William Chong

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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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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(Ultramarathon Man: confessions of an all-night runner, by Dean Karnazes.)

Verdict:Dean Karnazes‘s first memoir lies somewhere between a Pheidippides fable and a Forrest Gump sentimental, yet “Ultramarathon man” tells a fascinating tale in its own right and is a worthwhile Saturday afternoon read.

If you’re looking for a larger-than-life story about pushing the limits of human endurance and capability, this book might inspire you to push yourself in training. Alternatively, if you’re a slouch, love your couch, love your TV remote and your La-Z-Boy, this book might just leave you thinking: “He must be mad!” But you’d probably still be impressed. Whatever your disposition, ultramarathon runner Dean Karnazes weaves a mad, mad narrative chronicling the personal events that have led to him becoming an extraordinary athlete who’s run solo across 200 miles, completed 50 marathons in 50 days, and completed a marathon to the South Pole in running shoes.

This book was “written” during the countless training runs Karnazes completed in his pursuit of meaning, finding “magic in misery” and not thinking too much of running into the night. The first couple of chapters take the reader back into childhood reflections, and read as the most genuine and heartfelt reflections of his life. I found myself chuckling away when a 9-year-old Karnazes, in a whimsical bid to see his grandparents, rode his bike alone over fifty miles to get there.

This extreme athlete recounts the various challenges and races that he’s run, and how he balances that with his family and work life (answer: he’s running instead of sleeping). You sense that there’s an almost pathological desire to better himself each time: Karnazes goes from running 50 miles, to 100 miles, to 100 miles in the desert, to 100 miles in the Antarctic, to running 12-man relays solo, perhaps until he finally reaches the threshold of human capability.

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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 more than 2 or 3kg in body mass for all the months of ugly-running bluster. 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 water during short runs, Powerade for longer ones (>60 minutes) – and I always succumb to large meal portions after everything else!

Another reason I haven’t made the transition from soft-toy belly to the 6-pack of envy is that I’ve largely ignored strength and core training. I think I did it for a few sessions earlier on… but trying to fit that into my schedule – in addition to all the running – would have been a little crazy and unmanageable.

And besides, no one said you had to be perfectly chiselled to hit the streets.

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Hope everyone’s having a good long weekend – if you’re reading this you should be out and about enjoying your holiday! Go forth!

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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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