William Chong

Survived my first full marathon on Sunday at a time of 5:04:35. It was a pretty intense day, and with Kat’s 21st birthday party going on the night before I didn’t really get a lot of rest, wondering how things were going.

Cheryl and Kim tagged along for the 4 am start, and I managed to get across to Devonport with an hour to spare. Got some time to sit and watch the running shoes and yellow bags pass by in the ferry building.

I decided not to go with a pace group this year – partly because last year I chose the wrong one and went too fast, and also partly because I was fairly sure of my own running pace, at about 6.5 minutes/km.

The first half of the course was pretty familiar to me, having done it last year. I was much more aware of how hilly the route between Takapuna, Northcote and the Harbour Bridge would be, so I kept my pace steady even on uphill sections and was rewarded with a 21.1km split time of 2 hr 16 min – an improvement over last year’s time.

This year’s marathon brought out some excellent running weather. There was a light breeze and plenty of cloud cover which meant less dehydrating. Generally it was pretty easy weather to run in.

(Team Deathstar)

(Crossing the Auckland Harbour Bridge on a beautiful morning.)

(Passing under the Harbour Bridge while running along Westhaven Marina.)

The second half of the marathon for me was significantly harder. My furthest training run went up to 30 km so once I got past that (at about Mission Bay), it was almost as if my body didn’t recognise what I was meant to be doing. My right calf muscles began to cramp up and I found myself repeating in my head the words to Isaiah 40:31, and hoping it would hold true for me for the rest of the race!

What I found difficult was that a lot of the other folks running at my section were almost powerwalking, yet were still able to keep pace with me. This even though I was faithfully keeping my running cadence (I timed my steps to Mark and Stephen Altrogge’s “I Will Cast My Cares“). Perhaps there’s something to be said for having longer legs when doing long-distance running!

The last seven km’s were wretched. My running had come to the point where my legs were pumping, but it felt like I wasn’t going anywhere fast! Also the cramps that were creeping in at 32 km flared up a couple of times on the way back from St Heliers and Mission Bay to the city again. Going through my mind was: “How embarrassing would it be to get a crazy cramp at the finish and fall over on video!” Fortunately there were plenty of drinks stations along the way back and I was able to keep going, though at a noticeably slower pace than my first 21 km.

Up to the last five k’s I had hoped that I could do a sub-5 hour time, considering that I felt pretty good at the halfway point and was ahead of time. That hope dissolved away when I reached the ferry building (about 2 km from the end) 5 minutes shy of the 5 hour mark. I quickly put the disappointment behind me though, after reflecting on how amazing it was to even have the opportunity to run myself ragged like this. I definitely prayed for a lot of people during my 5 hours of running, and thought particularly of the families in Samoa that Habitat for Humanity will be able to help with the $500 we fundraised for them.

I ended up with a second-half split time of 2:48:34 – and as expected, a much slower pace of 8 mins/km (largely from the last seven k’s). Nevertheless, I crossed that finish line with thoughts of elation and joy, for completing something I’d set my mind to since last year. A nice touch at the end was having the announcer call out each runner’s name as they approached the finish line. They also handed out medals for people who completed the marathon – this would probably be my one and only sports-related medal!

Henry, Cheryl, Arron and Kim all came down to Vic Park to offer their congrats, and we went out for lunch afterwards.

All in all it was a great day – I’m glad I did it!

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I’m quite excited. Picked up the race pack yesterday for the 2009 Auckland Marathon – starting bright and early, 6:10 am on Sunday!

Last year I attempted the halfmarathon and didn’t collapse from exhaustion, so I will see how it goes this year with 42 km. I started training all the way back in June, and have run over 500 kilometers during more than 65 hours of training. Despite this, my pace remains pretty slow at between 6.5 to 8 minutes per km. With that in mind, I’ll be happy with finishing the race in one piece. Since it’s my first marathon, setting a personal best time is guaranteed!

Prayers will be much appreciated particularly once it gets towards 10:00 and I really start to miss being at church worshipping with everyone else at Howick Baptist! (Also by that time it’ll probably be over 30 km into the route and I’ll be very tired…)

Also, I just figured out how to email from my phone so hopefully I’ll treat you all to some photos (e.g. from the top of the harbour bridge as I cross over) – you should be able to check them out on facebook or on my twitter page. It really is amazing what we can do with the level of internet and media connectivity we have today.

Anyways I’ll write again after the weekend – take care everyone!

Hebrews 12:1-2: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God…”

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P.S.: Don’t forget to check out my fundraising page for Habitat for Humanity (they’re helping to rebuild houses for victims of the Samoa tsunami) at www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/williamchong! Soli deo gloria!

It seemed like a good dose of providence when I heard on Friday that Habitat for Humanity NZ is getting stuck in with the mammoth task of rebuilding homes lost and damaged in the tsunami that hit Samoa:

From their press release:

Project Samoa Hope – Habitat for Humanity New Zealand responds to disaster

Habitat for Humanity New Zealand has announced today that it is responding to the Samoan Tsunami Disaster.

Habitat is sending a disaster relief expert with significant experience from the South Asia tsunami to Samoa to quickly assess the need for both emergency and long term shelter, and link with local agencies as they plan for the ongoing rebuilding work. Habitat has considerable experience in rebuilding tens of thousands of homes after the South Asia tsunami of December 2004.

An appeal has been launched for funds to help with both emergency shelter provision and the rebuilding of homes.

Habitat is also seeking expressions of interest from volunteer builders and trade persons who are able to go to Samoa and help with the cleanup and rebuilding. These can be sent to information@habitat.org.nz. Dates cannot be finalised until assessment of need and conditions is completed in Samoa, but Habitat will keep all interested parties informed of progress so that Kiwi teams can go to Samoa when the timing is right.

Habitat’s NZ Chief Executive, Pete North, says that this disaster has touched many families here in New Zealand as well as Samoa and Habitat New Zealand will lead the Habitat response in the reconstruction process.

Help today by making a donation to the Samoan Tsunami Disaster Appeal

You see, for the past 4-5 months I’ve been ekeing precious time out to pound the pavement and train up for the Auckland Marathon. To be honest, when I chose Habitat as the fundraising charity I didn’t imagine that the hard work of sponsors and supporters of my first full marathon would be used in such a way.

So it’s been with a real sense of purpose that I’ve been clocking up the training miles. Even just today while on my 24 km long run, I got a good three hours of solitude to ponder about many things, including the tragedy that hundreds of families in the Samoan community are dealing with right now.

For those interested in the stats, here’s my current training record. I’m glad that the money raised so far will directly benefit lives in Samoa. So if you see me out on the roads running my best, remember that you can help contribute towards my chosen charity by making a donation – either on my fundraising page (http://www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/williamchong), or directly through Habitat for Humanity’s tsunami appeal.

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Find out more:

I’ll let you in on a secret on what happens when you run for ages.

Generally when you’ve been running for over an hour, your sweat becomes progressively more and more salty (as a result of your ongoing dehydration). It’s a weird sensation when you lick your lips and it’s intensely salty – it’s the same sort of taste as coming out of a swim at the beach. And by the time you run for over 2 hours, you have gained a top-to-toe coating of this incredibly fine, human-produced salt. It’s weird to say, but it’s almost an affirmation of how hard you have been working during that run. Human-powered salt factory. It’s probably not suitable for seasoning though: I think I’ll stick to my table salt!

One of the best things about running as a sport is that it’s doable in any environment. Whether you’re a suburban mom or an inner-city slicker, whether you live in the middle of the desert or the Alaskan tundra, I’d say it’s nearly always possible to find somewhere to run, and some sights to see.

So I brought my running shoes with me on holiday in the Gold Coast, and got a pedestrian’s-eye-view from Main Beach and Seaworld all the way down to Broadbeach. It was a bonus that the course was pretty much flat and well-marked throughout. The views of golden beaches juxtaposed with neck-craning skyscrapers is unlike any other place I’ve seen.

Some pictures from running in the Gold Coast:

Surfer’s Paradise.

Cavill Street Parade and Surfers Paradise Boulevard.

High rises. Beautiful.

Bridge across a canal at Surfer’s.

“When I run, I feel God’s pleasure.” – Eric Liddell, Olympic gold medallist

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If you haven’t donated yet, please consider visiting my fundraising website and having a look! We’re super fortunate to be living in good homes and Habitat for Humanity do a much-needed work in New Zealand.

Find out more:

It’s been two years since I bought my first pair of running shoes. My red and black Nikes faithfully withstood the many runs I pounded out in preparation for my halfmarathon last year.

So I recently updated my running shoes to the new Lunarlite+ trainers.

What are they like? Well, after running with these flourescent-looking pair for the past two weeks, I can say that they’re pretty good. These shoes sport a type of memory foam that both moulds to your foot pressure patterns and provides the cushioning during foot impact.  It definitely had more cushioning than my old pair of shoes. The foam thing has also largely superseded the idea of having air inside your shoes (that was so 90′s…) – if you’ve ever owned one of those, you’ve probably found the “air” compartment becoming less and less filled with air.

The Lunarlite+ shoes also don’t pad up around your ankles at all – I found that this gave my running a freer feel. Of course your ankles definitely get more sore initially as your feet grow accustomed to the shoe, so it’s probably best to wear them in gradually.

All in all, it’s a pretty decent shoe – it fits snug around my feet and I’m enjoying running on them.

N.B.: The runs have been going good so far – I’m about three weeks into my training programme, and the  great thing is that the days will soon get longer again. So there’ll hopefully be fewer 5 am runs!

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Thanks Kelvin! Thanks Amy! Thanks Lauren!

Find out more:

I’m excited to be running regularly again. It’s actually one of my most beneficial times when I can think on my own, listen to music and podcasts, and get ideas going. And it’s a great way to keep active particularly when your full-time job is mostly spent in an office chair.

This week’s long run started off relatively short at 12.9 km (it builds up to 29.0 km before tapering off a few weeks before November 1). The highlight would have been running past my house at halfway and picking up my bottle of water, which tastes much better when your mouth is dry and you are sweating profusely over the pavement.

What’s my training programme? Well, I’m currently working off two training schedules: one from the Rotorua Marathon site, and another from the New York Times Run Well widget. I like the NYT widget as I can keep a record of my runs and see if I’m on target. The Rotorua one is also pretty helpful for its variety of running activities (e.g. Fartlek, hill runs, strideouts, endurance runs, recovery).

One week down, 20 more to go!

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I’m getting my running shoes on again – this time for my first full marathon on November 1, 2009.

What? You’re crazy!

Yup. You can keep track of my thoughts, observations, training regime here. And there’s an open invite for running buddies as well – I would really benefit from some company on some of the runs, particularly the longer ones.

I’m also running for a new charity this year – Habitat for Humanity. From their website:

Habitat for Humanity in New Zealand is a not-for-profit Christian organisation that works in partnership with people of goodwill and families in housing need, to eliminate sub-standard housing by building, renovating and selling simple, decent houses on an affordable basis.

The first New Zealand house was built by our Franklin affiliate (now part of the Greater Auckland affiliate) in Pukekohe in 1993. We now have 12 affiliate offices throughout New Zealand, and we have helped give over 300 families a hand up into their own home.

I’ve watched their proactive, unselfish work from a distance for a number of years now, and felt that it would be good to support them this time round.

So if you’re not able to come on training runs with me, you can still show your support by going to my fundraising page and donating to Habitat for Humanity.

I’ve thrown down the gauntlet – let’s get it started!

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On Sunday I ran my first half-marathon ever. It’s up there in terms of my life’s highlights (including climbing Mt Kinabalu, standing at the top of Cape Reinga watching two seas collide) – and I think I might have caught the running bug.

I clocked in at 2:23:47 (net time) – which pretty much shattered any false hopes of beating Kerre Woodham! But I did raise $590 for the NZ Heart Foundation, thanks to the help of old-fashioned appeals, emails and generosity despite these troubled times. It’s nice to see altruism in action, especially for a good cause.

Reflecting on how I ran my first halfmarathon, I made the grave mistake of a last-minute change to my game plan: to maintain an under 6-minute/km pace. To do this my plan was to stick with the 2:00 hour pacesetter, but 5 minutes before the horn went off, he was nowhere to be seen, and my naive self thought that following the 1:50 lady would probably be alright. It was an unsustainable pace and I was punished for it, eventually coming towards the bottom half of the men’s field.

Hey – at least it gives me the motivation to go one better next year…

Runners and revellers

Waking up at 4am in the morning is pretty hard – I tried to make it easier to get out of bed by hiding my alarm underneath a bunch of books in my bookcase across the room. The pre-race breakfast consisted of wholegrain bread with Nutella spread.

Brendan’s dad picked me up at 5am to head to the Auckland ferry building. With adidas bags in hand, we joined a queue (for one of the numerous ferries to the start line at Devonport) that stretched from the ferry building out to the Viaduct Harbour’s entertainment precinct. It was definitely a strange juxtaposition of eager fitness freaks with the remnants of Saturday night’s clubbers, fresh from their booze-filled morning and probably wondering what on earth the people with the smurf-coloured bags were lining up for.

(N.B.: Some photos courtesy of Marathon-photos.com)

We reached the Devonport Ferry Terminal at about 5:45, having had a launch delay because a big celebrity cruise liner took its time parking up at the Viaduct and blocking the way.

After last-minute toilet stops and dropping off our gear bags into the gear trucks, we proceeded to the start line. As I mentioned earlier, this was where I made the fatal error of making the last-minute deviation from my training pace.

The first few minutes was thrilling. Full of adrenaline, with rock music pumping in my ears (c.f. Song 2 by Blur), the first 5 kilometers were great. My enthusiasm saw me enjoy running up Vauxhall Rd and around Narrow Neck Beach, and my aim was to keep a consistent pace through the entire race. However, it dawned on me that the 1:50 was too fast for me as the lady with the helium balloon broke away – I saw my dreams of a sub-2 hr, sub-anything finish bob further and further away…

I reached the first drink station (just before Takapuna Grammar School) fairly well-hydrated. Despite the potential for derision, I stuck to carrying my water with me – this proved to be a good move as the mad scrums and dashes for the water cups created a fair amount of chaos as I went past. It’s also pretty hard to drink from a cup when you’re bouncing along the pavement, and the cadence of my feet would spill more water than I’d actually drink.

The next couple of kilometers went pretty well – I spotted a few memorable folks, including:

• Rob Matthews and his guide powering past me up a hill (he’s a record-holding runner who’s born with a degenerative eye condition)
• Two guys dressed in togas who eventually completed the full marathon
• A small group of supporters interspersed along the course, waving “Smile if you’re still loving this: yeeya!” signs

Crossing the 10 km mark and entering the suburb of Northcote, I was then greeted with a good section of hilly course. My strategy was to resist the temptation of bounding downhill and powerwalking uphill, but rather to keep a consistent pace. Fortunately, the hill training I had done (thanks Bucklands Beach Rd, Bleakhouse Rd and Takutai Ave!) meant that I kept to my consistent pace no matter the incline.

Towards the bridge

I was nevertheless glad to see the end of hilly Northcote terrain, as the course drooped down Stafford Rd and towards the Auckland Motorway onramp. One of the highlights of the Auckland Marathon soon came into view: the opportunity to run across the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Runner’s high at the top of the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

It was a reasonably challenging “hill” – but the bridge was still runnable, and with awe-inspiring views to boot. Watching the lemmings-like trail of runners stretch around the corner and towards the Westhaven Marina.

The pain barrier

My physiology went into uncharted territory once I began the last 5 km of the halfmarathon. My feet began throbbing with pain with each step I took. My leg muscles weren’t particularly sore, but strangely enough there was a soreness across my abdominals that was completely new (and unsettling) to me. Thanks to my constant rehydration, I suffered no cramps. But it still hurt.Crossing the finish line became the primary goal. Pressing on, pressing on.

I passed a couple more memorable characters like Darth Vader and Obi Wan Kenobi, as well as the infamous Borat. The last 2 kms took forever, and the field turned progressively pinker as the men’s field (wearing black or blue shirts) had mostly forged ahead by then. It didn’t matter: I filled my head with comments and phrases from friends and supporters (“keep your knees up”; “give us value for money”; “see you at the 2010 Olympics”), recalled that I had also been running for a greater cause, and grinned my way towards the home straight.

Running through the finishing chute was amazing as the feeling of finishing my inaugural long-distance event gradually sank in.

Of course, Brendan made it with a much quicker time: coming in at 136th place with a time of 1:32:47 and winning the lucky prize draw of a sponsored, all-expenses-paid trip to the 2009 London Marathon (yeah, it’s true).

Before we left, we stuck around at the finishing line to watch some of the full marathon finishers. The small but reasonably vocal crowd encouraged the racers home, and there were a few more unique runners like:

• Harry Escott, who completed the full marathon in 3 hrs 57 minutes… by skipping it
• A racer dressed in a full Stormtrooper costume who made a pretty good sub-4 1/2-hour time
• The 10-year-old boy that came through under four hours running the full marathon
• Countless septa and octagenarians who were truly inspiring to watch cross the finish line

There’s no question about it – I’ll be back next year.

Other reflections

A collection of post-marathon/halfmarathon reflections out on the blogosphere:

• Damian did the halfmarathon
• Andrew raced for the NZ Heart Foundation too
• James and Jody both did the halfmarathon
• Ken completes the full marathon

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Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.”

8 weeks of training.

48 times getting out the door in running shoes.

1,879 minutes spent traversing over 325 km of pavement, trail and road.

It all comes together at 6:30am, 2 November 2008, tomorrow when the marathon began.

In less than 24 hours, I’ll be running in the 2008 Auckland Marathon.

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How to start a run…

A friend of mine challenged me to give it a go. And I took up the challenge to not only improve my fitness, but to push my own boundaries and also use it as an opportunity to connect with my friends. The first time I went out on a run, my limbs screamed out in pain and my lungs struggled to shepherd in enough oxygen. An old lady was able to sprint past me with ease; the day after, persistent aching in my calves reminded me of how unfit I was.

… and not grow weary

Each week however, I’ve been encouraged by friends and family, colleagues and co-workers. Some give moral support, some put their trainers on and run with me. Some donate to the NZ Heart Foundation on my HeartRacer page. Some commit it to prayer. But everyone’s been supportive, and have made it so much easier to clock up the next kilometer, or the next half-hour during training. 

So despite the longer distances, I’ve given it a good go, fueled by the positivity of everyone significant in my life. I’ve enjoyed running in a host of different locations, like Howick, Albany, Pakuranga, even Sydney in the midst of my work commitments. It’s gradually gotten easier and easier, and I’m much more appreciative of the local surroundings. It’s been great.

… and spend time with God

When you’re a full-time worker in a family-flat situation, there’s little precious time to yourself. A big part of running for me has been the opportunity to clear my thoughts, meditate on Scripture, revisit church sermons, and pray and spend time with my Maker. Instead of writing a book on the run, I’ve had some quality devotional time.

It’s brought us closer together, no doubt.

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Generally the last week of preparation is spent winding down the intensity of your runs. Aside from a half-hour run on Monday and two 15-minute jogs, I haven’t done much else to let my body recover as much as it can for the race. 

I picked up my race pack on Thursday amid evening rush-hour traffic. It’s clear that I’m not the only one crazy enough to be running over the Harbour Bridge early Sunday morning – there’s over 8,000 other people doing it with me.

Alright, I’m off – wish me luck!

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“But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength
They shall mount up with wings like eagles
They shall run and not be weary
They shall walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)

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Plotting runs on google maps has been pretty fun these past few months. I think I’ve been able to explore many of the sights and sounds of my local suburbs – something that unfortunately eludes all too many people in their pursuit of the rat race. During my training I’ve been fortunate enough to meander along the streets of Bucklands Beach, Eastern Beach, Howick, Pakuranga, Panmure, Farm Cove, Half Moon Bay, Golflands, Botany Downs, Meadowlands and Highland Park – and my appetite to discover has only just begun!

There’s a lot I’ve discovered about Auckland just by running among the people and their streets. In the past 3 months I’ve seen:

• an elderly sage meditating in a cross-legged and introspective pose, perched on a small wood fence with the beauty of green grass, cobalt sea and sapphire sky behind him
• that Pigeon Mountain has a significant chunk excavated out of one side mastectomy-style, with blocks of housing and a scrappy treeline in its place
• the wetland area that skirts around the Tamaki inlet dotted with eager mangrove shoots, a safe haven harbouring an intricate ecosystem I last explored on a primary school field trip
• that there are certain sidewalks in the neighbourhood that lead straight to views so breathtaking, you’re compelled to pause your workout and just savour an E.G.C. moment
• people of all sizes, ages, races, dispositions exercise, and there are more people out on the pavement at 5am in the morning than you’d expect
• an indescribable sense of Auckland’s serenity and safety that I’ve grown to love

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I’m winding down my running distances (as you can tell from my training record). In general, the week leading up to the marathon is where the athlete will want to recover and repair his/her body fully in preparation for the big race. Any strenuous training at this stage is less likely to add significantly to the athlete’s endurance, and more likely to afflict an injury.

Do. Not. Want. Injury. Not now.

I’ll try and do a final write-up as close to the race as possible. I’m bringing a camera with me, so hopefully I will be able to give you an on-the-street, as-close-as-you’ll-get-to-running-it-yourself perspective of the 2008 Auckland marathon event. Stay tuned!

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Tricia, Ben, Paul, Theresa, Maria, Yuen, Henry, Tina, Brendan – thanks heaps, you guys are amazing! Check out my HeartRacer page and see how they’ve totally broken through the fundraising target!

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Week 11: Training Record

20.10.08 – Route – 33 min – 5:41pm – 6.30 km Run
21.10.08 – Route – 39 min – 7:56pm – 6.96 km Jog
24.10.08 – Route – 39 min – 5:25am – 6.96 km Jog
25.10.08 – Route – 1 hr 14 min – 7:29am – 13.79 km Run with BL
26.10.08 – Route – 33 min – 7:20am – 5.82 km Jog

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