IPPT and running
I passed my IPPT! Today. A few months back, I said that I would. It did not happen overnight. Near the end of June, I started to run more regularly in the evening to train for the 2.4 km run in the test. I ran near my place but I wasn't sure of the distance of the route I chose. That did not help me. I realized that if I wasn't sure of the distance I was running, it would be difficult to convince my body that I was training to run below 13 min for the 2.4km run. Whatever good timing I obtain has no credibility! So I did a search on the internet and found that Streetdirectory.com actually has a feature that allows it user to find out the distance of their jogging route at $0.53 for each route. I used it and found that the running route that I use is 2037.9m which is about 2km. I decided it was a good and convenient training route to use. I started to time myself too.
At first it was difficult. I ran at least 3 times a week. I started with 11min40s. Then it became 11min25s. I told myself to improve by a little each time. Each time I run, I would tell myself "run a little faster". Next it was 11min17s. I was slowly gaining confidence. Then I was down with flu and could not run for a week. When I went back to run soon after, I was pleasantly rewarded with 10min53s. I could not believe it. I had gone below the 11min mark! Soon it was 10min41s, 11min14s (on a very tired day but that is no excuse...), 10min48s. On one occasion I achieved 9min50s. That was also the time I kept telling myself to run a little faster for almost half the time. I realised that it is all in the mind. On occasions when I told myself to run a little faster, I was usually able to simply run faster. Thereafter my timings were usually between 10min to 10min30s. By the way, it didn't become easier either.
Then my wife and I stared to swim on weekends. Swimming is my wife's favourite exercise. She is a much better swimmer than I am. She started swimming in Primary School. I only took up swimming in Secondary School. I am not trying to defend my swimming ability. It is a fact. I had previously not wanted to swim because I don't have a great body to show. I then rationalized that I wasn't going to get a great body by not swimming. It was a vicious cycle that must be broken. I reduce my running to once or twice a week and started to swim twice a week. All these helped.
Weeks before my IPPT, I took part in the FIT for LIFE run organised by MOE CCAB. I ran a timing of 12min14s for the 2.4km run. I obtained the same timing today. I am satisfied, for now. I think I will register for the Terry Fox run, just the 4km fun run for a start. I would have register for Sheares' bridge run tomorrow if I did not have IPPT today. Maybe next year.
At first it was difficult. I ran at least 3 times a week. I started with 11min40s. Then it became 11min25s. I told myself to improve by a little each time. Each time I run, I would tell myself "run a little faster". Next it was 11min17s. I was slowly gaining confidence. Then I was down with flu and could not run for a week. When I went back to run soon after, I was pleasantly rewarded with 10min53s. I could not believe it. I had gone below the 11min mark! Soon it was 10min41s, 11min14s (on a very tired day but that is no excuse...), 10min48s. On one occasion I achieved 9min50s. That was also the time I kept telling myself to run a little faster for almost half the time. I realised that it is all in the mind. On occasions when I told myself to run a little faster, I was usually able to simply run faster. Thereafter my timings were usually between 10min to 10min30s. By the way, it didn't become easier either.
Then my wife and I stared to swim on weekends. Swimming is my wife's favourite exercise. She is a much better swimmer than I am. She started swimming in Primary School. I only took up swimming in Secondary School. I am not trying to defend my swimming ability. It is a fact. I had previously not wanted to swim because I don't have a great body to show. I then rationalized that I wasn't going to get a great body by not swimming. It was a vicious cycle that must be broken. I reduce my running to once or twice a week and started to swim twice a week. All these helped.
Weeks before my IPPT, I took part in the FIT for LIFE run organised by MOE CCAB. I ran a timing of 12min14s for the 2.4km run. I obtained the same timing today. I am satisfied, for now. I think I will register for the Terry Fox run, just the 4km fun run for a start. I would have register for Sheares' bridge run tomorrow if I did not have IPPT today. Maybe next year.
posted by Unknown at
10:15 PM
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