Quest to Run Sub 2 Marathon: Breaking2
Today Nike unveils Breaking2, an innovation moonshot designed to unlock human potential.
Like all daring dreams, Breaking2 has an audacious goal: Enable a sub two-hour marathon time.
Many consider this feat impossible. It requires reducing the current men’s world record time of 2:02:57 by three percent. However, that challenge is exactly what drives Nike; the impossible is an opportunity to envision the future of sport.
To help achieve a sub two-hour marathon, Nike is working with a diverse team of leaders across several fields of science and sport with a holistic approach to athletes, product, training, nutrition and environment.
Breaking2 provides an opportunity to explore whether the impossible is within reach. It is the ultimate embodiment of Nike’s mission: To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete on the planet.
THE ATHLETES
Reaching a sub two-hour marathon requires shaving seven seconds off each of the 26.2 miles of the marathon. Even for the world’s best runners this is a massive leap.
Nike spent significant time identifying three elite athletes who are perfectly equipped for (and bold enough to take on) the challenge.
Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia and Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea are all lined up to attempt the impossible and run a sub two-hour marathon. These runners are not afraid of the unknown — they attack it.
THE TEAM
Nike is always looking for barriers to break and the idea of a sub two-hour marathon has come up many times. Fueled by a long-standing passion for running, Nike began working on a footwear solution specific to the marathon in 2013. This effort ultimately transitioned a year later into a full-on commitment to breaking the two-hour marathon, precipitating the formation of the Breaking2 team.
The Breaking2 team includes world-class experts across biomechanics, coaching, design, engineering, materials development, nutrition and sports psychology and physiology. Alignment of the group’s diverse knowledge bases aims to unpack performance at the molecular level. In this, the team will obsess every detail of the Breaking2 attempt, from weather conditions to jerseys, enabling Eliud, Lelisa and Zersenay to maximize their potential.
THE INNOVATION
To run the perfect race, the athletes require the most innovative product. This is a critical pillar of the Breaking2 attempt, and where Nike is able to deliver unrivaled performance benefits. After years of extensive research and development, Breaking2 will debut a system of groundbreaking innovation that has the potential to elevate every runner.
THE ATTEMPT
To go faster than ever, each second is optimized by careful consideration of course and conditions.
The date and location of the sub two-hour race attempt will be revealed next year.
Join us to follow the progress of Breaking2 here.
ZIP TOWARDS THE FINISH LINE WITH A FASTER AND LIGHTER WAVE HITOGAMI 3
I can’t wait to get my hands on the following shoes, but before I get to test out the shoe here is the general summary of the shoe in short.
If you are looking for a faster, lighter running shoe worthy of the starting line?
Look no more, our Wave Hitogami 3 is one of our fastest shoe ever made! The Mizuno Wave Hitogami 3 is a super lightweight neutral shoes which provides a secure fit and low drop for a road gripping drive you will appreciate.
Responsive U4ic technology is paired with a firm Parallel Wave to create a quick and springy ride perfect for tempo and race day. A breathable air mesh upper provides a classic Mizuno fit and blown rubber on the outsole delivers exceptional durability that goes on mile after mile.
Key Features
- The Parallel Wave provides responsive cushioning and energy dispersion
- A lightweight racing shoe with classic 3D fit provides better feel and road grip
- 9mm drop running shoe provides a road-hugging ride for heel and midfoot runners
- Blown rubber forefoot provides durability and grip for a high-performance, high-speed run
Weight: 218 grams
**The Wave Hitogami 3 retails for $185 and is available at all Mizuno boutiques and selected World of Sports stores.
PUMA IGNITE Ultimate PWRCOOL Review
Last weekend was pretty fun and of course humid here in this part of the world, pretty fun because I get to take out the PUMA IGNITE Ultimate on a test run and having a go at their PWRCOOL technology. If this shoes interest you in anyway, do read on my first impression and my 2cents worth
As you know Singapore or rather this part of Asia is facing terrific heat wave from 31degrees onward and that is the norm throughout which translate to about 88F and I am talking about the night, and it gets worst in the afternoon, and what better to do to beat the heat than go out for a run.
Heading out the door with this flashy shoe sure got me some attention, I got the Green Gecko with Black and you can check out the unboxing video.
Overall Shoe Construction
This neutral runner has a raised midsole height and a drop of about 12mm heel to toe, As claimed by PUMA this shoe offers ultimate cushioning and responsiveness. Adding more of their unique PU foam formula underneath the foot will provide ultimate rebound and maximum comfort.
Once I have this baby on my feet you can definitely feel the plushness from the heel cup to your arch and they kid you not about the ultimate cushioning, in fact this shoe will be a hit with people who are heel striker.
Check out the large amount of PU foam surrounding the heel area, this basically helps minimize the impact no matter where you land.
I have to warn you guys that this shoe does not fit to size so before purchasing size down by a half size if your buying it online, but you can always test it out at the store for a better feel.
PUMA breathable mesh upper and thermo-regulation technology in the tongue didn’t really hit it off with me or maybe Singapore weather was just too warm. If you see the picture below on the side of the shoe, that was the amount of air ventilation that I am getting.
As you can see even the sockliner had plenty of holes to keep the body at optimal temperatures in warm conditions but like I said PWRCool wasn’t really working here or maybe was there a switch to turn it on?
Running in this shoe didn’t feel if I was constricted around the arch area or anywhere even, maybe cause of the size issue and the arch of my feet felt like it had all the room in the world while running, one thing for sure that got me excited was the Chevron flex groove that really gave me the energy rebound when I ran in heel strike mode.
I like how they still maintain the EverTrack rubber for durability in high-wear areas of outsole and my 1st edition IGNITE still holding strong, EverTrack outsole can take on the roughest of surfaces along with Forefoot flex grooves that ensures maximum flexibility. So in short I do hope PUMA puts this system in all their shoes.
Isaac’s 2cents Worth
So is this shoe for me? well It is not cause my sweet spot for running shoe is always been 4mm to 0mm, this shoe has a 12mm heel to toe drop, and I find that the PWRCool tech simply isn’t cutting it for me as well.
So who is this shoe made for then? This shoe will go well with people of heftier weight as it will cushion,minimize and save their knees from impact pain. Ultimate IGNITE will be loved by those who desire for maximum cushioning or simply like their shoes comfy and with lots or rebound.
As I have mentioned in my Youtube unboxing, I do want to compare this with the Ultraboost to see who has better comfort, at the moment cause I have only worn the Ignite, my vote goes to PUMA.
I understand IGNITE Ultimate PWRCool is costlier than the previous version, but if you have the cash to splash, then get this for its maximum plushness otherwise the older edition of IGNITE will appeal to the masses.
Also to give a shout-out to all those PUMA Night run participants, I can’t wait to be running in the new route that PUMA have planned for us. See you guys there and if you have not signed up for the run. You can do so by clicking here.
Illumi Run Singapore, Party On The Run 2015
Singapore, 30 November 2015 – The F1 Village was all aglow with neon colours tonight, as it played host to close to 12,000 ILLUMI RUN participants running and dancing through the evening while doused in ILLUMI Glow Water.
The third edition of the run in the city, this year’s ILLUMI RUN introduced even more surprises and fun for all. After a pre-run DJ segment set by DJ Tang from 6.15pm and getting flagged off by DJ Andrew T at 7.30pm, runners were treated to new glow zones showcasing first-for-ILLUMI paint mechanisms, including the Neon Rainforest, where they were soaked in a one-of-a-kind Glow Water shower, and the Glow Sprinkle zone, with Glow Water-emitting sprinklers.
Each zone also featured a live DJ act, which kept participants dancing all the way through. The party didn’t stop there, of course. At the end of the night, ILLUMI RUN crowd favourites Rave Republic headlined a massive party at the F1 Race Village and pumped up the runners even further, spinning against a backdrop of psychedelic pyrotechnic displays to end the night on an epic high.
“Spinning at ILLUMI RUN is always special to us and tonight was no exception. It was such fun spinning for this enthusiastic crowd, and truly a spectacular, colourful experience for us. We loved seeing all the excited painted faces, and we’re sure everyone had an incredible time,” said Rave Republic, who has also pumped up crowds at ILLUMI RUNs in Brisbane and Guangzhou.
“This has been such a gratifying evening, and we’re extremely pleased with all the positive feedback we’ve received tonight. We strive to make each edition of ILLUMI RUN even better than the previous one, and tonight it really showed. We’re very thankful that participants enjoyed the neon experience, and are already looking forward to the next ILLUMI RUN,” said Jeffrey Foo, Director of Infinitus Productions, conceptualiser and organiser of ILLUMI RUN.
Do I Run Long Distance, Slow Pace or Fast Pace, Short Distance ?
When it comes to running there are many question that cloud one judgement, there are many variations to training and most people are clueless regarding their training regime, I am gonna share with you one question that usually most people will ask me whenever they started on running or doing their training and that is “Do I run long and slow or fast and short” ?
The Long Benefits
When I say long, I am talking about 15km and above where runners has a specific name for it which is termed as LSD, short for Long Slow Distance or Long Steady Distance (variations depends on running group).
First, running long distance gives us the benefit of expanding our slow twitch muscle (endurance) which will help control lactic acid build up, Lactic acid is a fuel. Whether it is deliberately produced by the body to burn as such, or whether this is a case of the body making the best of a troublesome byproduct remains up for debate. What is known is that lactic acid (or lactate) is one of many fuel sources, and the subject is definitely more complicated than “lactic acid is bad and causes fatigue.”
Second, it improves your cardiovascular system, strengthens the heart and increases the blood supply in the muscles; it therefore enhances the body’s capacity to deliver oxygen to your muscles.
Third, by running long distance it teaches your body to store energy as glycogen in your muscles. And finally, long slow runs teach the body to run efficiently and it will show after the end of your run if your whole body slumps in your run or your still running strong
The Short of It
Short runs are usually anywhere from 2.4km to 10km, doing short runs at a fast pace is great for your lungs, heart, and metabolism. where I term it as afterburn, your body will be burning fats even after your workout, but the best part of running short and fast is that you are increasing speed and strengthen muscles (think of it as body building for running.
There are two ways to train short runs which maximizes your lung capacity and Vo2Max, it’s called Intervals or Fartlek which I will talk more indepth in another post.
So Which One then ?
So if you’re serious about running, I’d try to include both types of run in your routine, my running schedule goes a little something like this but it varies and changes on the events that I am running (this is for my upcoming Mizuno Ekiden which I don’t need incorporate that many long runs, My advise is to train to your event, if you need to do distance running incorporate more long runs and if you have a short race like 10k or HM, do a good mix of both to balance it out.
Monday – Rest Day
Tuesday – 5k (easy run)
Wednesday – 10k (Tempo/Interval)
Thursday – Cycle or Swim or Gym or Rest
Friday – 10km (easy run)
Saturday – Bike in the AM and Swim in the PM
Sunday – Swim and 10k (Tempo Runs)
Do let me know what kind of runs do you do ?
Today weapon of choice: Mizuno Sayonara 2 by World of Sports VGO
Problem Pinning Your Race Bib?
Update: Got back from work and I have to say the Bib Fix Give Away is now Closed ! Thank you for the overwhelming response… I will be sending it to you guys by post tomorrow. Sorry It is only to 5 person. Do wait for the more Isaac’s Give Away.
This was my 2015 Tokyo Marathon bib, and in that bib it states Gate 4 on the upper left, that means I am in the holding pen for the 4hour category, and now if you ask me why are you looking at my bib, you would notice the pins in the middle of the picture right? That is a standard that comes with all race bibs, Well this post is dedicated to divorcing those little pins
Last year I did about 12 races and most definitely all races comes with a identification tag (Race Bib) that is given to you to identify the racer, and you wonder what is the most annoying thing that could result from just seems to be a harmful piece of paper? what could go wrong? Just a paper right ? I can name you plenty
- Torn race singlet
- Mis-aligned Race Bib
- Pinning your own self (ok I admit It happend to me)
- Torn race bib
Putting on your race bib correctly is an essential step to having a great race. It’s important that race officials see your race bib so they know that you’re an official participant. If you don’t have your bib securely fastened on the right way, it could get annoying and uncomfortable during the race. You also want to make sure that the professional photographers on the course can clearly see your bib because they use your race number to match you and your race
How hard could it be right? well it’s not a matter of how hard, I always try to find the most convenient way to put it on, the fast way I found pinning my bibs has always been with two pins, Just pinning it on the top part which resulting in the bib flapping upwards. I do find it annoying but recently I have tried a couple of brands
Tackonz and Bibbits
If you notice all my bib pins are red cause that’s yours truly lucky color, if you notice one of the bib bits is missing cause that what it is, ran my Berlin Marathon with only 3, bummer.
Then came a saviour which I have tried and tested, it is BIB FIX which I used for my most recent races (yes it is red again)
If you notice that at first I thought this was similar to Tackonz and I hated Tackonz cause it was the hardest to put on and I keep fumbling while putting it on, worst is after running with Tackonz my bib is totally crushed and some Tackonz have popped out of place.
If you are wondering BibFix is from Spain and it is also made in Spain, It is pretty much easy to put on even easier than Tackonz I assure you but my BibBits which is the magnet was the easiest to put on but falls of even easier (there goes my TEN EUROS)
Putting is on is simple I assure you and I have found the easier way to do it also
- Firstly take all the Bib Fix out
- Align your Bib and Tshrt to the part where you like it (usually I will align in to the region of my tummy)
- Place the Bib Fix then place the white part of Bib Fix and press firmly till you hear a click
- Done, Now go RACE !
Bibfix is a reusable and affordable
So the benefits are as follow
- Designed specifically for athletes participating in an array of sporting events
- Causes no damage to clothing
- Is lightweight
- Presents a low profile
- Is comfortable to wear
- Will not cause skin irritation or allergies
Do visit BibFixSGMY for all the colors available or if you are interested in purchasing, do contact the person handling the BIB FIX account, from their comment and service response, they seem pretty fast and item ordered will be delivered promptly, they can even make arrangement to send it out to other countries but please do check with the people of BibFix,
Otherwise you can also try your luck at my BIB FIX give away, I know you guys like give away and here is to start the Month with.
Isaac 2cents GIVE AWAY
I am giving away 5 units of Bib Fix (random color to five lucky readers) First Five the answer to “Where is Bib Fix From” to isaac976@about.me . Remember to include the following
Subject : BIB FIX GIVE AWAY
Name:
Address:
Remember, The First Five readers only.
Where Do You Find Motivation?
How do one recover from a slump and find motivation in their workout regime or towards their goal? Many people do fall into this category where they started they workout schedule feeling all excited and all, and having stuck to their schedule they hit a snag and felt like everything just fallen down and they can’t find that motivational factor in them to continue, for me I have been in a slump since Berlin Marathon and ever since then I have not recovered from it, It is bad, been a month or so now and I have ran a couple of runs but to me it feels that I have lost it. I feel no energy and I have been really tired of late ? I can’t factor in if it was Berlin or was it something else? (just making Berlin an excuse). This time I can’t really pin point on which is my pain point here. All I want to do is just lay down on the bench and look upon the sky.
Well I have Tokyo coming up in 2 months or so I can’t be like this anymore, meeting up with a couple of other peeps that ran Tokyo with me this year again. I can’t bear to let myself down again and again. I know running sub 4 for some people is just like ..”Hey Hun, lets go for a morning run and BAM they do 3:45 on a easy 42k” LOL .. ok I don’t really know anyone who does that but it’s just a saying.
Anyway I am starting my lunch runs again, really hope I get out of this slump and pick myself up so wish me luck guys ,for this post I am just rambling but anyway I have a couple of Motivator to share with you guys and today hope you like it, and if you have your motivating tips do share with me and I can share with the rest. Check you out later !
BROOKS Running Company unveils the ultimate Plush Ride that tunes to every runner
~The Brooks Transcend Revolutionizes How Runners Experience Stability and Cushioning~
Singapore – 27 February 2014 – Brooks Running Company unveils the newest addition to its award-winning footwear line: the Transcend. Designed from the ground up based on runner insight and biomechanics, the Transcend delivers the ultimate smooth ride: cushioned, effortless, plush and completely tuned to you.
“During the development of PureProject and our efforts to define the Feel experience, we realized there are a number of runners who crave the opposite end of the spectrum, which we call Float,” said Jon Teipen, Brooks Footwear Product Line Manager. “Transcend is the first shoe that addresses this, driven by new technology that delivers a smooth ride with support that kicks in only when you need it, acting as a safety net that helps your body stay in a balanced position throughout the run.”
The Brooks Transcend features five key technologies that work together to provide its unique ride:
1. Super DNA – this advanced cushioning material provides the ultimate smooth ride that adapts to your every stride.
2. Guide Rails – specialized plates built into the midsole revolutionize traditional stability by allowing your hips, knees and joints to move along their unique motion path while you run.
3. Ideal Pressure Zones – transform the traditional idea of comfort by minimizing localized pressure evenly in the heel, midfoot and forefoot.
4. Rounded Heel – aligns your stride naturally and easily.
5. Plush upper – a combination of premium materials that conform to your foot for a custom, lush fit.
For more information on the Transcend please visit www.brooksrunning.com/transcend.
World of Sports is the official retailer for Brooks. The Transcend will be available for men and women at selected World of Sports stores in March and it retails for $249.
Everything Swim Bike and Run and the Occasional Life Encounters 