Thursday, August 25, 2011

OKF11 Week #6: The Kingfishers' Feast

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They were treated to a feast fit for King-fishers. Decked out in what would be their 'Sunday's Best', the Kingfishers were all well versed with their routines and expectations at the track. Still, they were in for some evening delight as the menu unraveled for a tasty meal.


Photo Slideshow @ CK CHIN

Appetizer was served with a version of the 'Magic' Mile just to get a good feel and commit to muscle memory the element of speed in the upcoming half marathon. Since we were already entering the final phase of training, and to set the correct tone, we were to take this 1.6km routine at a slightly slower pace than what we would normally do during speedwork sessions.

There was'nt much of a break before the main course was served. It was divided into 2 halves, 'cooked' slightly differently in terms of the 'heat' element. The first deck of 800m sets was to be consumed at no faster than 10km pace, with short rests in between. These the Kingfishers lapped up with such enthusiasm that a number of them actually swallowed too fast initially, forgetting to chew. Fortunately, they were able to stabilize and maintain a good pace by the second set.

The second half of the main course also comprised of 800m sets, but this time complemented with 'floats' to engage their sense of pace, recovery and to build up the propensity for lactate clearance. Those who devoured the first portion of the meal too quickly would find this second portion harder to swallow, as attested by one of the guest runners (he used to be a 2:55h marathoner) who found the floats interesting.

The Kingfishers maintained a good tempo to finish the main meal just ahead of the final horn from the stadium. They did it well with more 'spares' in their tanks, and if required to go for a few more floats, would not cause indigestion nor much discomfort. As we do have a race coming up, dessert was cut down to avoid any piling on of unnecessary weight. We will serve that next time when we have visits to the track again.

The Kingfishers are speed and strength ready!

We wish them Speedy Success @ AHM/SBR 2011.

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