to go compression or not?

So the 42.195km race is coming this weekend. 6 more days away.

Do i feel scared? Yes. Well duh, i can't imagine 42km.

Do i feel prepared? Well, a little less than last year. Err... a lot less.

Now this morning, Matthew text messaged me about running in a pair of compression socks. This is a decision six days before a marathon. I question the style factor. It's going to look clownish. But like Matt says, we'll see if i look like a clown when i cramp. So whatever rocks one's performance while pounding the tarmac for 42km, i guess!

Joe Friel's blog wrote about it, and i quote

"* improving venous return to the heart,

* preventing muscles from moving unnecessarily as with excess vibration meaning less fatigue, and
* speeding recovery."

Thus the socks are supposed to delay the onset of cramps.

So what do you think? Fashion faux pax? Or it's going to help with the run?

Mileage worth mentioning....

Over the past week, i've found a new running partner : Matthew. He's finished his IM Western Australia in 08, and headed for IM Langkawi in 2010. We've always been talking. And talking to me almost never fails to motivate me to continue to throttle on, despite whatever the naysayers may say.

Truthfully, i never liked running with others. I know i will kill everyone cos i am not very fast. With the injury looming and gone, i just lacked the confidence to actually follow the pace or pace others. I liked the fact of running alone, accompanied by my choice of R&B and Rap music, to assist in the beat of pounding the tarmac.

So one faithful wednesday evening, i decided to give it a shot to try running with someone. We surprisingly have pretty decent pace chemistry. And so i decided we should do the same distance or longer on Sunday too. And now, we're approaching 30km tomorrow, the last of our long run before the 42.195km next Sunday. I aimed to finish in good fitness and good time, sans any form of injuries.

Oh... and i promised i will run with him... till IM Langkawi.

New Balance Real Run 2009

I had a pretty awful run on the morning of New Balance Real Run 2009. Been nursing an incredible pain on my left ear, due to a ear infection, i came down with the usual Ear Nose Throat symptoms : flu and sore throat. At 3am that morning, my nose clogged up with phelgm.

Still i persisted on going, as i haven't been waking up at 5am for a long time, and wondered what running in the morning felt like. I met my cousin Jeremy there, and managed to squeeze in a hug.

Race went on fine... although i stopped to take a breather, face flushed, heartrate went haywire (not because i met some cutie), and i started breaking into cold sweat. I will not run when i feel that badly on the morning of a race anymore.

For now, i am nursing my battered legs... and that nasty ear infection.

Till i run again! Adios.

Eve

Eve
Originally uploaded by kaacha!!.

A friend of mine took some pictures of me and my ride - My Mini CooperS recently. There were good ones and bad ones. Mostly due to the lack of sleep... and lack of exercise.

Ahhh well, i think i still look good.

Halloween...

I've been tired. Really tired. For the entire week leading up to Halloween. Perhaps it's the beer on tuesday with some

of the guys who finished The North Face 50km or 100km Duo through the trails. It was tough race with the heat and steepness of those hills, i heard. Tempted to jump on the 2010 version of it, just for the kick of it. I still do try my very best to keep up with some form of running. Twice a week at the very least, with a minimum of run walk 8km. That's not a lot... i know. But this is all i can manage for now.

Or that fatigue came from Thursday Night Drinking Club with some friends. Or that lil photo session i had on friday that got me three hours of sleep (this deserves a post on its own, for a picture or two). That fatigue and exhaustion all rolled into Saturday. I had a really crazy halloween on a bus shuttling to different places, eventhough i called it a night by 1am. Too tired that i fell asleep. But cheers to all who showed up... and partied out and the ones who hate. There were one too many dirty pictures, thankfully not from me. They were a huge form of entertainment, and serves as good memory as who's the crazy closet stripper amongst us. And I am happy with one halloween a year. Not too many, cos i am too tired. ZzzzzzZZzzz..

Now to get my ass back to running...