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Races:

Keith Ching 

Proudly coached by Robert Hajnal, since January 2023

Campo dei Fiori

Race details

Date of the race: 2023-03-12
Distance and difference +: 28k & 1,300m
Place obtained: 120
Time Achieved: 3:32

What worked at the race?

Nothing.

What didn’t work // What problems did you encounter?

1. Zero mental capacity
2. Couldn’t push on parts that I normally could, both up and downhill;
3. Body and legs felt weak overall

What do we do at the next race, or until then, to avoid the problems we had?

1. Don’t drink caffeine after 8 pm the night before the race;
2. Get better quality sleep;

What was the hardest part of the race and how did you get through it?

Couldn’t concentrate. On uphill sections, I couldn’t muster the mental strength to push so I ended up walking.

On downhill sections, I couldn’t speed up like how I could as I was unable to focus.

What did you tell yourself when you got halfway through the race, what was your feeling, your general state?

“Let’s just finish this race, even if you had to walk the whole way”

Which piece of equipment will you not take to the next contest, which piece of equipment was very useful in this contest?

 I felt my poles weren’t super helpful. My compressport belt for gels and phone kept slipping down my waist.

How satisfied are you with the training process leading up to the race?

9

Cât de mulțumit ești de rezultatul obținut?

4

The race story

The toughest race I’ve done and I think it comes down to the lack of sleep the night before. I had coffee at 830pm and I couldn’t fall asleep like how I normally could. Kept waking up at night, and when the alarm went off I felt like I had zero sleep. Lesson learned, luckily it’s a low priority race.

Transgrancanaria Maraton

Race details

Date of the race: 2023-02-24
Distance and difference +: 45km +1900m
Place obtained: 179
Time Achieved: 5h55m

What worked at the race?

Cardio and breathing was comfortable throughout. Down parts, although technical, were manageable. No hunger, very energised throughout race.

What didn’t work // What problems did you encounter?

Tight calves and hamstrings. Pulled them a few times because I tripped. Also while overtaking other runners. Not much power when going uphill.

Had some small blisters on left foot but nothing major.

What do we do at the next race, or until then, to avoid the problems we had?

Try to start nearer to front pack to avoid slow runners.

What was the hardest part of the race and how did you get through it?

When I tripped over a rock at 25k mark and fell flat with my left calf all cramped up. Need a fellow runner to help me stretch and get me back on feet.

What did you tell yourself when you got halfway through the race, what was your feeling, your general state?

I told myself: you can do this. You’re feeling good and you’re overtaking runners one by one. I felt well nourished and in high spirits although my legs (calves and hamstrings) started to tighten. Overall, I was just very contented and grateful to be where I was doing what I was doing.

Which piece of equipment will you not take to the next contest, which piece of equipment was very useful in this contest?

 I will need to review if I need a better backpack. The one I was carrying was loose on me and kept bouncing at some points. My racebelt (the super light ones with compartments for gels and iphone) is super useful. I need to change my socks. My Altra Olympus was a key gear that allowed me to speed downslopes with much confidence 🙂

How satisfied are you with the training process leading up to the race?

9

How satisfied are you with the outcome?

7

The race story

The race was the event of the week in Gran Canaria. It felt like the whole island was looking forward to this big race. For me it was a weekend getaway to test myself. Having no expectations for timing/placing, I wanted to see how I had progressed since my training started 2 months ago. All in all, I felt great throughout the whole race, despite some minor hiccups with tightening calves. The first 10k was hardly runnable with so many walkers ahead of me in the very narrow, technical track. The last 20k felt good overall as I was happily overtaking tiring runners. By this stage my calves and hamstrings were on the verge of fully cramping up so I told myself to conserve them and not overpush them. I continued to fuel as regularly as possible (but not at the frequency recommended by Coach Rob as I didn’t have much appetite). When I crossed the finish line, I felt I still had so much in the tank (but not the legs). Great feeling overall.