Sundown Marathon Training Talk: Running Gait Analysis

As part of the Official Sundown Marathon running talk series, Team FatBird was to lead a 8km run for the 40 experienced runners who attended the Running Gait Analysis workshop at HortPark.  The 10 of us from the FatBird-Sundown Pacers team joined the comfy group of 50 for a talk by Ray from Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), where an overview of running gait, common problems caused by poor running form, as well as some simple diagnostics we can conduct to find out if we have been running right during training.

After an interesting overview of Gait Analysis, coupled with some demonstrations and a short but lively Q&A, Ray conducted a dynamic warm-up for the runners, before Team FatBird took over to lead the runners into the lush and serene enclave of Canterbury Estate.  We ran at a comfortable, chit-chat pace, discussing about what we had just learnt about running gait, as well as the training progress we have had in the run up preparations for Sundown.  

There was a good mix of faster runners as well as some who were taking it easier to focus on their running form.  There were the club runners, school x-country reps, members of running groups as well as running enthusiasts who were serious about improving their run timings with tweaks to their running form and training methods.

 

After an approximate 5km in the estate, one group decided to head back for the refreshments, while the other group of about 20 went on to the Kent Ridge Park for some hills and fartlek tryouts.  At the end, most have had their satisfying tempo and hill workouts, and were looking happy and strong.  

More sharing and face-face Q&A with Ray ensued after light refreshments and a group cool down stretch conducted by Team FatBird.  The whole session ended before noon, and from the feedback of the participants, it was a well spent morning where they went away with some good knowledge of gait analysis and got in a nice workout in rather nice weather and some good group running. 

 

We invited some of the runners to find out more about gait analysis from Ray/TTSH and also to join in the Sundown lead UpRuns on April 21 and May 6, this time we will be doing 25km-30km pace training runs with the Sundown Ambassadors - how’s that for putting into practice what has been learnt at the workshops and training talks?



More Photos From:
Official Sundown Marathon Facebook Album

Sundown Marathon 2012: Lead Up Run #1 - The Night

The Lead Up Runners @ Start: Credit Official Sundown Marathon Photos

Picasa Photo Slideshow from CK Chin

Official Sundown Marathon 2012 (facebook photos)

It was a sight to behold – 250 runners descended on to the PlayGround @ Big Splash on Friday evening for the Sundown Marathon 2012 Lead-Up Run.  It was gonna be the first and only night lead-up run in the series of 3, and the promise of running into the city lights only served to build up the anticipation of those who had earlier signed up.

The Official Sundown Ambassadors: Credit Official Sundown Marathon Photos

It was also the night when we would introduce the Sundown
Ambassadors in their neon-green running tees which are both eye-catching with a luminous effect under the silvery light of the moon/lights.  Weeks before, the Pacers were already preparing for this run, doing recce, planning out the route marshalling and logistics support, as well as practicing on marshalling as a team.  This evening they arrived as early as 6:00pm, 2 hours before the start of the event, to take Pacer photos for the profiles, helping to set up the registration and on-site stage, as well as going through the final coordination of logistics, timings and groupings for the night’s run.

Runners started streaming in at 7:15pm, registering themselves, getting light sticks and wrist bands, nutrition gels from the sponsor (MaxiFuel Singapore), and checking out and chatting with the Pacers and groups already present.  By 8:00pm, the entire group was ushered nearer to the beach where the lighting conditions were better.  Introductions of the Pacers and Pace Groups were followed by route and safety briefings.  As the route was rather challenging, running through traffic crossings and descending by bridges, safety was emphasized and took priority over speed and pace.

After the customary group photo was taken with high energy levels, the runners were lined up in groups by 8:30pm, and flagged off in 2min intervals.  Each of the 4 groups had about 10pacers running alongside 40-60 runners, having a front guard, middle guides and rear guard.  Whistles and words of encouragement could be heard along the way to perk up the senses of the participants and to alert them of traffic and route conditions.  It was a sight to behold as these groups ran along Fort Road, Mountbatten, Nicholl Highway and then onto Marina Promenade.  The beautiful lights from the Flyer and Marina Bay could be seen, and as we went closer, sounds of music and bands celebrating the lights festival could be discerned - a beautiful sight which had the runners’ senses tickled with delight…some even danced and pranced to the beat of the music.

The strategic water support station set up by MaxiFuel was a godsend.  The Viper drinks and gels gave the runners much renewed energy for the onward journey to the FatBird statue below UOB Plaza, the U-turn point for the 20km runners.  Some of the HM participants turned back from the Helix Bridge for a slightly shorter route.  There were lots of other activities and crowds at the Helix, and it was a real spectacle for the touristy groups to see runner groups coming in from the Marina side.  Although the afternoon rains brought some cool relief, it was still a relative humid night, and the Vipers did really nourish us with renewed energy for the final 8km back. 

The speed on the return always seem faster as we naturally wish to finish earlier to get the job completed J  Spirits ran high as we were still running as groups and looking out for one another as teams.  The moment we hit Fort Road, all broke loose as we headed for the finish with the form and power only seen in 10km races.  Whistles were blowing and shouts of encouragement echoed through the night as the runners finished the run with arms held high to loud cheers and applause, the sense of satisfaction seen on their faces can hardly be described.  The NightHawks (trainees) in accordance to their training program went on to complete another 4-8km.  By midnight, all had completed their missions in fine form and a nice set of results to show.  

Many of them said ‘thank you’ for an enjoyable run and helping them fulfill one of their longest training runs to date.  As the runners settled down with isotonic drinks and bananas in hand, they were sharing and recounting their experiences of the night’s journey.  Many looked tired as we approached the witching hour, but they were still full of smiles with twinkles in their eyes.  We held separate group debriefs and garnered generally very good feedback of the run as well as organization, support and route marshalling.

As the set-up were slowly being dismantled, the runners proceeded to the nearby food joints for their supper and post-run replenishment.  We would like to thank all participants who made this Sundown Lead Up Run a great success.  Special mention go out to the dedicated team of Sundown Pacers and staff from the Organizer (Hi-Velocity) and Nutrition/Hydration Support (MaxiFuel) for working together as a team to make this happen!  Go, Go, Sundown!   

FatBirds Ride The Wind With Krupicka

The New Paper article, credit Dennis Quek for the scan

A Minimalist Story by Anthony Sum
Facebook Photos from AC Leong, Mohan Marathon
Minimus Zero Launch Photos by Mohan Marathon

It was 2 weeks ago when Team FatBird Running received an exciting piece of news from our friends from New Balance Singapore – Anton Krupicka , the Ultra Marathon extraordinare with many accolades and titles to this name in the world of ultra marathon adventure and endurance races, was coming to town.  Even more exciting was that a selected few of us were to personally meet up and run alongside this man, who rides the wind with nary any noise nor fuss.

Straits Times article by Chan U-Gene: Credit Mohan for the scan

There was a buzz in the local community when Anton arrived, and as the hours unfolded with stories about his simple and carefree lifestyle, the local running community got excited about how this ultraman, for all his age of just 28, could live so simply and yet accomplish so much.  The Straits Times and New Paper articles spoke of his living in a truck, waking up in the morning and just running into the Colorado mountains to begin enjoying his trail mileage of 200miles a week…for most of the time, Anton just need a pair of shorts (he runs barebody mostly) and a reliable pair of shoes to protect him from the elements.

Anton burst onto the minimalist running scene with his invaluable inputs to the New Balance Minimus shoes that eventually set THE LIGHTEST on for new Balance to enter the minimalist running scene in a huge way, getting all the competitive shoe companies out there paying lots more attention to this new area of running shoe development.  The Minimus Trail (MT10) and before that, MT101, were trail shoes that received many rave reviews and recognition from not only the ultra-runners, but also the mainstream running community who were on a prowl for shoes and equipment which can help them achieve better running form as mentioned in the by-now-famous bible of barefoot running “Born To Run”.  Lots more about Anton can be gathered HERE @ Wiki and at his blog – Riding The Wind!

When I arrived to MacRitchie Reservoir (MR) amenities centre, Anton was already there chatting with fellow runners and the media.  I quickly grabbed the opportunity to get an autograph on my newly-minted MT00 (kind courtesy of NB) as well as my TFB Running Tee.  Anton, being the humble guy, not only entertained our requests for autographs, but also took the time for photos as well as talking about his feel of the Singapore weather and running community.  As I continue to engage him at close range, I still cannot absorb the fact that he is only 28, with such a big manner and maturity about him.

Action Photos from Mohan Marathon

Edmund from NB gave a brief of the route and with some light stretches, we headed straight onto the Northern Route.  As Anton was still recovering an injury, and he has a Ultra Marathon race in 2 weeks, we were told not to push him too hard…of course we had fast and experienced local runners like Sham, Ford, Jeri to be around just in case.  As we ‘jogged’ into the trails, we realized that Anton’s recovery pace was faster than many of our race pace for 5-10km…hahaha.  It was sheer fun to see the group of lead pacers running together with Anton, with a few of us deciding to play the role of 'roving' cameramen to take some nice pictures and photos of the team in action.  

Up The Slopes of The Northern Route @ MR

Anton has an effortless-looking stride and very relaxed form, probably explaining why he could go on for 100-150miles at that kind of fast speed through rock mountain terrain.  Because of the earlier rains, the MR trails were rather wet and slippery, but all these were mostly welcomed by Anton, who found the trails a little rocky, but more natural and becoming of a run through nature.  As with riding the wind, the run was speedy, smooth and quick. 

An Exhilarating Run @ MR

It was in no time we were back to the start of the trails, covering 7km within 35min, inclusive of stoppages for photos of course...PANT, PANT, PANT!  The NB MT00 shoes were taken through a good test on the muddy MR terrain that day, and I must say they passed with good grades, esp. in the area of lightness, trail-holding and versatility in uneven terrain.  

Group Photo with NB Runners & Friends: Photo Credit, Jeri Collett

It was an enjoyable experience for me to have run with a Ultra Marathon legend, and I was glad that the distance was short enough for me to at least catch some shots of the man and have a few words in between while sucking in air.  I didn’t spend too much time with my fellow running friends who were there, but I guess we all will understand that it was an opportunity not to be missed to speak and interact with this humble Ultra Marathon legend while we have him at such close proximity.

We heard that Anton is very interested in the Mt. Kinabalu Climbathon – often dubbed the toughest mountain race in Asia/World…we certainly hope to see Anton again soon, if he does come for this race.  Till then, Team FatBird would like to thank New Balance for organizing this and more importantly, inviting us to meet with and Ride The Wind with Anton Krupicka!

Singapore World Water Day 2012

The World Water Day (WWD) is an initiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) and held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of water and advocating for the sustainable management of water resources.

The Singapore World Water Day was held in conjunction, with activities by community partners across different Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters (ABC Waters) sites islandwide on March 24. These activities were aimed at bringing people closer to the waters, to inspire them to do their part to conserve and value water.

This year, Team FatBird had the honour of being invited to participate in this important event as a representative partner from the running community in Singapore.  This is the first time the event was having a running group, along with many other partners and special interest groups like cycling, kayaking, Tai-Chi, Brisk-walkers and various sports groups, schools and communities participating.

80+ FatBirds showed up bright and early on a Saturday morning at the FatBird Statue just below UOB Plaza @ Raffles Place.  After we picked up our WWD visors, we were joined in by a special guest, Permanent Secretary, Environment & Water Resources, Mr. Desmond Kuek for the 6km run-in to Marina Barrage for the WWD Celebrations and Ceremony.  Mr. Kwek, himself an avid and fast runner, was with the leading pack Group 1 at an average pace of 6min/km and on occasion dipping closer to 5:30min/km.  Groups 2 and 3, each comprising about 30 runners were also moving in unison with designated stops for group photos.

The first stop was at the Helix Bridge where we did some FatBird shouts and jumps, to the amusement of the new runners and guests who joined us for the very first time.  After that warm-up session, we ran along Marina Bay Sands, and then into Marina South, skirting alongside the yet-to-be-completed Gardens By The Bay.  It was great fun running and chatting, as well as admiring the scenery and greenery along the way, with all the runners and guests having such a great time.

It was not long after that we finally reached Marina Barrage, met up and chatted with more VIPs who were there earlier for other WWD activities, before running up the slope to the roof garden of Marina Barrage.  We had a nice group photo with Mr. Desmond Kuek and his team, before proceeding down for drinks and meeting up with the other FatBird groups coming in. 

Singapore World Water Day Ceremony: Video Credit, Susie Lim

Time passed quickly when we were having so much fun... soon we were called upon to standby for the WWD ceremony, led by Singapore's President, Dr. Tony Tan and Minister Of Environment & Water Resources, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Mr. Desmond Kuek and many other VIPs.  Team FatBird had the honour to be invited on stage to be part of the ceremony of pouring water in a symbolic gesture of having Clean Waters flowing.  Following that, there was a video of the morning's proceedings played out on the large screen, and when the snippet of TFB showed, there were loud cheers and encouragement for the team.

  

The respective partners were given Plaques Of Appreciation, with Team FatBird receving ours from the Minister to loud applause from our very supportive and enthusiastic Team FatBird Runners.  Right after that, the team made our way back to UOB Plaza to meet with the Minister for the River Cleanup operation.

Some of the tired FatBirds took the bus shuttle, while the rest ran 6km back to UOB Plaza.  There we ended the run with the collection of Goodie Pails (a pail containing a towel and water bottle), and met up with other groups who were all waiting for the arrival of the Minister.

FatBirds with Minister Vivian B. - Photo Credit, PUB 

Minister Vivian B. arrived shortly to loud cheers and applause, with lots of exchanges with the supportive crowd.  Team FatBird had some great group photos with the Minister and VIPs, before rounding up the event with cheers to a very good run for a meaningful cause.  We would like to thank the PUB management for organizing such a great event, and having Team FatBird be an integral part of the World Water Day Celebrations.  We look forward to be back for Singapore World Water Day 2013.

Lots of Photos were taken were taken by our fantastic group of FatBird photographers and contributors, with the following albums for your viewing pleasure and fond memories of The Singapore World Water Day 2012:
CK Chin (Album 1)
CK Chin (Album 2)
AC Leong
Susie Lim
Tan Kim Lai
Tan Tick Hock