Tackling the Stairs

Something might be wrong with my biological calendar right now as I easily lost tracks with what’s happening in the near future. Previously I used to use tiny sticky notes upon sticky notes on my calendar as to show my agenda, especially for the weekends.

It shocked me a big time yesterday when I had this phone conversation with a friend who upon sharing his Penang Bridge Marathon story, he asked me of what I have in plan.

Him: “I’m looking for a running buddy this weekend coz soon I’ll be running for Singapore marathon pulak. Are you free this weekend?”

Me: “Hmm, this weekend is the Raya Haji la, I’ll be going to my in-laws’ hometown. What about the week after that? Maybe we can do something?”

Him: “Wei, the week after that is already the Singapore marathon la bro.”

Me: “Ooh, I see.” (I was still blur at this moment)

Him: “Bro, have you not registered yourself for Salomon X-trail run?”

Me: “Yes I have. Why?

Him: “But that Salomon run is on the same date as Singapore marathon.”

Me: “What? Really ah? Ayoyo. I thought I still have three weeks to go.”

That’s how blurry I am now. Mostly due to the increasing job loads I received, on top of the back log of unsettled ones which I got since the weeks earlier. Facts and tasks and dates (deadlines, races, events, blablabla) where jumbled up in my brain and I didn’t bother to jot down any of them. Thus, more blurry of me.

Anyway, focusing on the Salomon X-Trail run I’m going to attempt in less than two weeks time, I tried something new on my training menu. Instead of plodding more on the tarmac, I tackled the stairs.

Running up the stairs should equally simulate the uphill run on the trail, so I hope.

Yesterday was the first time in my own little history to run on a field track, inside the football stadium. I ran 2km as a warm up, and sure enough circling the track 5 times was so monotonous. Running outside on the road is much better than this.

After the warm up, I started running up and down on the stairs at one portion of the seating area. I did not count the total number of steps on that stairs, I just put a mental note on how long of the duration I can last running them up and down non-stop.

I was surely huffing and puffing in the first few minutes. I took small steps as not to fall into anaerobic state of exercise if I were to do big and slow steps. Getting into anaerobic state will just burst out more lactic acid in your muscles.

Extra care should be taken while running down the stairs, as weakening leg muscles will cause you to crumple and fall down. Same thing when running on a downhill. So, go slow on your way down (unless you’ve trained hard for it)

After about 10 minutes or so, I took a short break to re-hydrate myself. Never did I think running up and down stairs would be so demanding on one’s fitness. I was already drenched out with sweat, indicating a good workout. So I hope.

Not feeling enough with that, I continued running up and down the whole upper level portion of the whole stadium, 360 degrees. Well, putting aside the roofed area, perhaps it was only 300 degrees or so. Ran up one stairs, ran to the neighboring stairs, then ran down, then up again on another neighboring stairs. Repeat until all stairs were covered.

No, this is not the actual stadium where I ran yesterday. Just want to give you some rough idea on what I meant by neighboring stairs in between the seatings.

The seating of this particular stadium has lower level (from ground, up 20 steps or so), and the upper level (from the top of lower level, all the way up to the most top (another 20steps or so).

I tried my best to run up and down non-stop, but my fitness level didn’t allow that to happen yet. Total training time yesterday was only 50minutes. I’ll try again another few times this week, and next week. I might try to push myself a little bit further. We’ll see if this new training menu (kind of a crash-course to me) can help me survive the Salomon X-trail with considerably good timing, and injury free.

Hmm, I still feel like 6 December is in another three weeks time. I don’t know why.