Running In Saigon

Frustrated that flooding prevented me from running on the streets of Siem Reap, I have been itching to get out on the streets of Saigon. I would have run yesterday if we hadn't booked a full day trip to the Mekong Delta...which required an early departure so we could stop for ca phe sua da before catching the bus from Saigon Tourist.

Concerned that daytime temperatures are significantly warmer (and traffic crazier) during the day here, I wake up at 5am to make sure I am outside by 5:30. It is raining lightly when I first step outside, but the sky is lightening. Perhaps the reason will stop. This is probably the last time I can run during our trip given how long it takes our clothes to air dry (and Valerie does not want to pack stinky running clothes for our long flights home). I take my chances and cross the traffic circle.

I warm up by orbiting the traffic circle's island. Actually, the one in front of the hotel is more of a hemi-circle. I then cross over to the river side of the main street here assuming that I would have fewer intersections to cross by following it south as far as I can. Note that I do not have a hotel provided running map. I will be making this route up as I go along. I have looked at Google Maps, so I know there will be a bridge roughly a half mile from here. I just don't know if I can safely run across it, turn before it, or if I will have to turn back the way I came.

The sidewalk on the riverside of Ton Duc Thang starts wide as there appears to be a park to my left (along with a couple of riverside restaurants). However, barriers prevent me from crossing into the park...so I continue close to the street. This stretch soon ends and I see stairs up to the bridge...and I can see the sidewalk on the bridge has a railing dividing it from the traffic. I decide to cross the bridge. Unexpectedly, this may be the safest stretch of my entire run.

The steps descend to Nguyen Tat Thanh near a pink government building of some kind with a warship clearly beyond. As I continue along street level, I pass Saigon Port (where the ship is docked) and soon come to the first intersection. To the right, this street appears to be a major avenue, but to the left it seems a quiet side street. I do not expect much cross traffic, so I have no issue crossing it...but figure I should see if it brings me to a road that brings me closer to the water.

The neighborhood here is a bit more sketchy, but there are some cafes and food carts here...likely will get busy during lunch given their proximity to the port. I find it amusing how some Vietnamese just seem to stand in front of their homes doing hardly anything. I wonder what they must be thinking about me as I run by them...I can feel their stares. This street dead-ends at a gate, so I must turn back.

I continue south along Nguyen Tat Thanh, but the sidewalk area varies in width. I must watch every step for puddles, mud, potholes, planters, parked scooters, pedestrians. Ocassionaly a scooter pulls out or crosses to park on the sidewalk ahead of me. My pace suffers as obstacle avoidance becomes my primary concern. A pair of buses loading passengers and some rather large flower displays placed adjacent to them push me to the limit, but I manage to get through the crowd safely and without having to divert into oncoming lanes of traffic.

I cross another quiet side street no longer feeling compelled to explore it. The road continues alongside a wall with no businesses...an ideal stretch of sidewalk to regain my pace. Some low hanging branches cause me to such from time to time and there are still puddles and muddy patches to avoid,but I am feeling much better now.

I come to a fork in the road. One road remains at street level to my left. The other two options lead to bridges. I figure this is as good as any point to turn back.

Traffic is increasing, but, as I have remained on the same side of the street, I am now going with the flow. Should I need to step in the street to avoid something on the sidewalk (or due to lack of sidewalk), I will have to look back first to make sure I don't step in front of a vehicle.


The buses have departed, so the return run seems less eventful even though more businesses have opened and placed stuff on (or have scooters parked upon) the sidewalks in front of them. I even pass a banh mi cart...surprised how early some of these start serving.



Before crossing the bridge back to the hotel, I decide to check under it...to see if there is a nice walkway to run along the canal. It does not look all that nice, so I go back to the bridge.

I continue north past the hotel to see how far I can go without encountering a major intersection. I make it as far as a shipyard. So many vehicles, mostly scooters, flow in and out of or around the entrance...many using the sidewalk beyond it as an additional lane...that I decide to turn back. My run will total more than 5 miles, so this is sufficient distance given how infrequently I have run since arriving in Southeast Asia.

Garmin Data

Not Treading Water in Siem Reap

With the streets around the hotel submerged due to flooding from the adjacent river and the rain refusing to stop long enough for these waters to subside I reluctantly decide to use one of the treadmills in the hotel's fitness center.

Hoping to avert boredom, I turn on one of the TVs.  The first one has sound, but no picture...so I switch treadmills and try the other.  This one works, but I fail to find anything worth watching.  I leave it tuned to a channel showing 2012...and start my run.

I hate running on treadmills.  I feel like I am going nowhere fast.  I set the pace to 12km/hr to guarantee I complete 10km before Valerie's massage is done. This machine's display is annoying because I can only display distance or time...not both.  I leave it on distance.

Around 1.1km, I lose my footing and  accidentally pull on the emergency stop cable (which I had clipped to my shirt).  Great.  The machine has completely reset, so I have no idea how long I have been running.  I set my distance goal for 8.9 km and start again at 12 kph.

I accidentally swat the emergency stop cord with my arm around 3km into the run.  I decide to not clip it to my shirt when I continue.  But before I do, I look too se what the temperature in the room is set to.  The humidity is really getting to me.  Sweat pours down my face and my shirt is sticking to my chest.  I find the thermostat..the air conditioner is not even on!  I flip the switch, set it to 25, and restart the treadmill with 7km as my distance goal.

By 5km, I feel the temperature has reached a more pleasant level...but the damage has already been done.  I am struggling to maintain the 12kph pace.

Another hotel guest looks in the window of the fitness center.  She appears to be staring at me, perhaps in total disbelief that someone is actually running here. I haven't seen anyone use the fitness center since we've arrived.

As I approach the 7km mark, I decide to stop.  I probably could have continued if I was willing to reduce the pace...but didn't want to do so because I can still easily compute my total running time.

35 minutes.  Not bad.  12kph is roughly 8 minutes per mile, a decent pace considering I hadn't run in over a week.  If I had run outside, I surely would have been compelled to run further.

That said, I would have really loved to have run around Angkor Wat.  Perhaps I should return here for the (half) marathon.

Running in Ha Noi

At 5am, I start getting ready to run. I am really curious to see if I can tolerate the heat and humidity...and for how many miles.

I am out the door by 5:30am, but it takes time for my Garmin watch to acquire the GPS signal. The sun may or may not be up...it is overcast and a tad foggy. As expected, it is very sticky and warm.

I run thru the parks that neighbor the Metropole en route to the lake. Many people are already out and about working out in one form or another. Certain individuals appear to be doing nothing more than simply moving their limbs. At least they ARE moving. A larger group has gathered by the statue of King Ly. Someone on the steps appears to be leading this group and music accompanies their actions, though I would hardly describe it as synchronized. Amusing to watch as I run by.

I decide to circle Hoan Kiem Lake clockwise...the direction Valerie and I walked yesterday afternoon. The surrounding streets are one way (though scooters view this as merely a suggestion) in the opposite direction, so I can see the traffic coming should I need to avoid people on the sidewalk. Most of the people here are either trying to follow along with the group in the park or do similarly stationary activities. There are a number of walkers...with only a few exceptions they are flowing opposite of my direction. I am constantly avoiding people near the lake, so I decide to stay closer to the street on subsequent laps. A lap is barely more than a mile long (and it would be far too dangerous to run anywhere else), so I plan to do at least four.

After my second lap, I decide to reverse my direction and go with the flow. I notice that I am taller and quite a bit faster than anyone around me...even though I am only averaging between 8:00 and 8:30 per mile. I am not entirely sure this is the better way to go. I soon notice quite a few runners going in my original direction.

On my fourth lap, I decide to stop take photos at various locations I have noted along the way. I am pouring sweat and really feel the heat on my back when I stop moving. The sun momentarily breaks through the fog as I am on the far side of the lake. This will be my last lap for sure.

As I run back through the parks, I am a bit surprised to find the large group by the statue still working out. Not only that, their leader seems to be orchestrating some kind of synchronized laughing as part of the routine. So surreal. A lot of people are playing badminton within the park and on courts that are located upon the sidewalks. A miss hit birdie could easily end up in the street.

I return to the Metropole having logged fewer than 4.5 miles, so I do one complete orbit of the hotel before calling it quits. I would run longer, but Valerie and I have to be ready to meet our tour guide for breakfast.

Garmin Data

21.5 Miler Ahead of Trip

With interest in doing one half or full marathon before the year ends, I've stepped up my training. In the past month or two, I've managed a couple of 16's and, last week, ran an 18 miler. Though I usually ramp up using a very specific schedule, I attempted a 22-23 miler this morning, but fell slightly short with a still respectable 21.5 miler (at an average pace of 8:43/mile).

There are two reasons I wanted to run more than 21 miles this week. For starters, I really wanted to see how feasible running to work would be. If we had showers at the office, I would definitely consider doing so at least once a week...an excuse to add a mid-week 10+ miler would probably do wonders for my training. I long said I wanted to try running to Naughty Dog (basically a marathon from my house). This run took me around an hour-and-half, less time than it took me to drive to Santa Monica on some mornings...and today's run proves I could actually consider commuting to and from Big Red Button! But my primary reason for today's effort was to squeeze in one last long run before my upcoming trip.

For the rest of the month, I will be touring Vietnam and Cambodia. The weather forecast suggests temperatures that will feel like they are well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, but never cooler than the 80's overnight. Frequent visitors to this my blog know I do not run well when temperatures inch over 80. I also have no idea how much time I should devote to running given that this is a tour. Chances are I will not attempt a long run while I am there because I do want to have energy for hiking...and taking a lot of photographs (I will be carrying 15lbs of gear on my back most of the time). When possible I will wake up before sunrise and run outside, but suspect I will spend more time on treadmills in the hotel fitness centers. To balance the loss of long runs, I will probably run daily at far shorter distances (i.e. 3 miles) than usual. I'm not sure what I'm going to do while I'm on a junk sailing around Ha Long Bay though...

The Hills Are Alive 10K 2.0

Despite going to bed later than planned, I have no problems waking up when my alarm goes off at 6am. A quick glance outside is encouraging...the marine layer is present. Hopefully it will not burn off until after the race.

I have some cereal and coffee for breakfast. I am a little concerned that my stomach is upset. Yesterday, I ate a late and heavy lunch that had me feeling too full to eat much for dinner. I even ate dinner unusually late, a departure from my normal pre-race routine. And these are not the kind of runs I need to be doing right now. Crossing fingers I feel better as race time approaches.

I am out the door by 7:15. It is the perfect temperature for a nice warm up jog down to the course. I stop to take pictures along the way. Not having to stress over traffic or parking really helps me stay calm before a race. As I press the crosswalk button to cross Palos Verdes Drive North, I almost put my hand on a spider. Now I am a little stressed.

I arrive at Ernie Howlett Park with plenty of time to spare. My mile long warm up jog was faster than my race pace: 6:57. Didn't my 5:55 first mile on Thursday's workout serve as a warning to not go out too fast?

I meet up with John and his neighbor Sally (who I met at the PV Half) and hang out near the start. This is John and my second time running this 10K, but first time running it on the same day. He came close to catching me at the Palos Verdes Half Marathon, so I have a feeling he might be able to beat me.

I notice a lot of kids (PenHi's cross country team?) are running today. The announcer introduces a 91 year old who has run this race many times before and will be doing so again today. Broad age range.

The starting horn blows. Since we don't have timing chips, I start my Garmin watch before I cross the line...I hear John's Garmin beep at almost exactly the same time as mine.

As we come around the first bend, I feel that traffic is holding me back. I try to find space to advance along the right side of the trail, but lose my footing on the uneven path. Somehow I manage to stay on my feet without breaking my stride.

I check my pace. My watch is in "history" mode. I touch its bezel to toggle it back to "training". The timer reads 00:00:00! Crap! I press start, this time waiting to see the timer increment before looking back towards the course. Bummed that I will be unable to compare this data with my previous attempt, I briefly consider running back to the starting line.

The rest of the run is uneventful. The sky stays overcast, the course remains cool. The tunnels are darker than I remember...the trails dustier. I skip water from the first station (near mile 1), but grab a cup from the other three. I note my breathing is a bit heavy after the first sequence of hills, but I get it under control before entering the Botanical Gardens. The incline within and immediately following the exit from the Gardens remains a challenge. I smartly manage my pace on the long uphill gravel sweeper remembering that there's an additional climb I need to save myself for...though perhaps I could have pushed a little harder as I have plenty of energy left for a solid push down the last hill. During my sprint toward the finish line, I finally overtake a lady who had been slowly pulling away from me for much of the race...a minor victory.

I see my wife waiting for me at the finish line. I also see John. How did he get past me without me seeing him?

As I stop my Garmin, I realize I have absolutely no idea how fast I ran my race. I did not see the official clocks when I crossed the finish line. My watch reads 47:23 at 6.13 miles...less than a tenth of a mile short of a 10K, but I suspect I missed recording more mileage than that. My data from 2008 suggests this course is 6.4 miles long. John mentions recording a similar distance today.

John's time is in the 47's as well, but his watch has captured his whole race. He also does not recall passing me. Regardless, he ran a great race. I am not sure I could have run this course in the 47's...I rarely cover 10K distances in under 48 minutes even when there is little elevation change!

When the 10K results finally get posted, I am satisfied to see 49:05 by my name. 7:54 per mile. 7th in my division, 39th overall. Not bad. Better than my last race here by over a minute. And this is the first race I have run where I can directly compare my time with a previous event...this course has not changed.

John's 47:53 is good enough for 7th in his division.

Next year, I think I move into John's age division. We both plan to run it. In other words, I can't let him out of my sight.

My Garmin Data (edited)

Palos Verdes Half Marathon 2.0

Since I resumed running back in 2007, I have yet to repeat an event ...until today.

The Palos Verdes half and full may be the closest marathons to my home (and one of the more reasonably priced), but I would never have guessed either would break the streak. I seriously did not want to experience another meltdown on the Peninsula as I did three years ago.

My attitude started to change less than a month ago when John, a video game industry colleague, told me that this year's event would feature a new, flatter course. He planned to run PV as his first half marathon and encouraged me to join him. How could I resist the developer of Resistance?

I checked out the course map on the official website. I realized that, with only a few exceptions, I had already run upon these roads many times before and, in some cases, within much longer workouts. Two weeks ago, I included the few remaining ascents and descents in a 13+ miler. The new route felt much more like a home course...and yet I still hesitated to register.

I had lost a lot of speed since I achieved my PR at the Surf City Marathon. I had not only taken a full week off for snowboarding in early March, but had also come home with a cold. My calves needed more time than expected to recover from a late March six miler that I ran in Five Fingers. I had spent all of April trying to resume my normal routine. For awhile, I averaged between 9 and 10 minutes per mile...far off my annual average for the past two years.

Even this past week, I have only averaged in the 8 to 9 minute range.

In other words, I do not expect this to be a fast race, but I do expect to best my previous performance. And, no matter what, my time will be a PR for this particular course. This certainly takes some pressure off.

As does living five minutes from the shuttle stop. I drive up to the Promenade, find a parking spot right away, and join a relatively short line of people waiting to get transportated to the starting line. Buses arrive frequently, so I am seated before I become too aware of this morning's cool damp weather.

The bus drops us at the staging area between the starting line and the all-important port-a-potties. This is almost too convenient. Though it was a tad damp earlier, the weather now seems perfect--cool, overcast, no wind. I take out my smartphone to capture some shots. I have time to kill.

I meet up with John. He introduces me to one of his Manhattan Beach neighbors who will be running the half marathon today. I also meet Ryan, an Insomniac coworker who is using this event as training for an Ironman Triathlon. Why are none of my close friends running today? Where's Valerie?

I plan a late pit stop to make sure I do not repeat a certain issue I experienced during Surf City. I time the line perfectly, giving myself just enough time to go, walk back to the starting area on Palos Verdes Drive South, snap a picture of the starting corral, and find John and Ryan in the crowd. I do feel a touch of pre-race angst, but this is definitely the most relaxed I have ever been before a race.

The horn sounds.

There may only be a few thousand running today, but it still takes time to reach the initial timing mat. I forget about John and Ryan and immediately start looking for opportunities to advance along the right side of the road. After making my way through the initial pack, I get up to speed quickly...perhaps too quickly. I am totally experiencing race day euphoria. I wish I could somehow harness this feeling on training days.

The route's first turn takes us down Calle Entradero. This initial descent encourages me to run faster. I glance at my watch as I pass the first mile marker. 7:53 is well ahead of my average pace over the past month. Considering I have only run a few miles within the 7-to-8 minute per mile range over the past week or two, I grow concerned I may have started too fast. Fortunately, the first climb provides a natural brake.

The route turns north on Palos Verdes Drive West. Despite my better judgement, I pick up the pace. The elevation change here is minimal to downward trending. I complete the second mile even faster...7:49.

I spot my dad as I approach Paseo Lunado. I had told him in advance that this intersection would be a great location for spectators because the route crosses this street three times. Thankfully he did not rely upon the time estimates I provided because he would have arrived here too late. He videotapes me as I run by and on to Paseo Lunado.

When I ran here two weeks ago to scope out the course, I was uncertain whether the course turns down an alley or Via Pacheco (the online map does not list all of the street names). I am glad to see I guessed correctly. Knowing that Via Pacheco has a slight incline that starts to steepen just before turning down an alley helps me pace myself accordingly. And yet I complete the third mile in 7:35!

The alley drops sharply on to Via Caleta, increasing my pace yet again...but I am not worried. If you think about it, running a 5K in 24 minutes is not that fast. I carry the speed on to Paseo del Mar, but let it bleed off as I continue towards my second encounter with Paseo Lunado...and my dad.

Shortly after the mile 5 marker, I approach the a hydration station. I figure this is as good a time as any to consume my first Cliff Shot. Unfortunately, a couple things go wrong at this station. The volunteers are not prepared with fluids, only fruit and other snacks that I am not interested in (especially not after consuming the Cliff Shot). As I approach the final volunteer, he turns around to grab fluids. I run past, but, realizing I need to water to chase down the gel, decide to turn around and collect a cup of fluid. To make matters worse, this station only has Gatorade...which does not go well with my shot. I kick it up a notch as I turn myself around, hoping to make up for lost time.

Fortunately, this next stretch of Paseo del Mar is very familiar territory. I include it on ten and eleven mile home orbits...one of my shortest "long" runs that I do on weekends. I usually detour on to a trail that runs along the cliffs, but don't mind sticking to the road for this race. The incline is a bit gentler...and seems easier than normal. I do not slow down nearly as much as I would have expected. Before I realize it, I have already turned south on to Palos Verdes Drive West...and my pace gradually increases yet again.

As I continue past Paseo Lunado on Palos Verdes Drive West, my dad catches up to me in his Prius and videotapes me with one hand while attempting to steer with the other. He is doing a fairly decent job of matching my pace, but I grow concerned he might be getting a bit too close to the curb. I tell him to watch where he is going. I shift my focus back to managing my pace.

After the 8th mile marker, I am surprised to see the course turns down Calle Entradero. I could have sworn the map shows us continuing straight on Palos Verdes Drive West. As the course flattens, I encounter a fairly strong headwind accompanied by light drizzle...and I start to worry that I will be facing this weather for the remainder of the race. As the road starts to turn back towards Palos Verdes Drive South, I face an additional unexpected challenge: the steepest incline of the entire race. I have run up far steeper and longer hills, but this one seems to be affecting me more...probably because I did not see it coming. I just hope I will be able to regain my pace once I reach the top!

I am relieved to be back on Palos Verdes Drive South. I can see the Starbucks at Golden Cove Plaza...coffee sounds really good right now.

The road straightens as I return to the start/finish line, but I still have three miles to run. Ahead I see what seems like a endless climb. It is not steep, but worrisome when combined with a headwind. As I run by Terranea, I realize I do not know exactly how far the course continues along Palos Verdes Drive South. The online map shows the route pass Wayfarer's Chapel, but does it reach the roller coaster ride known as Portuguese Bend?

I try to ease my present concerns by shifting my focus ahead. What goes up will come down. I think about how my legs will naturally accelerate over the long descent, how my heart rate will drop. The wind will be on my back. I tell myself I will finish strong. And then I realize I am running downhill again...meaning I will face at least one more incline before I finish.

Shortly after the turnaround point, John spots me from the opposite side. I cheer him on, happy to see that his race also appears to be going very well. Then it dawns on me. If I slow down on the final climb, he may catch me...so I attack the hill.

I feel my pace drop, but I continue to push taking comfort in what lies ahead. As soon as the hill crests, I kick in the afterburner. There's less than a mile to go!

I am flying down to Terranea. A quick glance at my watch shows my pace accelerating towards 6 minutes per mile. I can see the finish line. I start looking for my mom and Valerie. I just catch a glimpse of them and hear their cheers as I go running by. I turn toward the chute and spot my friend Pete just as he notices me. By the time he gets his camera ready, I have already passed him and crossed the finish line.

I remember to stop my watch when I reach the volunteers who are handing out the medals. My watch reads 1:42:06. I am shocked. I have beaten my half marathon PR by over three minutes! I also feel like I could keep running. I am not at all winded. Could I be experiencing runner's high? I meet up with mom, Valerie, and Pete. All mention having a hard time snapping my picture. What...was I supposed to slow down?

John comes down the chute shortly after, achieving an impressive 1:44:10 for his first half marathon. Took me five tries to break 1:45. He needs a moment to catch his breath and sits down.

Another runner I do not recognize approaches. He thanks me for maintaining such a strong pace and mentions that I probably did not notice him because he was drafting off me for much of the race. This is a first.

Results (official)

1:42:03 (7:47/mi)

77 / 1013 overall

15 / 78 male finishers age 35-39

Muddy Five Fingers

Between March 4th and last Friday, I did not run at all. This was partly due to a week-long snowboarding trip I took in early March (I didn't even bother to pack running shoes) and because I picked up the flu on the final days of that trip.

When I resumed, I slipped on my Vibram Five Fingers and only attempted my short 1.5 mile orbit. My calves really burned the next morning...though any pain hardly seemed justified after such a short distance.

Yesterday, however, I attempted my first trail run in the Five Fingers, heading up to Burma Road with some friends. Unfortunately, the previous night's rain left the trail slick and muddy...and I would have likely aborted it even if my friends had not turned back early. I did cover three quarters of mile downhill before turning back, so it still proved to be a valuable learning experience. Key lessons learned:

1) Running over rocks with the Five Fingers is not a painful experience
2) Individual toes provide a great deal of traction in heavy mud
3) The top of the Five Fingers does not keep out moisture or mud (my foot felt wet even before it sank deep into it)
4) Getting chunks of mud and small rocks inside the shoe is not fun...and they are quite hard to remove (largely because I still can't get my toes back into the shoe very quickly)

After aborting the trail, we continued running until we totaled over 5.5 miles for the morning...which is actually the most I have run in the Five Fingers yet.

I still get blisters on the bottoms of my big toes and my calves have been really burning all day today. Neither of these issues have ever plagued me with traditional running shoes...and, until I overcome them, I should probably avoid longer runs in the Five Fingers.