Couldn’t sleep till midnight—still buzzing from that PB high 😅
Nvm, yesterday I loosened my laces a bit thinking they were cutting off circulation, but around 300m into the run, the right one came completely undone. Didn’t stop—once you break rhythm, the run’s pretty much done.
Then I remembered Kipchoge once ran a full marathon with his insoles slipping out around 5km—one of the worst scenarios imaginable. While everyone expected him to quit, he pushed through with unreal mental strength and still broke the record.
Compared to that, my loose lace was nothing. Unless the shoe flies off, it’s manageable (still my bad though 😅). Luck was on my side—the shoe held up through a 4’34” average pace and the final sprint 🙏 Ended up with a new PB. (Not that I’m anywhere near his league, but mentally, he got me through it.)
Nvm, still happy with the PB—a mix of luck and overperforming. Could’ve been faster, but recent runs haven’t felt right. Placed 9th this time (last 3km I was #49, so “up” 40 spots—though not exactly prestigious lol). It was a friendly meet, mostly just UWCE and SAS, smaller crowd and not everyone going all out. Plus, it was their B team—times around 22–23 min. Usually, the competitive A squad dominates the bigger races 😂
Btw, sleep was rough—fell asleep past midnight, woke at 3, then again at 5, tossed and turned till almost 7… What goes up must come down, I guess. Post-run endorphins definitely played a part, but so did scrolling and posting after 10 p.m.—blue light and dopamine don’t mix well before bed.
Funny enough, today’s race was at the same venue. I rushed out and reused some old photos. Weather today was muggier, air quality meh—not PB conditions. My watch claimed I needed 57 hours to recover (heart-rate based, not accurate). Honestly, after 12 hours I’m usually ready to run again, and by 24 hours I’m at 80–90%. But bad sleep got me… So maybe I ran at 70–80% effort for an 80–90% result? Arms felt fine afterward, which means I didn’t push hard enough. Meant to take it easy but raced anyway—and blew up, predictably 😅 Cadence dropped, pace dropped—shouldn’t happen in any proper run.
Finished #20 today, pretty pleased since my goal was sub-25 min (basics for amateurs 😂). Last 3km I ran 4’25” and was near the bottom—average pace there was 4’00”. Got lucky running near SAS’s A team—pretty sure they were just treating it as a recovery run lol. Placed 7th in my age group. There was an JM11–14 runner who finished in 22:24—that says a lot about their level. SAS A team hits 20–21 min; UWCE’s best is around there too 😅
This race made the gap clear. Training 5 days a week systematically is no joke—intervals like 300/400/800m, distance days of 7–8km. UWCE’s “private plan” can’t really compare (apparently they keep it under wraps ’cause people would skip…). From my view, running relies heavily on trust between athlete and coach—like Kipchoge’s total faith in his team. We barely do intervals, mostly time trials every week, even with races and parkruns encouraged. According to the 80/20 rule, you should only have 1–2 intensity days a week, but UWCE’s plan pushes 2–3—not ideal for long-term growth. SAIS? More like casual fun—no distance requirements, coach’s cadence under 170, and their “speed work” is just repeated 100/200/400/800m… A little research would show it’s inefficient and exhausting.
Not saying UWCE and SAIS don’t have strong runners—they do. But it’s often self-driven. Last year, a SAIS runner placed top 3 in an open race—the kind of person who runs 13km after a 5km race. And UWCE does have legit runners and coaches (e.g., a triathlete who holds a 3’20”/km half marathon pace—pro level). Not sure why the training plans still miss the mark. (Shoutout to the school’s non-XC fitness coach though—helped a lot with understanding muscle mechanics, nutrition, race prep, and VO2 max testing.)
Back to the point: the road is long. I started long-distance in 2019, and still not top 5 (or even top 10) by G11 is… humble 😂 Before breaking 4’00”/km, you’re still in amateur territory—at least by XC and training standards. Aiming to change that by December. Let’s keep going.
— Xiao Chen Stories
October 6, 2023, 9–11 a.m.
