Well after declaring quite publicly that I wouldn't be racing in 2010, some thought that I am quitting running. But really that is the opposite, This year I have not been training regularly and religiously, there is no training program whatsoever, there is just some random long run here and there whenever I am free. And the pace is so very random, it could be slow, very slow, or very very slow. Haha. So the progress have not been good in terms of race timing. Race is supposed to be the time to measure the progress made in training, but haha more often than not, recent races has become a LSD for me. Not sure if you can call it a race anymore.

So I just thought of taking a good break in 2010 to train and get the basics right. Instead of going for long slow run, I decide to go down to the track Tuesday evening to do some interval workout to work on my speed. Some call it "Fartlek". Basically you can varies the distance, but since i am starting from the basics, i did a 100m striding at 70-80% and 100m jogging for three rounds around the track. I did a total of 2 sets. I have been avoiding speed workouts since my torn ankle ligament. But it seems to me that the session turned up fine.

I bumped into Coach Robin that day. And I was very glad that he shared with me his formula of planning workouts. I think I have not follow any program since training under Coach Jacter Singh back in those days. It is good to have a plan than the no head no tail training that I have been doing in recent years.

So now it is really down to me. With a balanced training program in hand, now is down to my time management and determination to execute. It is no easy feat, given the work that I got and also the community work. And the decision about no race? It depends. The advice given by Coach is to keep racing, to see if the training program works. But no rush, it is about training regularly now. And I am not particular ambitious - the targeted distance and pace is not particular fast - it is all about running at a reasonable pace that I am able to achieve. If I am running 8.5 - 9.5 mins/km at races, I cannot be doing 4 - 5 mins/km pace now mah. Got to be realistic. I am working on a 7.5 - 8.5 mins/km first. So this is gonna to be a long term project.