Round the Bays 2007

On Sunday I competed in the annual Round the Bays fun run. This was the first time I had done the run. The distance of 8.4 km seemed shorter than what I had been expecting, and I passed the finish line with a good time. I wasn't planning to run continuously all the way, but the number of people around me forced me to change my mind. During my training runs, I was running for 4 minutes and then walking for 25 seconds. I think this is a good way to minimise fatigue, and also gives the legs a chance to rest, thereby reducing the likelihood of injury.

But during the Round the Bays, I felt like I had to run all the way - I didn't want to be overtaken, and I didn't want to lose momentum. I made a decision to follow the words of Satchel Paige: "Don't look back, something might be gaining on you." The only time I slowed down was to grab a cup of water from the stands at the side of the road. I overtook a lot of my fellow competitors, dodging and weaving my way past kids, mothers with prams, a DHL float, a girl in a Wonder Woman outfit...

Considering the distance I was from the start line when the race began, I think I made up a lot of ground. The advantage the people right at the front have over those further back is the biggest downside of this race, but I guess it can't be helped. When the cannon goes off, the people at the front start moving immediately, and run a distance of 8.4 km. However, the people further back have to slowly edge their way through the crowd for several minutes before even getting to the start line. So most of the participants travel further than 8.4 km, and are also not able to move when the cannon sounds, because everyone is tightly packed together like sardines.

The race was due to start at 9:30 am. I arrived at about 9:15, and jostled my way through the crowd so that I got to a position that was probably one-third of the way back. But then there were no more gaps to move through, so I had to stay put. When the cannon sounded at 9:33, none of the people around me moved for about 30 seconds. When we did start moving, we could only slowly shuffle forward until the crowd thinned. Four minutes and 32 seconds later I got to the start line. So I decided to time my run from this point. I ran it in 39 minutes and 21 seconds, but my official time was 43 minutes and 53 seconds.

The guy who won finished in 26 mins. Very impressive. I calculated that he would have been running one km every 3 minutes and 6 seconds. I was doing one km every 4 minutes and 41 seconds. The fastest woman said this was her third year doing the race. In the previous two years she didn't do so well, because she was far back in the crowd. This year she arrived an hour and a half before start time, just so she could be at the front. I wonder if it is worth it, having to wait around all that time just so a better time can be achieved. I guess if you are competitive and really want to win, then it is.

So that is what I will do in next year's Round the Bays. I will make sure I arrive early. That way I will get a good headstart on everyone else. And I will aim to improve my time of 39:21. I think I could probably get it down to around 35 minutes. To do this, I have to develop a faster stride rate. A faster stride rate means a better time. The quicker steps will also cause my body to stay closer to the ground, thereby reducing the impact of bounce on my ankles and feet.

Researchers have determined that most elite distance runners have a stride rate of about 180 strides per minute. To check my stride rate, what I'm going to do is go out for a normal run, get into my natural running rhythm, and then time myself for 60 seconds as I count my strides. The simple way to do this is to count each time my right foot hits the ground, then multiply by two. The best way to boost stride rate is to focus on rhythm, stay relaxed, and try to glide over the ground.

I think that being able to chart my progress like this is a great way to keep up my motivation to run. Seeing improvement is a good feeling. To quote Friedrich Nietzsche, "What is good? All that heightens the feeling of power in man, the will to power, power itself. What is bad? All that is born of weakness. What is happiness? The feeing that power is growing, that resistance is overcome."

It's not just the feeling of overcoming resistance that makes runners a happy bunch of people. Hundreds of research studies have been done on exercise-induced neurochemicals, which have been proven to produce feelings of elation, inner harmony, and peacefulness. The "runner's high", which was once believed to be caused by endorphins, has more recently been attributed to endocannabinoids - substances released with exercise that produce an effect similar to a marijuana high. Also contributing to this state of euphoria is epinephrine (adrenaline) - the surge that comes with getting excited for a race, which also has the power to boost confidence and kill pain. Add to that serotonin and dopamine, two other feel-good brain chemicals that are well-known for their ability to reduce depression, and you've got a physiological cocktail that can turn a workout into happy hour.

We all have these neurochemicals flowing through us. Some people are able to tap into them and use them on demand, because their brains have developed a high level of neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's ability to change its structure and function by expanding or strengthening certain neural circuits while shrinking or weakening others. "Neurotransmitters released during exercise can contribute to neuroplasticity," says neuroscientist Ronald Duman, Ph.D., a professor at Yale University's School of Medicine. "Neuroplasticity within the brain's motivation and reward pathways may play a role in the perception of experiences, including exercise."

Simply put, the way you view exercise determines how motivated you will be to do it. Athletes can think and behave like better athletes by using positive thinking to reshape their brains. Once you begin to think positively about exercise, you just need to concentrate on doing it - and ensuring that it remains a pleasurable experience. Entering a state of flow when exercising - where your brain checks out and your body takes over - is the key to making the experience pleasurable, because it allows you to lose yourself in the moment - time flies, and you are totally engaged.

These days, I'm making a lot of time for exercise. During my lunch break, I make sure I go for a walk. I do Swiss ball exercises every day, which are good for flexibility. Some days I use a rebounder for 15 minutes or so, as jumping is a good exercise for cardio health. I run regularly. This has had a positive effect on my endurance levels. And lastly, when I get the time I also work out on my Total Gym 1000. The 45 minute workout is great for building strength. In conclusion, exercise is good and I will definitely keep at it.