Photo Slideshow By CK CHIN and AC LEONG
In spite of the rain, the Sunbird Running Guides were out in full force, and a good 120 trainees gathered, all ready to get that challenging workout (in the plan) accomplished. The 4 training groups gel-ed together nicely with sub-briefings on the routes and paces by the respective Group Leaders. By 7:30am, we were flagged off and the 4 groups made a charge for a 4km run, followed by the ascent to Mt. Faber.
The HMers were allocated 30min to do the 1.6km Hill Repeats, whilst the FM folks were tasked an hour's worth. With the tips on hills training still fresh in our minds, we were able to pace ourselves uphill and recover on the down-hills. The Sunbirds looked very steady and composed, full of energy even though Brother Sun was nowhere to be seen.
It started to rain rather heavily at 4am, setting off what would be the perfect cool weather for Operation Sunbird Week #4's LSD at the Mt. Faber hilly terrain. The rain had stopped by 7am, and with the skies still cloudy, we were ready for the challenging 14km (HM) and 28km (FM) hills repeats+long run.
In spite of the rain, the Sunbird Running Guides were out in full force, and a good 120 trainees gathered, all ready to get that challenging workout (in the plan) accomplished. The 4 training groups gel-ed together nicely with sub-briefings on the routes and paces by the respective Group Leaders. By 7:30am, we were flagged off and the 4 groups made a charge for a 4km run, followed by the ascent to Mt. Faber.
The HMers were allocated 30min to do the 1.6km Hill Repeats, whilst the FM folks were tasked an hour's worth. With the tips on hills training still fresh in our minds, we were able to pace ourselves uphill and recover on the down-hills. The Sunbirds looked very steady and composed, full of energy even though Brother Sun was nowhere to be seen.
Knowing that there would be additional mileage to cover after the hill repeats, the Sunbirds took measured strides and calculated paces. This group looked very strong, with the HMers covering 3-4 laps and the FMers finishing 4-6 laps, all within regulation time. After the Hills, The HM runners went on to do about 6km more of rolling hills to reach the finishing point, while the FMers went on for 6km + 5km or 8km more of undulating terrain around the Mt. Faber area.
There was a small snag for those who did not bring hydration along, as the toilet near the top of Mt. Faber was out of service due to renovation. It served as a timely reminder for us to bring hydration along for more effective water regulation, which can only enhance the training performances.
It could be because of the cool weather, or just that the Sunbirds have gotten stronger and more able to pace themselves, quite a number of the trainees said the run was easier than what we did at MacRitchie Reservoir (MR) two weekends ago. In order not to disappoint these enthusiastic Sunbirds, we will be visiting the MR area soon for even more trails and slopes.
The Running Guides reported that most of the Sunbirds did very well, and achieved the training objectives of the session in good order. The running form of the Sunbirds are improving, and with more tips and training on form and posture coming up, we hope all can improve their running form for better performance in the marathon. In two weeks, the Sunbirds will be going for a time-trial of sorts at the New Balance Real Run, and that would be good feedback on their progress and improvement areas we can work on when we enter the Pace Training phase.
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