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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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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I had a heartfelt conversation with one of my running buddies last night.

He talks about finding meaning in life, and seeking out challenges. He laments about being caught in between two worlds. His conscience tells him that he doesn’t belong, doesn’t fit the drinking, partying lifestyle of the twenty-something youth. Yet conversely, he doesn’t have the faith and certainty exhibited in a church setting, exhibited by Christians around him worshipping the God they believe in. “I know I don’t belong”, he says.

His words seemed to guard a subtle tinge of what I guessed to be disillusionment. This is a friend who is still looking for meaning and purpose in life.

On training and running this marathon, there have been a few moments where I too, have been made to think.

Moments where you consider what our toil and trouble in this world is for.

Moments where you consider the strange fact that once this earthly race is run, the recognition, the treasures, the wreath, the crowns you gain in the here and now aren’t transferrable. In fact, the Bible uses the term perishable to describe the the accolades we get:

“And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown…” – 1 Cor 9:25

Mm.

My hope is that I run the race not for my own sake.

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Thanks Jared and Kristy! The finish line is in sight, check it out at my HeartRacer page: I’m still training as often as I can!

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Week 10: Training Record

13.10.08 – Route – 39 min – 5:45pm – 6.98 km Run with short sprints
14.10.08 – Route – 31 min – 6:20pm – 5.34 km Run
16.10.08 – Route – 51 min – 5:34am – 8.62 km Run
18.10.08 – Route – 50 min – 3:48pm – 8.54 km Run with short sprints

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Hi everyone – just thought I’d type this out while being stuck in heavy Auckland traffic.

Today I’ve been flirting with the possibility of upping the ante on my half-marathon attempt, and perhaps going the full 42 km instead. It’s apparently not too late to switch, and all of those donations would then be worth twice as many kilometers! Of course, it could end up being a disaster if my body suddenly finds itself unable to cope with the extra burden, and I fail to complete the race before nightfall!

One of the more frequent questions I get asked when I tell them I’ve been training for a half-marathon is: “How much weight have you lost?”

To be honest, I haven’t lost any weight for all the months of ugly-running bluster. I think that my waistline has remained marginally unflattering largely because of my diet; I’ve pretty much increased my food intake to match my running. Post-exercise nutrition is usually something like a banana, or a muesli bar. That’s in addition to regular Powerade and water during runs, and large meal portions after everything else!

All the serious runners will be using their own specially-formulated drinks and crazy hi-energy gel foods and camel packs. That’s crazy stuff…

In the weekend I was fortunate enough to celebrate Kim’s birthday with not one, but two birthday meals. We went to Daikoku Restaurant in Botany for lunch and enjoyed a couple of well-presented and tasty lunch-box sets. The waitresses wore kimonos and fashioned the latest Japanese-style footwear craze – the er… socks and sandals combination.

After a big lunch, we drove home. And I proceeded to get my running gear on and run back there.

And back again.

That’s about a distance of 17 km all up.

So with the help of Jesus Christ, Steve Jobs, Peter Somervell, Mark Driscoll, Jamie Cullum, Parachute Band, Bob Kauflin, I survived my longest training session yet: a run of 1 hour and 40 minutes (the list is not meant to be in any order of importance: Steve Jobs =/= divine dude).

You know that you’ve run very far when your stopwatch kindly reminds you that it’s the “halfway point” and you’re three suburbs away -�it’s times like this you start to appreciate the invention of the automobile. I guess back when people didn’t have cars, to get from Bucklands Beach to Botany would most likely have required a day trip.

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Even more fun was training today – a much shorter timespan of 40 minutes, but made interesting by the �interspersed 30-second mad sprints (yes, that would have been me doing random sprints along the Eastern Beach parade). Oh that was fun.

It’s funny how much effort it takes to get out the door and put your running shoes on… but once you’re out there and you’re at a comfortable pace, you almost don’t want to stop.

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Week 9: Training Record

8.10.08 – Route – 45 min – 8:01am – 7.98 km Pre-interview Jog
9.10.08 – Route – 43 min – 6:93am – 6.93 km Tea Run
11.10.08 – Route�- 1 hr 41 min – 3:24pm – 16.97 km Run

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Thanks Kelvin! Keep it up guys and gals, there’s less than 3 weeks before the big race! Sponsor my running/training/marathon mission and support the NZ Heart Foundation by clicking on this link here.

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Mm.

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It’s been a bit hectic this past week – unfortunately it meant one less run as a result. I had to apply some creative tactics (i.e. wake up super early) to fit in a few runs.

Nevertheless, this week’s training did include by far the most picturesque running route. I took advantage of a work trip to Sydney to savour the pavement-pressing experience, running past many a unique photo op along the way. You don’t always get many opportunities to do calf stretches in front of views of the Sydney Opera House and associated cityscape, so I’m very grateful.

Just as I’m grateful for the donations that keep trickling in! I believe that if just 5 more people helped out with $1 per km I lug my frame along come November 2, there’s a good chance of making the fundraising target!

I’ll leave this post with a picture of a group of people struggling with a fitness “boot camp” – their instructor barked out orders for pushups, rope pulling, jogging and so on! The Botanical Gardens I ran through was definitely a hive of fitness-related activity! Swiss balls, practice cones, shuttle runs, pilates sessions, stair climbing…

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Want to help but haven’t yet? Help me reach the fundraising target by clicking through to my HeartRacer page!

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Week 5: Training Record

9.9.08 – Route – 34 min – Jog
11.9.08 – Route – 34 min – 5:11am – Jog
12.9.08 – Route – 30 min – 6:13am – 5.16 km Sydney run

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Hope you’re all doing well as the inclement spring weather introduces itself!

I put in some pretty good runs this week. The durations start gradually extending and I start building in the distances, as per the training programme.

Did my first night run on Tuesday…

… and there’s not too much that beats being in your own space running towards old Howick under a clear night sky, amber hues cast from various electrical monoliths that one takes in their running strides, those veritable progress markers.

And then there’s the dawn run (Thursday), where you bounce along the Eastern Beach esplanade as if the waves and the sand wake up to your footsteps – “and though the clouds may hide the sun”, on Thursday morning it peeked through just in time to usher in the working day.

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To complete a 21km halfmarathon, most people need to train.

(Insert spiritual growth analogy here.)

The good thing is I’ve found a training schedule to adhere to here.

And to prove that it’s not impossible, I’ve actually been running at the first week’s schedule for the past two weeks now, just so I could test my motivation and ability to commit alongside 40-hour work week, preparing family dinners, going out to homegroups and practices, church, play, teaching and any time I have left. My motivation is still there, in part because I’ve found great ways to pass the running time. An iPod + the latest sermon podcasts + Bob Kauflin hymns, that’s gonna be a pretty exciting staple (for now at least).

Today’s 25-minute set was pretty good. I put on the pace a bit (for my standards anyways) for the first 5 minutes, and was really getting into some Peter Somervell remixes – had no issues whatsoever with the running rhythm…

… and then a 50-year-old lady in full sports-kit glory slipped past me like the breeze.

How did she do this? How trained-up was she? Did she use exercise pills? How did I get beaten by a grandmother?

I think it goes to show that it’s very much an uphill battle.

The rest of the week there’s a couple of 25-minute ones, a 60-minute for Saturday which my fashion model friend has kindly offered to be a training buddy, and two 20-minute ones. And that’s just the first week.

If you haven’t considered supporting my efforts, please think about the NZ Heart Foundation. I know it’s a while away but it’s for a good cause, plus it’ll mean I can’t pike out! Check out my HeartRacer page and show your support.

Training Record:

12.8.08 – Route – 5:30pm – 24:38:88 – Jog

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I’m entering a half-marathon this year.

Huh? Are you kidding me?

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No joke. With the encouragement of a friend, I signed up to train for and participate in the 2008 Auckland Marathon. I’ve been slowly easing myself into regular running again, and thought it’d be a good goal to complete a 21km course on the 2nd of November, 2008.

Most of you who have seen me in real life know that I’m definitely not built to be a harrier. In fact, on fun runs I’m used to being overtaken by 10 to 12-year-olds with gangly legs and Energizer-bunny endurance. But that’s not going to stop me from giving it a go this year!

I’ll try and write up as much of the interesting thoughts that float through my mind as I hit the pavement, train up and try to complete the circuit without passing out. Expect anything from pictures, to devotionals I do on the run, musical tastes, headphone mechanics and updates to my training schedule (and whether I stick to it).

In return, it’d be great if some of you could put through a donation or two at my HeartRacer page and make a difference that’s close to home – donating to the National Heart Foundation of New Zealand. If you can’t afford it, that’s OK: prayer and support are just as valuable for everyone involved.

I’ve thrown down the gauntlet – bring it on!

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Wanna get involved? Click through to my HeartRacer page here: http://www.heartracer.org.nz/williamchong/

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