Homework

I had a special one-on-one session with (drum roll......................) Omar Yip yesterday. Well, not exactly, but Shanaz was puffing behind us (puff?) that I had Yip all the way.

Yip was kind enough to offer his eyes and legs after we asked him to look at our strides. He was the latest one to brutally put it that I have yet to put my long legs into full use. If was as though I have an expensive bike that I do not use... o, wait... I do...

We headed off to Hartamas around 7.20a.m., a little late than usual, with an easy pace. And over the course, I ran along Yip, looked at him run as he sprinted off, we sprinted up the hills, and talked about a lot of thing - I wanted to quit a lot of times. It is not an easy feat following a fast runner like him. Try to go to KLCC Park and tag along Ahmad Lamchanak for a few laps and you'll know what I mean.

Yip, is after all the podium finisher. He run for placing, for money, for glory. If you have followed his blog, you'll know he is extra-ordinary. When I first stumbled upon his blog many years ago, I thought he was a loony. But he is humble and approachable, much like Jamie Pang.

So listening to him as how he runs to the top 10 spot is something else. I know I will not be there at the spot, but to hear his perspectives are refreshing.

So his verdicts on my run are; 

a) my shoes are not suitable. I need to get a racing shoes to run lighter and faster

b) I run inefficiently. There are too much vertical movements, jumpy-effects to my runs that creates tension and insulate my speed. I need to keep it steady and keep it lateral

c) to work on core muscles - that will help to propel myself forward, and lift my knees higher to open my strides

d) my strides still too small (so kedekut, like that...) - need to lift both feet higher to increase stride length

e) my long strides (whenever it pops out) is powerful, but aerobic level is too low. Remedy is intervals on hills, so there goes Bukit Antarabangsa

f) pumping arms is subjective

g) I run looking down, counting pebbles. Head to look straight, body not haunch to allow better respiratory regulation

i) I lack self believe (huh?)

He also ask me to watch how the pros open their strides, and watch Jean Pierre and the rest of the Kenyan leap. Sure - I'll lose another 20kg.

That is a long list. I have not been running systematically since a very long time. Ian taught me HIITs, hills, etc, but the last of them and the Cooper Test felt so ancient. I am however, not an athlete, so the question comes to how far would I be willing to explore this. My biggest objective is still to manage my weight.

OK, that's a lie. I do not want to worry about my weight when I turn 60, and unconsciously drag myself out of bed to run, so I could manage my weight.

Regardless, this is my homework for SCKLM 2012.