All For That 89.28KM...

By Frank

So here it is, My final report card for this year's Comrades training before I leave in a few hours time later in the wee hours of Monday (26 May 2014) morning. 5 months of training since 1 January 2014 came and went in a blink of an eye. The suffer fest I went through for 145 days (1 January - 25 May 2014) was tough but yet I stayed focus and committed for this once a year main event.

How time flies when it all began back on 1 September 2014 when registration open. And today, a total of 1,488KM has been ran as part of training which officially kick started on 1 January 2014 till this entry was made today and it was a perfect 5 months in terms of Kilometers ran as per required in the training regime. I followed closely the training program given and was honoured and lucky enough to have the official Comrades coach guidance. This is my best training among all my 3 Comrades in not only running but also focusing on other workouts. So hopefully, although it will be my weaker direction at the "down" round, I am hopeful for better results this year.

"Down" run profile.

I've been posting my month end "report card" but here's a little look back at where it all began this year. January has always been the base building month. To build the fitness up to prepare the body for the training ahead was the main objective. And besides, I was training a little for February's Titi 100 so it was a good start to the training with a healthy total of 251KM (target 242KM) ran.

Next was February, the month to identify and correct any running form. More or less to improve. And being the shortest month and with Chinese New Year, it's a tough month to run the distance. However thanks to Titi 100, 335KM (target 262KM) was achieved!

"Hell" March, the toughest most intense month is one where runners should have peak at the end of it. It was an emotional month for me as it was a roller coaster ride for me in my personal life matters. And to make matters worst, the haze returned earlier than expected from the hot weather and open burning. Therefore, I trained most of the time indoor. And also as the name suggest, it was going to be tough to run the required distance hence I've asked Jamie for help from his Gold Coast Marathon group which consist of Nick, Julia, Choon Yuen and Kew which made things less difficult. It was a re-visit to the Kinrara route and the introduction of the Subang route. It was all well worth it and I thank them sincerely for their company. And this month, I had Twilight Ultra Challenge in Singapore to help out with the training where I ran 93KM. Although I did peak at the end of the month with total 371KM (target 348KM), I recovered a little slower than expected probably due to the travelling and thus the following month started a little slower.

So far so good but things went a little bumpy in mid April where I was hit by "heatiness" hence had trouble at my "bottom". Had to stop running for almost a week while waiting for it to heal before everything went smoothly again. April was all about maintaining the fitness and while doing so, to improve on pace and lactate threshold. Therefore, there were interval and speed works involved this month, something which I do not favour but I survived by recording 280KM (target 272KM).

Then came the final month, one where I taper. May was a busy month indeed as the launch of this year's Be Frank campaign in conjunction with me running the Comrades Marathon while raising funds and awareness for cancer research. There were press conferences, radio and media interviews which was necessary to market the cause and also the Frankathon event. But it's all for a good cause and something I am willing to do. However, sadly work has been rather stressful considering how inconsiderate some turned out to be. Am not going further into details on this but it kind of contributed to me falling sick at the early of the month. Yes, I am blaming work stress for it and all in all, it had to happen a month before the big race. I stopped training for a few days but resumed lightly and safely to ensure everything will progress smoothly. I came thus far hence I've no plan to waste all my efforts. And finally I was glad I managed to record 251KM (target 227KM) as of this morning where I will end all main trainings with it. The remaining short runs will be done at Durban to just keep those legs moving.

Coming full circle.

So in total, it was a 1,488KM ran for this year's Comrades training which ended yesterday night. I hope to continue with the momentum and fitness gained coupled with my experience 2 years back to ensure a better Comrades this time. There's after all some pressure building up back home as many will be supporting my cause at the Be Frank campaign's Frankathon in raising funds and awareness for cancer. But it was pressure that got me to the finish faster last year hence pressure is good at times, by thinking out of the box.

Final composition analysis. Managed to gain some precious fat back.

This will be my final entry for this year's road to Comrades as my flight is schedule tomorrow morning at 2am. Come race day on 1 June 2014 at 11.30am Malaysian time, I together with 9 other Malaysians will tackle the epic journey. For those back home who will like to view it live, there will be live streaming on YouTube via SABC's channel. There will also be live online tracking for runners via www.comrades.com. I can be track with my race number of 57056.

And last but not least, a heartfelt thanks to everyone who has been part of my training journey. To Jamie, Nick, Kew, Choon Yuen and Julia from the GC training group for the company during difficult months. Special mention to my "family" at CARIF and Be Frank for the awesome support given.To my fellow Comrades runners this year, rest well, stay healthy and I will see you at Kingsmead! And finally special thanks to my parents who has once again given their time for me to train.

So it all boils down to this as it all comes full circle on 1 June 2014 as the journey of 89.28KM at the Comrades Marathon 2014 takes places. Hard Is What Makes It GREAT!

A recap of Comrades Marathon 2013.

Comrades 2014 Travel Plan...

By Frank

Staying true to my very own nature before leaving for my long distance travels, here's a look at my itinerary for my fourth trip to my second "home" at South Africa and also for my third Comrades Marathon. As usual, a packing list was prepared and can you believe it that I actually have this first drafted out back in December 2013 before finalizing it early last month. That's how anxious I am for this trip or rather you can say afraid of being forgetful. The below is a look at my packing list which is more or less the same as previous. Just took out some older clothings and added in some new ones, and also to suit the weather there. And please do not mind the Old Town Coffee for my caffeine needs there and also the Bak Kwa (dried meat) which is meant not only for my race but also as a gift for a few friends.

The usual packing list.

All the above will be stuffed into my trustworthy "Big Black Bag" and also the same duffel and camera bag from previous trips. And as you can see, there will be no work related stuff that I will be bringing along. Those are staying put back at where they belong. The only things not mentioned in the list above will be my unwanted but very new t-shirts from various events I've joined. My intention is to have it donate to the poor in South Africa. And one lucky person will take over my 1 year old Saucony Mirage 3 which has served me very well. I guess it's time to pass it on and for someone to take it to greater heights by running well in them. And once the things are donated off, my luggage will have much space needed to haul back lots of stuff from South Africa! :D

All packed and ready to go! Special appearance of the Saucony Ride 7.

Flight details.

This time round, although the registered contingent is of 12 people, 2 could not make it from the total 8 person I was handling. And besides, it was tough planning this year trip. Unlike previous years which was all planned and settled at the early part of the ear, this time round saw confirmation only at early May. It was a major headache in planning. Anyway, I will be travelling with Susanah flying again on Emirates in the wee hours of Monday (26 May 2014) morning. Will head off to Dubai first transiting there for 5 hours before flying off again to Durban arriving in the evening. Once arriving, I will pick up the Nissan Livina I rented before heading off to our hotel at Belaire Suites. A few days with just the 2 of us in Durban while waiting for the rest like Chee Kong, Mei-Ee, little Xi Ning, Cham, CP and Selva to arrive 3 days later and I hope to bring Susanah to a few places worth visiting before making other trips together with the others.

First ride, the Nissan Livina

The view from Belaire Suites.

Of course there will be route drive and visit to the Comrades House as it is really a must for first timers to know of the history of this great run. Then looking forward to the Runner's World Pasta Party at Suncoast Casino where it will be nice to meet up with old friends like Caroline and Susan and not to mention meet new ones. Then of course the Comrades Expo to collect our race kit and perhaps to shop again for collectibles and mementos

And after conquering the grueling Comrades Marathon which I hope everyone will successfully complete, myself together with Susanah, Chee Kong, Mei-Ee and little Xi Ning will another week to spend there while the rest will make their way home. The 5 of us will pay a visit to Kruger National Park. And we rented the 7 seater Chevrolet Orlando for this task. But before getting there, we will have a stop over at Pongola and Hlane Royal National Park at Swaziland. Over at Krueger, we will all stay at Lower Sabie for some encounters with the hippos and Satara camp famous for lions. And hopefully this time round will be lucky enough to spot the big 5s along the way.

Location of Kruger National Park. Take note of its size. It's 27 times the size of Singapore!

The Chevrolet Orlando for the Krueger task.

The big 5.

And to round off the trip, we will make a stop at Johannesburg for a night there hopefully to meet up with friends like Peter, Su Li, Anthony, Susan, Caroline, Pierre, Renee, Willie and others. Myself and Susanah will then fly home on 7 June 2014 on board Emirates while Chee Kong and Mei-Ee will catch a later flight back to Scotland.

This once again will be my yearly affair with South Africa and I am excited to have new friends coming along. Certainly hoping to spend some quality time with them and besides, we have a one year old baby with us this time round, an age where it will be interesting! With days to go before I leave and days to the big race, I am really looking forward to it already and am doing what I can to finish off my work here. Am sure everyone else is doing the same so that we can have some peace while enjoying our race and holiday.

Staying Realistic...

By Frank

It's been a long and tiring but yet fruitful training journey since 1 January this year. Not without obstacles, but I've managed to pull it through till today. And with 17 days to go till the Comrades Marathon 2014, playing the mental game is just as important as the physical training itself.

For the past 2 years, I've been a Vic Clapham medal finisher. Though last year I was targeting for a sub 11 hour finish for the bronze, conditions weren't favourable and perhaps training too. This year, I will be gunning for bronze again though I know I have to be as realistic as possible. Based on the progress I made this year, a sub 11 hour may sound absolutely realistic though I am more happy to finish the race itself and even to better last year's time. So don't ask me to run a Bill Rowan finishing time!

This year, besides the awesome moral support I am getting, the folks at CARIF and Be Frank will be organising the Frankathon to have runners "run" with me. They will run on the treadmill in trying to accumulate as much distance as possible for a good cause while I run the actual race at South Africa. As I've told them, this mounts pressure on me but at the same time the pressure to do better is actually good. Just got to think out of the box. Besides, it was pressure the last year that I ran a better race.

I am grateful and thankful to a lot of people who are supporting my race and also my cause. It's all done for a good cause in raising funds for cancer research and awareness. To those who have pledge and donated whether money or Kilometres, you all will have played a part in making a difference in the fight against cancer and a future free of it. It all starts today with the each of us.

So back to the Comrades Marathon again this year. The couple of weeks leading to it was a hectic and busy one. Lots of interviews and press conferences, and not to mention work and ridiculous requests given by people across the causeway. I just hope to hang on and to remain healthy as each day passes. I came thus far and will hope to carry the momentum into the race. And to have the thoughts of many in mind will be the main thing that will keep me going. So yes, staying positive is one thing, and being realistic is how real it can get. To finish will be primary, to better last year's time will be secondary and to run a sub 11 hours race will be an absolute bonus! 17 days till race day. Let's do this!

Enter The Frankathon...

KUALA LUMPUR, 12 May 2014 – Cancer Research Initiatives Foundation (CARIF) today launched The Frankathon, a running event in support of Frank Chong, a cancer survivor who will be running the 89.28km Comrades Marathon in South Africa for the third time on 1 June 2014 to raise funds for CARIF.

Malaysian cancer survivor, Frank Chong is beating the odds and doing the seemingly impossible by committing himself to run the world’s most challenging ultra-marathon, under the banner of the ‘Be Frank’ Campaign.

The ‘Be Frank’ Campaign was launched by CARIF in May 2013 to provide an avenue to empower the public to reach out within their communities to raise funds and cancer awareness. The word ‘Frank’ is used to encourage Malaysians to be open about cancer.

“I am uniting my passion of running and my role as a cancer survivor, hoping it will be a small step towards a future free from fear of cancer. Like the 89.28km Comrades Marathon, fighting cancer is one long and tough journey. Therefore, while I am running the ultra-marathon, show your support by joining The Frankathon!” said cancer survivor and sole inspiration of the ‘Be Frank’ Campaign, Frank Chong.

In conjunction with Frank running the Comrades Marathon, CARIF is launching The Frankathon in partnership with Celebrity Fitness Malaysia, M+ Pharmacy, M&C Saatchi and Priority Communications.

“Cancer is a disease that affects thousands of families across Malaysia every day. We are launching The Frankathon to give the Malaysian public an inspiration to fight cancer by raising funds for cancer research,” said Prof. Dr Teo Soo-Hwang, Chief Executive Officer of CARIF.  “Anyone and everyone can be like Frank! Let’s ‘Outrun Cancer’ together!”

“The funds raised through The Frankathon will be used for research to identify new therapeutics for treatment of head and neck cancer, research into the discovery of new breast cancer loci and to look for pathway-specific anti-cancer compounds from our natural resources. No donation or contribution is too small or trivial, and we hope that more individuals and corporations will support CARIF towards our vision of a future free from fear of cancer,” she added.

CARIF invites both individual and organizations to participate and ‘Pledge a Kilometer’, all in the name of solidarity for cancer awareness and raise funds for the on-going research to help Malaysians beat cancer.

You can participate in The Frankathon as individuals throughout the month of May to June 2014 by running The Frankathon on your own at home, at the park, in the gym or anywhere you want! Then, ‘Donate your Kilometers’ by uploading a #selfie of yourself running on the ‘Be Frank’ Facebook (www.facebook.com/befrank.my) with the tag #OutrunCancer.

Alternatively, you can also participate in the on ground event at the Main Concourse area on the Ground Floor of Bangsar Village 1 from 29 May to 31 May 2014. There are two categories for individuals, namely the Fun Run (running 2km or 10min on the treadmill) and ‘Beat the Kilometers’ (running 5km on the treadmill).

If you would like to do more to fight cancer, purchase the official The Frankathon bib at RM5 from Celebrity Fitness Malaysia (Mid Valley, Bangsar Village 1 and One Utama outlets) and run The Frankathon on your own. Otherwise, you can contribute to cancer research in Malaysia by purchasing a ‘Pledge a Kilometer’ voucher at RM100 from M+ Pharmacy, Lower Ground Floor, Bangsar Village 1 or CARIF. Voucher holders are entitled to ‘run with Frank’ on 1 June 2014 at the Main Concourse area of Bangsar Village 1 upon registration - while Frank is running the ultra-marathon in South Africa, you can ‘run with Frank’ as the Comrades Marathon is streamed live at the on ground event.

You can also participate in The Frankathon as organizations by forming a team of 20 to run the 90km Frankathon on 29 May to 1 June 2014 at in Bangsar Village 1 or you can opt to ‘Pledge a Kilometer’ and we will pick a team to run 90km on your behalf.

To find out more about The Frankathon and how you can support CARIF, please visit the ‘Be Frank’ Facebook page (www.facebook.com/befrank.my) or email us at info@carif.com.my.

Additional Quotes:

“Celebrity Fitness Malaysia is delighted to be a part of the The Frankathon as we believe that being healthy is the way to go in order to help beat cancer”, said Evelyn Low, Country Marketing Manager, Celebrity Fitness Malaysia, partner of The Frankathon.

“The M+ Pharmacy team believes that cancer research is the key to finding a cure for cancer and we are proud to be a part of it,” said Datin Khoo Su Min, M+ Pharmacy, another partner of The Frankathon.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Low Sook Huey

PR Executive, CARIF

Tel: 603-5639 1970

E-mail: sookhuey.low@carif.com.my

The ‘Be Frank’ Fact Sheet

(A) The ‘Be Frank’ Campaign by CARIF

Inspired by Malaysian cancer survivor Frank Chong’s courageous story of running the world’s most challenging ultra-marathon, the Comrades Marathon, CARIF launched its ‘Be Frank’ Campaign in May 2013, with the purpose of increasing cancer awareness and raising funds for cancer research.

This campaign captures the very essence of Frank himself - his dedication to support cancer research by fund raising, his courage in facing up to the cancer which has affected him and his determination to support cancer awareness by speaking up about cancer.

Be Frank: Fundraising

Join us in our fund raising efforts for cancer research. You can support Frank’s fund raising initiative, ‘The Ultimate Race for Cancer Research’ by donating or purchasing the official ‘Be Frank’ t-shirts. Or, you can ‘Be Frank’ and use your passion and interests to fund raise for cancer research. Be it a cupcake sale in the office or shaving your head to raise funds, we will support you and help you achieve your target.

Be Frank: Outreach

‘Be Frank’ and encourage your loved ones and individuals in your communities to go for early detection and educate them on the key preventive measures. Be our cancer champion, just like Frank.

Highlights in 2013:

Be Frank: Nurses Programme

We train nurses to recognize the signs and symptoms of breast cancer and to encourage women at their clinics to undergo mammogram screening. This programme targets underserved women, particularly those who work in the factories.

Be Frank: Dentist Programme

Dentists are best placed to identify the early signs and symptoms of oral cancer and to encourage patients at their clinics the importance of oral cancer screening and early detection.  Working in collaboration with the Malaysian Dental Association, the Ministry of Health and University Malaya, we are reaching out to dentists to be the first line of defence against oral cancer.

Be Frank: Hairdressers Programme

Inspired by the Barbershop programme in the USA, we have trained Malaysian hairdressers to be “Boob Buddies” and to educate their clients about breast cancer.

Be Frank: Youth Programme

Youths are our future and our best chance of preventing the future epidemic of cancer as the primary form of cancer prevention is changing lifestyles and behaviours that are known to be risk factors. We train Youths to be “Cancer Champions” through carnivals, video, posters and interactive games.  

Let’s Be Frank about Cancer Myths.

Join us in our ‘Be Frank’ about cancer myths programme. Come and champion the cause to speak out about cancer. Help us ‘Be Frank’ and spread the correct information about cancer.

(B) The Frankathon

There are two ways that you can participate in The Frankathon, as individuals or as an ogranization. Do find below the details of how you can participate:

Individual

Run The Frankathon on you own and ‘Donate your Kilometers’!

CARIF will track the total kilometers donated in support of Frank’s 90km marathon.

‘Be Frank’ Facebook

No registration, no fuss, just RUN!

Run to show your support for cancer research!

You can do it at home, at the park, in the gym, or anywhere you want.

Snap a #selfie of yourself running!

INSPIRE others to do the same.

Post it on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/befrank.my).

Indicate how many kilometers you are “donating” (running) with the tag #OutrunCancer.

Celebrity Fitness Malaysia

Mid Valley, Bangsar Village 1 and One Utama outlets.

Register with us!

Purchase a Frankathon bib at RM5 each and run!

Snap a #selfie of yourself running and post it on our Facebook page

Run The Frankathon on treadmills at the ground event!

Let’s #OutrunCancer together! Register with a fee of RM10 per participant on the event day itself and running bibs will be given upon registration.

Venue: Main Concourse, Ground Floor, Bangsar Village 1

Date: 29 May – 31 May 2014

Time: 10am – 10pm

Categories: (i) Fun Run – 2km or 10 minutes

(ii) Beat the Kilometers – 5km

Run The Frankathon and ‘Pledge a Kilometer’!

Frank Chong, a cancer survivor is going to run 89.28km at the Comrades Marathon this year for cancer research. We want you to do the same! ‘Pledge a Kilometer’ for RM100 to ‘run with Frank’* while he is running the Comrades Marathon in South Africa. ‘Pledge a Kilometer’ vouchers can be purchased from M+ Pharmacy and CARIF.

              

Venue: Main Concourse, Ground Floor, Bangsar Village 1

Date: 1 June 2014*

Time: 10am – 10pm

Registration closing date: 26 May 2014

*Limited slots available on a first come first serve basis for registered ‘Pledge a kilometer’ voucher holders.

Organization

As a non-profit organization, we rely on the goodwill of organizations to help support the The Frankathon. Here are two easy ways your organization can ‘Be Frank’:

Sponsor a team and run The Frankathon

Main Concourse, Ground Floor, Bangsar Village 1 (29th May – 1st June 2014)**

Gather a team of 20 (it could be a team of your colleagues, friends and even family) to run a total of 90km. Upon completion, pledge a donation (i.e. RM100 for every kilometer conquered) to raise funds for cancer research. Registration can be made on the ‘Be Frank’ Facebook page (www.facebook.com/befrank.my) with a registration fee of RM90 per team.

** Limited slots are available on a first come first serve basis. Terms and conditions apply.

‘Pledge a Kilometer’ for cancer research

All you need to do is simply pledge an amount (i.e. RM100 per kilometer = RM9,000) and we will pick a team to run 90km on your behalf in support of Frank’s ultimate run for cancer research.

About CARIF

CARIF is the only non-profit cancer research laboratory dedicated to Malaysian cancer research. CARIF’s mission is to conduct research that can lead to new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer; with the hope that such research will lead to saving lives from this terrible disease. CARIF was established by YM Tan Sri Dato Seri Tunku Ahmad Yahaya and YABhg Toh Puan Dato’ Seri Dr Aishah Ong in 2000 and officially launched by YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2002, concentrating first on oral cancer then expanding later to research programmes in breast, nasopharyngeal and ovarian cancers, and to natural products with anti-cancer properties. For more information, kindly visit www.carif.com.my.

About the ‘Be Frank’ Campaign

The ‘Be Frank’ Campaign by CARIF is inspired by Frank Chong, 35, a cancer survivor, who has beaten the odds by surviving cancer which afflicted him when he was eleven. In 2013, CARIF launched the ‘Be Frank’ Campaign hoping to inspire cancer patients and their families to be like Frank as well as to help raise funds and awareness to spread the importance of early detection, dispelling the myths of cancer, and ultimately inspire others to help people live longer, healthier lives.

About the Comrades Marathon

The Comrades Marathon is an 89.28km ultra-marathon that takes place in South Africa every year since its first run in 1921. It is internationally recognized for the body sapping challenge it poses and the camaraderie it fosters amongst its thousands of participants. The race is run to celebrate mankind’s spirit over adversity and has been hailed as the world’s greatest ultra-marathon by the Guinness World Records.

For more information, please contact us at info@carif.com.my or call us at 603-5639 1874.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Low Sook Huey

PR Executive, CARIF

Tel: 603-5639 1970

Email: sookhuey.low@carif.com.my

Comrades 2014 Race Gear...

By Frank

With 23 days to go till the big race day, intensive training has more or less wrapped up as now is the time to rectify or minimise any small hiccups that may occur during the race itself, at least from the race gear perspective. So yeah, here's unveiling Comrades 2014 race gear.

As posted before, I opted for Saucony Kinvara 4 ViZiGLO edition for my race shoe as this was the particular model that I used most often on my training. However, there were some change of plan to this as I hope the new model I received courtesy from Saucony Malaysia will proof to be the game changer. The successor to the fourth, the 5th generation of fast, the all new Saucony Kinvara 5! (*disclaimer - The Kinvara 5 is a sample pair courtesy from Saucony Malaysia). I've been testing the shoe indoors by walking in it since early April 2014. First impression of it was the plush upper as more foams were added all around. And with the introduction of ProLock, some sort of arch locking spandex to hold the feet down, my feet felt more secured. The FlexFilm has once again been adjusted for the better and I am glad that the all good feeling around the collar was still there as my ankle felt secured together with the all new RunDry collar. As the shoe has slightly more structure to it and being a "Down" run this year, I opt for half a size larger and hopefully my new pair of Drymax socks will make the fitting as perfect as possible.

3 generations of fast.
From L to R, Comrades 2013 Kinvara 3 with Kinvara 4 ViZiGLO and Kinvara 5.

Speaking of socks, this year's Drymax will be a different model as I've chosen the Max Protection model which I bought from Keith over at The Ultra Marathon Running Store, UK. It offers thicker padding on the heel and forefoot area and hopefully it will offer lots of protection as the name suggest while I descend into the Durban. And my usual trustworthy BV Sport Booster which I'v got myself a new pair for this year to compress and protect my calves.

As for my apparels, I am sticking with SKINS Tri400 top and A400 bottom shorts which I've used last year. Sticking with it as it worked so well. However, it's not the same set from last year and in fact, this was a brand new set I bought from my own pocket money. The top this time was a size down as I've lost weight from all the training done. Yes, I shrunk! Slight adjustments to the print graphic and VIOLA!

Then a new pair of shades from Optic Nerve, the Neurotoxin 2.0 to protect my eyes.Wider vision and better ventilated than last year's Apex, the fit was a little better. And the colour, to match my shoes! Hehehe...

And finally, my usual Suunto Ambit 2 Sapphire will take on the duty to track my distance and time while last year's Suunto Ambit will perform the same duty for a very dear friend of mine.

2014's race gear, well part of it.

Hence there you have it. I am delighted and confident of this year's race gear especially the Kinvara 5. It's all about comfort and performance rather than just a candy for the eye. And I can't thank Saucony enough for the absolute support in my run. So this is it... 23 days to go!

Four Down, Just One More...

By Frank

The end of of the fourth month and with 30 days to go till the Comrades Marathon 2014, I am almost there, I hope so. Am just glad at where I am now and and that April is now behind me. Unlike the first 3 months, it wasn't smooth sailing this time round.

Although I surpassed my running target for the month again with 280KM ran, April did not start well as I recovered a little slower than expected from Twilight Ultra Challenge where I ran 93KM in almost 16 hours. Although the running was fine, the travelling wasn't and I guess that may have been the cause for my recovery rate. Anyhow, when I finally managed to shake it off, I was back on track again doing what was necessary for the month, speed and interval training, something which left me breathless. That continued smoothly till I was hit by another bummer in the third week.

The third week of training was hampered by my "mobility". I can hardly move due to major discomfort at my "bottom". Am not disclosing it as it's a little embarrassing but I guess it's not difficult to guess what I went through since I did mentioned "bottom". Took a while to recover and while it didn't really affect my fitness, I did hope that I managed to recover well in terms of cardio and muscle recovery. I was a little behind schedule but I didn't ponder much about it. And when I recovered at the fourth week of the month, I went full swing again continuing at where I left off. And once again thanks to Jamie and the rest of the GC running group, a solid 32KM on the last Sunday of the month to mark the last of my "long" runs to close the month off.

Now with the fourth month of training done and dusted, and hitting a more than satisfactory level,  it's finally into the final fifth month and this is where I finally get to taper. Taper may sound easy and comfy but trust me that this month is going to be a mental one. Got to control the urge to run and train and let the body recuperate for the big day. Running distance will be reduced, intensity minimised and resistance training kept at bay, all done in sequence And nutrition will be as equally important to prepare my body. I am slowly gaining some weight back, in terms of fat and a little muscle mass and I hope that I will be able to get back to my "normal" body composition" in the next 3 weeks. It's going to be critical. Oh and before I forget, there is a slight change of my race gear which I will reveal in my next entry. I've been testing it for the last 2 weeks and hopefully, this change will proof to be a game changer.

So with perfect four months of training in the bag, bring on the food for the fifth and final training month! I mean running!