Rota Run, the Aftermath (How Do We Improve?)

OK, while I am waiting for the official results of the Rota Run, where I hope I land somewhere in the top 25, it is time to review the race and think of running improvements we could make.

Let's list the things I did right and what I did wrong. See what can be improved and then formulate an action plan.

Rights:

1.  Carbo-loading dinner helped me run strong all through out the race. I had the energy to keep chasing.
2. Arrived early for stretching and warm up. It also helped me to relax and focus.
3. Slower and stronger on uphills worked. Because I ran slower, I did not tire my legs than my normal pace on flats would. And because I ran stronger, I was able to lift my legs higher on back kicks to propel forward easier. Let the momentum of the high back leg push me forward naturally.
4. Faster and shorter strides on downhills. I was so fast on downhills it felt like I'm on a roller coaster. Hehe. That feeling is relaxing to the mind and gives me a little extra push on the spirit. And a faster pace too. Try it.
   
5. A race strategy before the race. Keep it on your head. Memorize and then execute. Have contingency plans. Answer what if questions. What if there is no water on the 6th or 8th kilometer? What if there are hills all through out the race? Keep the plan simple and keep it reasonable. Simple enough so we won't forget and reasonable enough that we know we can do it. Don't expect to run sub 3 min/km when we know we can hardly run 4 min/km.
   
   
6. Chasing kept me at my pace. It lets me stay on my pace or even faster. Remember to hold back when we can't chase the front runner or we're depleting our energy reserves already. The goal is to have a pace we can sustain and to keep focus.
7. Strong finish. Speed training not only helps improve speed and increase our anaerobic threshold. We can also use this training on the last few hundred meters of the race. On my Intervals, I know I could run all out at a 3:15 min/km pace for 400 meters (and doing it at least 10 times on an interval training day). At the last 600 meters, I used that knowledge to my advantage. I ran at full speed knowing I can hold that pace up to the finish.
8. Tangent cuts. Speed is not the only way to finish fast. Cut the distance if you can. Remember to always stay on the route though. You don't want to be disqualified, do you?
9. Songs of inspiration to push on tough times. We all suffer from fatigue and exhaustion. We're humans after all. We have different ways to tough it out in the race field. In my case, I use inspirational songs to keep going. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. It's just a question of how.
10. Friends, family and loved ones' support. The inspiration they provide carry us further than we are capable of. I believe in that. When I'm about to give up. I know I'll not just give up on myself, I'm letting them down as well. So I just go on and push. I dedicated the last race for my Tita Naneng, my mother and my hon.. I don't want to let them down.
11. Taped the nipples and armpits to prevent chafing. No more bloody boobies. I learned this painfully from the Botak 10-Mile race.

Wrongs:

1.  Did not sleep enough. Too excited.
2. Trusted that there would be a 6km water station. It wasn't there and it was almost a disaster.
3. Unfamiliarity with the route. Heritage Park almost disqualified me from the race.
4. Total stop at drinking stations. Learn to drink at a much slower pace instead of a full stop. Law of inertia applies when we totally stop. It's hard to start moving again, especially when fatigued, after a complete stop.
5. Losing form when suffering from fatigue. Even at an easy recovery pace, we should be able to keep our form, feet landing and strikes. Fatigue should not be an excuse for wrong running habits.

How to Improve:

I just had my best race so far and it's hard to imagine myself improving much. Ok, I know that's a mistake. Hehe. We cannot be satisfied and settle for less. We must continue to seek improvements. ;)

I've done good, time to get better. Have enough sleep. Finish the training about 3-5 days prior to a race. Then memorize the race strategy by then. Be excited in that 3-4 days pre-race. On the night before the race, sleep early. We need a lot of rest for a hard tough race.

It's a good idea to drink after the first 4 kilometers. Do not wait longer and then suffer from thirst. Learn how to hydrate while running slowly. That will keep our body going while refueling. A complete stop is not that bad, but to continue moving while on a much slower pace while drinking should be better. It will keep our focus on running and it will be easier for us to accelerate.

I've run at UP, The Fort to Makati, Roxas Avenue and now McKinley Hills. I am familiar with most of the race routes. Still, I should familiarize myself with the routes of upcoming races to avoid possible DQs and to be able to formulate a strategy based on terrains - know when to slow down for uphills and know when to speed up for flats and downhills.

Keep practicing. A good running form could be developed by constant practice. Pay special attention on running form especially when fatigued. This way we could learn how to keep a good form and keep running relaxed and easy even when suffering from fatigue.

Let me know what I missed. Let's keep running.