Tag Archives: running

12th August Half Marathon 2024

Recently, I participated in a 10k running event called 12th August Half Marathon 2024, also called “Run for mom“. It is organised on the Thai mother’s day every year on the birth day of Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother of Thailand. The event is held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center also bearing her name. It was my fourth 10k in Bangkok.

In previous runs one of my main problems was getting transport to the venue so early in the mornings. However, thanks to the motorcycle, it was not a problem this time.

The Run

Queen Sirikit National Convention Center
Queen Sirikit National Convention Center

The run was very well organised and started on time. This run also attracted some important people, including the governor and a handful of ambassadors. Coming from India, it was weird to watch them running with regular people and no security around.

The run was quite fun because we had to go over 3 flyovers and the last 2 had a view of the river, although it was a bit too dark.

Queen Sirikit National Convention Center
Queen Sirikit National Convention Center

The Statistics

12 August Half Marathon 2024 10k statistics
12 August Half Marathon 2024 10k statistics

I did slightly better than the last run, but still could not break the 1 hour barrier.

I made very good time for the first 5K, but kind of died after that.

Keeping in mind that I am not getting younger, I don’t think my performance will get significantly better anymore.

However, turning 40 next year, I would be among the youngest in the next age bracket.

This was also probably my watch’s last 10k, as it is at the end of its legs.

Bangkok 21K Park Run 2024

Recently, I participated in a running event called Bangkok 21K Park Run 2024. Even though the name says 21K, I participated in the 10k event, which was my third, ever.

Even though, in my last race, I had decided I would try to break the 1 hour barrier for the 10k, because of travel, excessive heat and medical issues preceding the run I was not able to prepare well. On top of that, monsoons started in Bangkok just a few days ago, so I was not sure whether the event would even take place. So, overall, I decided I would just enjoy the run without worrying about the performance.

Anyways, luck shone on us and there was no rain on the morning of the run.

Bangkok 21k Park Run 2024 starting line
Bangkok Park Run 2024 starting line

The run was in one of the most beautiful parks in Bangkok. If it wasn’t so far from here I live, I would got here regularly to run.

Bangkok 21k Park Run 2024 starting line
Bangkok Park Run 2024 starting line

The run itself was uneventful and enjoyable with great views of the park during sunrise.

Bangkok 21k Park Run 2024
Bangkok Park Run 2024

Considering I hadn’t prepared that well, I didn’t do too bad.

Bangkok 21k Park Run 2024 statistics
Bangkok 21k Park Run 2024 statistics

Will definitely do this run again next year.

SWU Run Together ‘24

Recently, I participated in a 10k running event organised by Srinakarinwirot University called SWU Run Together ‘24. It was my second 10k in Bangkok.

My last 10k didn’t go too well because my knees started seizing up around the 5km mark. Which was strange, because I regularly run more than that on Sundays without issues. So for this race, I re-evaluated my tactic. Instead of matching pace with everyone else and running slow, but consistent, I decided to run faster at my natural pace but slow myself to a walk for 50 metres every 500 metres.

Luckily, this tactic paid off and I finished the race with much better numbers than last time.

Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok 2023 statsSWU Run Together 2024 stats
Amazing Thailand vs SWU Run Together 2024 statistics
Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok 2023 splitsSWU Run Together 2024 splits
Amazing Thailand vs SWU Run Together ‘24 splits
Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok 2023 HR ZonesSWU Run Together 2024 HR Zones
Amazing Thailand vs SWU Run Together 2024 HR Zones

Overall, this run wasn’t as well organised as the last one (They couldn’t completely block traffic and we had to dodge between cars), but was more fun, because it included climbing up (and down) some flyovers and bridges over khlongs.

As you can see above, I finished the 10k almost 20 minutes before the last one. My heart rate also stayed consistently at the higher zones.

My only regret? Missing a sub 1 hour 10k by 48 seconds (As per the official race results; my watch started tracking early).

Maybe next time?

The shoes performed pretty well, too.

Running with Hoka

I have been running regularly for almost 2 years now. Below is my experience running with different Hoka shoes.

Hoka Arahi 6

Hoka Arahi 6
Hoka Arahi 6

These were my first “proper” running shoes, recommended by Ashish. Before this, I was running with very cheap shoes and suffering from constant ankle pain. Running with Hoka Arahi 6 completely solved the ankle pain problem.

However, I forgot to replace them in time, ran almost 800 km in them and the ankle pain came back. So I decided to replace them with another Hoka.

Hoka Bondi X

Hoka Bondi X
Hoka Bondi X

My first choice was to buy the same shoe yet again, but then I saw a huge discount on Hoka carbon plated shoes and decided to “upgrade” my shoes.

The first impression of carbon plated shoes is that they are completely stiff and it is impossible to bend them with your hands.

Running with the Hoka Bondi X is an experience in contradiction. Running in carbon plated shoes feels like running downhill; the boost provided by the carbon plate is noticeable instantly.

6K Run Hoka Arahi 66K Run Hoka Bondi X
Hoka Arahi 6 vs Bondi X 6 km stats
Splits with Hoka Arahi 6Splits with Hoka Bondi X
Hoka Arahi 6 vs Bondi X 6 km splits

As you can see, the Bondi X shaved off full 2 minutes from my 6K run, which is nothing to sneeze at.

The other side of the contradiction is that the Bondi X are so soft, it feels like running through molasses. Even 1km into my run, my calves and thighs felt like they were on fire.

Surely, when I do a heart rate comparison between my last Arahi 6 6K run and my first Bondi X 6K run, I see that I spent significantly more time in the upper zones.

Heart Rate 6K Hoka Arahi 6Heart Rate 6K Hoka Bondi X
Hoka Arahi 6 vs Bondi X 6 km heart rate

After a few runs, the shoes became noticeably less soft, but they still remained difficult to run in. Soon, I also started getting soreness in my knees, so just after 100km, I decided to replace them again.

Hoka Clifton 9

Hoka Clifton 9
Hoka Clifton 9

These were my third Hokas. Unlike the Bondi, these immediately felt more responsive while running, but not as much as the Arahi. I did miss the boost provided by the carbon plate, but the burning in my calves caused by the Bondi was gone. And the good part is, they have been holding up and not degrading over the past few months.

6K Run Hoka Clifton 9
6K Run Hoka Clifton 9
Splits with Hoka Clifton 9
Splits with Hoka Clifton 9

It couldn’t match the lap times of the Bondi-X but at least I didn’t feel like I should stop running, anymore.

Sleep Deprivation Log

A few weeks ago, I had an epic sleep deprivation experience that I felt worth logging. Owing to a combination of some personal issues and the iPad conundrum, I just couldn’t fall asleep. I have been sleep deprived many times, but this is perhaps the first time I didn’t sleep a minute all night.

Here’s an hour-by-hour log of what happened

The Experience

Time RangeLog
22:00-00:00Tossing and turning without being able to fall asleep.
00:00-01:00Walked around, did some laundry folding.
01:00-03:00Tossing and turning without being able to fall asleep.
03:00-04:00Doomscrolled Reddit, Artifact.
04:00-05:30Gave up trying to sleep, got up and had the first coffee of the day.
05:30-06:30Had the most amazing run ever. It felt as if the kms were flying by in a blur and my pace throughout was the best it has ever been in recent years.
06:30-07:00Cool down and shower
07:00-08:00Second coffee of the day
08:00-09:30No recollection of what I did. Completely wiped from memory
09:30-10:30Went grocery shopping with the wife, had my third coffee of the day.
10:30-11:00Came back home and had lunch. Around this time, I started feeling the shakes in my hands. From too much caffeine, rather than from sleep deprivation, I reckon. Also started feeling bouts of irritability.
11:00-14:30Watched Munich. Again, I only remember this part in bits and pieces. Not sure why it took so long to finish the movie or what I did in between.
14:30-15:30No recollection of what I did. Completely wiped from memory
15:30-16:30Sudden feeling of euphoria. Became very happy and wanted to enjoy life. Started writing this post.
16:30-19:00Went out with my family to an open mall for dinner. Had a beer, but didn’t feel anything. Was unusually happy throughout. My memory from this trip has lapses.
19:00-20:00No recollection of what I did. Completely wiped from memory
20:00-09:00Slept for 13 hours, took 2 coffees to get rid of the grogginess. Still felt sleepy all day.
Sleep Deprivation Log

Overall, the experience was quite similar to one of my marijuana benders, which is to say, not pleasant. Next time I can’t sleep, I will bite the bullet and swallow a pill.

Running Part-3

This is Part 3 in continuation to my last post about running. The good news is, I have been able to follow my running schedule religiously over more than a year now. The only time I took a break was for a few days when I had the flu.

I have been able to increase my distance a bit since I started and am running around 18km a week.

My VO2 max has continued its upward trend, but still not reached 2021 levels and probably never will, because of age.

VO2 max from running
1 year VO2 max trend

I recently ran my first formal 10k in Bangkok, which was an exhilarating experience.

The only problem with participating in marathons in Bangkok is that they start very early (approx 2 AM for full, 4 AM for half and 5 AM for 10k). However, the atmosphere is electric, even early in the morning. There are mascots dancing, drones buzzing overhead and a live band playing.

Running among hundreds of people is a completely different experience compared to running alone. The distance goes by very fast and before you know it, the race is over.

Running Part-2

This post is a continuation of my last post about running, back in 2020. After I moved to Bangkok, I stopped exercising. For a few months last year, I started going to the gym, but couldn’t sustain it long enough, as it was too time-consuming. Looking to get some exercise while not spending too much time, I started running again. In the beginning, it felt difficult due to the heat and humidity, but I was able to get used to it soon.

After doing it for a few months, I developed severe ankle pain. In the beginning, I would recover during my rest days, but then it continued to extend over my rest days to the next workouts, too.

The cryptmaster kindly educated me on the importance of good shoes. Turns out, my running shoes were dirt-cheap and 8 years old. And that was not acceptable. I promptly ordered some new shoes. Thankfully, my ankle pain reduced considerably, thereafter.

I have now been continuing my runs 4 days a week, 4km each time for more than 6 months now. Although I have steadily made progress with my pace, unfortunately, my VO2 max has plateaued. Try what I may, I am not able to reach my VO2 max levels from 2021.

Overall, though, I am very happy that I am keeping healthy and exercising is definitely a great mood elevator for me. It boosts the mood for the rest of the day. The only problem is, I have been losing weight consistently and need to improve my diet to make up for lost calories.

Weight Loss
Weight Loss

The Lockdown finally got me running

The first few weeks of the lockdown felt awesome. No need to go to work & lot of time freed up from the daily commute. I spent most of this time drinking and lying around. However, eventually the lying around became quite tiring physically.

Things were so bad, I went through most days with less than 200 steps. The less I moved, the more tired I felt. Eventually, I was always tired and even getting out of the bed seemed a huge challenge. I knew I needed some exercise. I tried Darebee’s daily workout for a few days, but I didn’t find it motivating and couldn’t sustain it long enough. What I needed was to go out and run, but with the lockdown, that was out of the question.

By the end of the lockdown, I was so eager to go out and run that when we were allowed to go out, I started running immediately and fortunately, was able to maintain the habit over many months.

My energy levels came back up, I felt much better after the workouts, I could focus more at work and I slept better. I also started watching my diet and limiting what I eat on weekdays.

Some other quantifiable gains over these 3 months of daily running

  • Weight came down from 70.4kgs to 64.5kgs
  • Body fat % came down from 14.5 to 11.7
  • VO2 Max went up from 39.3 to 46.8
  • Resting heart rate went down from 65 to 55

It’s not that I am fanatic about running. Since I can spare only 15-20 minutes daily between meetings, I run only 2km each time. But I do this with consistent pace and do it regularly without skipping days. Whenever I feel like skipping a day, I think about how lucky I am to be able to go out at all.

Schedule

I hope I am able to keep up the cadence, at least till the air quality here goes to shit, like it does each year and going out becomes impossible.