71% gehört zu alsteration

slow and steady

16° celsius. dry. 18:43 (1:15:25)

after sunday's painful experience, which i couldn't even run and had to walk, i've decided that i should try running again. slowly at first.

started really slow and ran towards my alster. once there, i did some extra warming up and stretching exercises. so i started running and once i was in momentum, i picked up my speed and ran faster. no real pain. nevertheless i was being careful and would stop immediately once i got the signal that something was not right with leg. thank god, nothing happened.

i did the same warming down and stretching exercise after completing just one round of alster. ran slowly back home using the exact route which i took earlier on.

alsteration (week 13) : 13.284 km
alstering : 7.33 km
non-alstering : 5.954 km

total running (march) : 173.591 km
davon
alstering : 58.64 km
33.78% gehört zu alsteration

multisport

10° celsius. partly sunny but windy. 17:38 (0:59:57)

today was the first day that i sat on my bike. it was still cold outside but the wind made everything worse. anyway, the bicycle's tires were totally flat - i guess that happened when the bicycle was stowed away in the garage for too long. so i pumped and pumped and pumped the tires till it got really hard. really? well, that wasn't the case cos the rear tire didn't. unfortunately i only realised that after i cycled a few hundred meters and had to go back to put the bicycle away again! nevertheless it was good to be back on the saddle.

next i went to put on my running gears and zoomed off towards the alster. i wanted to do some tempo, meaning running relatively fast so that i could go for my next training. as usual i took my normal route and started only to do the warm-up exercise when i was at the alster. it was windy though. i tried to do my best running "quickly" at the start cos this is my weakest point. i could not start fast! so i had to start steadily and faster than my normal rhythm. i must be crazy enough to do this cos after sunday's 30 km run i was quite tired already. nevertheless the will to go fast was there and the thought that i would be missing my tuesday indoor training was "unbearable". so making the alsterrunde, i warmed down and ran back "slowly". the time was too short though. i decided to stop running and took the u-bahn (metro) for the last stretch. hey, i need to take shower before i go to the next training.

i came slightly late cos i missed the damn bus. the trainer wasn't there but someone else took over. after the mandatory warmed-up running of 5 rounds on the outside lane of the 200 m track, we played football as a substitute for short but intensive running. again, i wasn't a footballer and i was really terrible at it. nonetheless i did score 1 of the 2 goals for my team! next in the programme was some coordination running + jumping (frankly speaking i didn't know what it is called but i just did it). within a certain distance we had to jump as high as possible and at the same time moving forward. the person who had the least number of this jumping won. and i did. it took me 16 steps while the rest had 18 or more. few sprint training and a 4x50 meters relay were next. i was so exhausted at the end of the day and wonder if everything was okay.

alsteration (week 12) : 13.710 km
alstering : 7.33 km
non-alstering : 6.380 km

total running (march) : 156.607 km
davon
alstering : 51.31 km
32.76% gehört zu alsteration

all in one

9° celsius. rainy, cloudy and slightly windy. 10:16 (2:59:09)

it rained cats and dogs as i woke up. i couldn't decide whether i was going for the run or to go back to sleep. ahh... what the heck, just go there and decide for myself if i want to do the lsd (in the rain). so after packing all my stuffs, i drove down to the university (the starting point) and realised that i was late. hopefully they hadn't start to run yet. luckily they were still there as i was searching for the parking lot.

i had decided to stay in the car (since it was still raining) and waited for them if they decided to run. shortly after i saw a group of people coming out from the building with the nordic walking sticks. huh? are they running with the sticks now in the rain? gee... then came my group running out and i joined them. our trainer wasn't there cos he was still laboring his achilles tendon problem. all of us decided to do a 6 min pace for today's 3 hours run.

as usual, the 6:00 min/km wasn't taken seriously enough. a group ran slightly faster and the rest including myself, armed with gf 305, decided to slow down a bit and do our own pace. by this time the rain had stopped and the tiny weenie sunshine was there to greet us again. i didn't regret for my decision to drive down despite the heavy rain earlier. i thought the route was the same as last time, which was to run along the river alster, but i was totally wrong cos they decided to run around the stadtpark instead - moral of the story, don't be late!

the two groups met again in the stadtpark. we were supposed to run the 8.4 km route, the alster marathon relay's route. i had no idea which way was it but who cares, someone was there to lead the way. well, actually i had to lead the way and keep telling the rest our current pace. only when it was too fast, i had to slow them down.

after the second stadtpark round, peter took over the commando and led us the way back, running through the stadtpark and towards the alster lake. at times the pace was way too fast and more than once that we ourselves had to slow down so that we wouldn't overexert. by this time the wind had picked up and i had to run either behind or left of someone. someone else had to act as a windbreaker for me! we ran 3/4 round of the alster before coming back to the university, the route chosen by peter - with almost no slope.

i was happy as we reached the end. my very first 30 km and 3 hour run respectively. funny that i didn't feel that tired at all and the refreshing shower after that was exactly the best finale after a hard's day work!

alsteration (week 11) : 78.094 km
alstering : 21.99 km
non-alstering : 56.104 km

total running (march) : 142.897 km
davon
alstering : 43.98 km
30.78% gehört zu alsteration

blown by the wind

11° celsius. partly cloudy with strong wind. 10:09 (0:42:40)

what a shitty day. all i wanted to do was to do my lsd today but the wind had other plans. it was sooo nice and beautiful the whole week through and now this!

i was quite happy when i woke up this morning to see that it was sunny. no rain. after i was done with all the dingsbums, i drove off to my usual starting point at the alster. the mandatory photos were taken before i started my run. the weather looked fine, only slight wind and partly cloudy. i did some warm-up exercises as usual and then began my run.



the start was slow cos my intention for today was to do 4 rounds of alster, equivalent to about 29.3 km. after about a kilometer or so, my stomach began to "blurp". huh? why now? i have never had any problem with my stomach before - i didn't have breakfast, in fact i never have any breakfast before my morning run. so why now?

i thought about the next toilet. at the alsterperle. it was about 1+ km before i reached there. then came the wind. i was practically blown away by the wind from the side and at times headwind. it was so annoying fighting against the wind and the stomachache. as i reached the alsterperle, the toilet was closed. well, not really closed unless you pay 25 cents to use it. damn it. when the hell they started this? i didn't carry any money with me at all, just my keys. then i remembered reading somewhere from a german blogger who wrote about the 25 cents entry charge. damn. damn. damn.

i had to continue my run cos the next toilet was somewhere 2 km ahead. the wind was getting stronger and stronger. my stomach was complaining, my body was complaining about the wind, my head was complaining to stop the run and go back home. i was only halfway around the lake. ahhh....

i passed the restaurant without stopping to the toilet. my goal now was to run slightly faster to my car and end the damn run for today. the final 1.5 km was a bit better cos i had a strong tailwind. nevertheless the mood to run was already gone. not fun anymore with the wind and the stomach. i was happy as i reached my destination point and by that time, my stomachache was also gone. contemplating of continuing the run but the strong wind just prevented me from any running thoughts for today.

alsteration (week 11) : 47.427 km
alstering : 21.99 km
non-alstering : 25.437 km

total running (march) : 112.230 km
davon
alstering : 43.98 km
39.19% gehört zu alsteration

damn pyramid

11° celsius. dry with slight wind. 19:23 (1:02:35)

late... i was damn late. to make things worse, i missed the connecting bus cos i thought it would be late and made the decision to walk from there to our gathering point. just after i walked for about 20 meters, the bus drove by. ahh... damn it.

lucky for me, the training hasn't started as i arrived. there was a small certificate-giving ceremony to acknowledge the guys and ladies who ran during the local championship. i didn't receive any cert because i was too young, only those 35 and above or those who did exceptionally well would receive the cert - bloody hell! wasted my energy for running fast (okay, fast is relative)!

we started with our usual warm-up run around the smaller stadtpark. i had to catch up with the rest at the start cos my gf 305 was taking its time to locate its satellites. i ran with my water bottle cos i thought that today's training would be somewhere in the stadtpark but i was totally wrong. after the warm-up run, we went straight onto the track. shit... i hate running on the track.

our training today was the pyramid run : 2 x (1', 3', 5', 3', 1') + 1' rest. it was okay if we were outside running in the park but running laps for x-minutes made me crazy. i decided not to think much about the run around thing, just concentrating on the run and during the rest/jog period chatting with the rest (if they are not that far ahead/behind of me). i lost count on how many laps we ran, i just want to finish this lapping thing. so i gave almost everything for the final 1 minute in the last round and received a complain from thomas cos he meant that i had been saving up the energy for the final sprint (he couldn't catch me last week for the final sprint :-)). well, too bad for him but i also have a reason. i ran the halfmarathon last sunday and yesterday and therefore i couldn't always run fast the whole time. anyway, i love to give everything for the final sprint/lap/minute!

alsteration (week 11) : 40.099 km
alstering : 14.66 km
non-alstering : 25.439 km

total running (march) : 104.903 km
davon
alstering : 36.65 km
34.94% gehört zu alsteration

ruhe bewahren

11° celsius. dry and very windy. 18:07 (2:08:14)

what should i do today? the weather looked very fine - sunshine and almost no clouds. the high pressure in central europe was the culprit for bringing such weather. hmm... why should i complain then? ahh... yes. i was misguided by the "warm" weather to ignore the "correct" running attire i should be wearing. i was "scarcely dressed"!

it wasn't that bad when i started the run cos the route was always blocked by either trees or buildings along the way. but once i reached the alster, it was totally different. wind blowing from the lake, sometimes left, sometimes right or either headwind or tailwind. it got worse after the sun set cos the wind got stronger and my legs got heavier. with just a thin running shirt without my gloves, i tried to control the coldness that got into me and swore that i would always have my gloves with me during winter - snow or sunshine, it doesn't matter. my hands were practically frozen. lesson learned.

during the run, there were times when i was tempted to run faster whenever someone ran past me and to follow his tempo. i told myself to stay relax cos this is not a competition, just a normal run - you've done enough for the week. so i strolled back home after running my weekly wednesday halfmarathon.

alsteration (week 11) : 28.749 km
alstering : 14.66 km
non-alstering : 14.089 km

total running (march) : 93.553 km
davon
alstering : 36.65 km
39.18% gehört zu alsteration

undecided

15° celsius. dry. 18:25 (0:47:38)

should i run or shouldn't i? that was the big question today cos the weather was sooooo nice! it was sunny and warm : 17 - 20° celsius in the day. hmmm.... i've read somewhere that if you are undecided, just put on your running attire and run. if after a few hundred meters and you don't feel like running, you can always turn back and go home!

that was exactly what i did. i ran few hundred meters and while waiting for the traffic light to go green (for pedestrians), i'd decided to turn back. instead of running back home i'd chosen to run in the park, although the original idea was to run around the alster.

at almost every turns/crossings i just run aimlessly without having any plan where my route should be. i wasn't even thinking of running "fast" today, just a slow jog in the neighbourhood. the after effect from yesterday's run was still there - the sore muscles. a regenerative run as my running colleagues would say.

alsteration (week 11) : 7.497 km
alstering : 0.00 km
non-alstering : 7.497 km

total running (march) : 72.301 km
davon
alstering : 21.99 km
30.41% gehört zu alsteration

24. straßenlaufcup 2007 (halfmarathon)

10° celsius. sunny. 10:00 (1:32:59)

today's halfmarathon was the 3rd and final race from the laufcup running series. my legs were still hurt and sore from thursday training, just a bit better than yesterday. went to pick up anina before we drove off to forst rosengarten. this time i didn't drive the wrong way but direct to the starting point.


the compulsory photos
these photos reflect the weather and ground conditions before my run. compare these with the photos from the first and the second race.

the weather looked good as we drove to forst rosengarten. a man with the signboard "parking space is full" was quite adamant that i shouldn't drive further to park the car. all i wanted to do was to make a u-turn to park the car, cos i wouldn't have the chance and space to do it on the narrow road. as we arrived, another of our running colleague, norbert, was already there. he was supposed to be a pacer for anina and help her to achieve sub-1:30. another member from our group had to withdraw from this race cos he was sick. both of them were supposed to help anina achieving her dream time. after a small talk, both of them went on to do some warm up jogging, while i was busy taking pictures (what else).


scenes at the bib collection tent
photos of the finishing areas


towards the starting point
the way to the starting point is hilly and it is about 400 meters (or was it more?) from the finishing line.

the starting point for this halfmarathon was a bit further than usual. it was about 400 meters (or more) away from the bib collection point. those who came late must be wondering where were all the starters. i had to run up and down (real slowly, trying not to waste my energy) the hilly area and regarded it as my warm up exercise. not bad idea in fact as it turned out!

before start, the organiser announced that we had to run 4 times the 5 km stretch and the last kilometer will lead to the finishing line (where else!). that means we had to run two loops + 1,1 km. ouch... that must be painful for the legs. with my sore legs i didn't have much confidence, only the assurance that i could run up the hills, with or without the soreness (mental traininglah).

at 10:00 am, the race began. anina and norbert went off charging while i was at the back pushing my way through the aunties and uncles. it didn't matter whether i started in the middle or at the back of the pack, i always ended up behind the slow-and-chatting-might-as-well-block-other-runners competitors. i would never dream of starting in front cos i might be too excited and ran too fast in the beginning.

as i ran, i saw this guy running/zooming past me. he had only one functional arm. his right arm was strapped to his body. he must be late cos he wasn't at the front of the pack. later i realised that he was fifth in today's event in 1:17:01 hrs.

there was no need to mention about the route profile - hilly with lots of ups and downs. due to pushing through at the start, i was quite slow for the first kilometer. but things settled down from the second kilometer onwards. i still had to concentrate during my run as not to step into the pool of water. great but my ankle was twisted a bit during the second kilometer and i almost fell down! lucky for me it was just an almost!

after the first turnaround, i missed the water point (damn) and had to run another 5 km before i could get my first drink. one thing i realised was that my legs weren't giving me any problems and i overtook quite a number of people during the uphill section. at 9.5 kilometer, i overtook a lady and couldn't shake her off. she stucked behind me (that wasn't the problem) and breathed heavily making loud noises (and now that was the problem). erghh... it got on my nerves and i wouldn't want to turn the volume of my mp3 any louder or i will be deaf. the relatively flat and downhill section made it difficult for me to get away from her without breaking my rhythm. after the turnaround (10 km mark), it was back to the uphill section and i could slowly but surely get rid of her!


at the 14 km mark, i looked at the timing and realised that i was faster than the race fortnight ago. how could this be possible? i try to "maintain" my speed but the final 3 kilometers were a hell for me. i couldn't even close up onto the person 50 meters in front of me. i kept telling myself, it was just another 15 minutes of agonizing run before i could call it a day. right at that moment, another runner went past me. how demoralising! my attitude was just to keep my stride and not to slow down too much. many times i wanted to look back to see if anyone else coming to chase me down but the words from a german biathlete kept playing in my mind : i don't look back or to the left and right, just look forward. so i just look forward for the finishing line. and the view was really nice - i just broke my pb!


scenes at the finishing area
warming down and envying the cups. some were just happy to complete the hilly route.


me, anina and norbert
anina didn't achieve her goal. they ran too fast at the beginning. she managed to run only in 1:31:07 hrs. nonetheless, she was first (in her age categorie), second (in the women categorie) and third (in today's event)!

alsteration (week 10) : 64.804 km
alstering : 21.99 km
non-alstering : 42.814 km

total running (march) : 64.804 km
davon
alstering : 21.99 km
33.93% gehört zu alsteration

spring feelings

10° celsius. sunny and sometimes very windy. 10:57 (1:03:59)

ahh... it was so nice to be out there again in the sunshine. my legs still feel sore after thursday's training. both my calves and the back of my thighs are feeling very sore. thanks to the sprinting and interval/repeats!


the view of the aussenalster from my starting point


the compulsory photos before the start of the run
these photos reflect the weather and ground conditions before (sometimes after) my run around the alster lake.

all i wanted to do today was to run slowly. really slowly, just one round of alster. armed with my camera, i started my run a tortoise pace after doing my warm-up exercise. only a hundred meter away from the start, i stopped to take pictures. pictures of crocus. i was very, very happy to see these flowers bloom. it means that spring has begun!!!


crocus cultivars
more pictures from the crocus at the end.


kennedybrücke (kennedy bridge) - the second bridge (without the railway track)
running on this bridge during a windy day can be very, very cold especially in winter when the icy wind blows through the running attires and right into the bones! during the peak-hour traffic in the evening, act as if you are totally fresh and energetic when running on this bridge to impress the drivers stucked in the traffic jam.


bridges of hamburg
with more than 2000 bridges in the city, it is said that hamburg has the most numbers of bridges in the world(!).


alsterperle
this small building used to be public toilet until someone had a brilliant idea to change these toilets (there are few more around the alster) into cafés (since 1998). these cafés are the best stopover during a walk around the alster. by the way, functional toilets are still available within the café (just a smaller version from its original size).


trees around alster
i just like these huge trees with their branches spreading out. it is just like a natural fountain.


alster
i would love to live somewhere near the alster, if possible directly near the lake. it is just a question of money. if you can afford to pay the exorbitant rent, then do it. it's worth it!


road hogging!
this grandma on bike had really got the nerves :-) cycling slowly in front of the tourist bus. luckily for the bus driver, it is not yet summer, when the bicycle season starts.


dog's life
i saw this dog running/playing with the ball in park. it was so cute to see him chasing and pushing the ball around. a small area at the alster is reserved for the four-legged to run around freely (or they will run around the walkway and disturb the joggers, especially the fast joggers - not biting, just their unpredictable change of direction can sometimes cause trouble). in summer, the dogs will play football(!) together with their owners - it is fun to watch them!

the crocus

i took all the photos of the crocus around the lake as i ran and stopped. that was the reason why i took so long to cover the 7.33 km stretch. it blooms all over around the alster lake. the most important news that these crocus brought was that the spring has begun with perfect weather and sunshine. the spring feelings are back!

alsteration (week 10) : 43.706 km
alstering : 21.99 km
non-alstering : 21.716 km

total running (march) : 43.706 km
davon
alstering : 21.99 km
50.31% gehört zu alsteration