The Big Race: Getting Fit For UTKC 2015

I mentioned this when the inaugural Ultra & Trail Koh Chang 2015 was announced last October.  This is Koh Chang’s first adventure race and is being organised by Go Adventures Asia, an event planner that specializes in organizing races, triathlons etc across SE Asia.  So it’s a professionally organised and managed event – i.e. not one with any real involvement by the local tourist authority or interest groups based on Koh Chang.

There are three events – 13Km, 35Km and 66Km.  The event will take place in the southeast of the island on routes laid out around the Salakphet area. This is a quiet area, very little traffic plus plenty of dirt roads . For the 35Km & 66Km you’ll obviously need to be very fit. The 35Km also includes a stretch through the jungle which looks interesting to say the least. The 66Km takes you down to both Long Beach and Wai Check beach – the two least visited beaches on the island.

For anyone who just wants a challenge and isn’t a hardcore runner, the 13Km race, which takes runners along an abandoned road to Wai Check beach and back is an interesting route. A few hills plus an uneven, potholed road surface and dirt track through grassland – so you won’t be setting any personal bests.

I’m pretty fit but never run.  Last time I tried to get into running I managed to knacker my Achilles tendon and the end result was that I spent a few months limping.  It still hurts now from time to time. So, there isn’t going to be any intensive training, I’m too old for that. I’ll leave that to people who are posting records of their runs on the UKTC Facebook page

I decided to enter the 13Km – that’s far enough.  And as a surprise birthday present, I also entered my partner ‘Mam’ in it as well.   She doesn’t run either. We entered back in late November and the plan was to start doing some training in early December.  That didn’t happen. So, now in a bid not to finish last and look a compete dick, I decided it’s better to start getting into the habit of jogging, which is like running only slower.

< Cue the ‘Rocky’ theme music >

So this page is just to keep me accountable and make sure I do something most days up until the end of February.

This isn’t going to be the most scientific training plan ever devised.  It’s based around the theory of doing a bit more each week until I’ve got to around 10Km walking & jogging.  Then having an easier week before the big day.

22 January: My version of ‘Couch to 5Km’ took 19 Days.  Now the aim is to get as near as possible to being able to do 10Km without stopping, & without dying, within the next 4 weeks.