Running in late 20s

Well I am going to write in full details in a few days. (Hopefully I can include a few race photos too). Frankfurt Marathon is just done. It nearly killed me and I am more than happy that I crossed the finish line. Stay tuned!

Had a good sleep (with one extra hour added due to daylight saving time change) and a full breakfast with several other runners. The second marathon starts in two and a half hours and unlike the last couple of weeks, I actually feel quite ready for the challenge.

1. I arrived in Frankfurt this afternoon. Woke up at 4 to catch a bus and an "express" train to get to Stockholm Airport in time for my early morning flight to Frankfurt. The "express" train stalled in the middle of the way and it took about 50 minutes for another train to arrive and pick us up. I missed my flight and had to take another ticket to get to here. 2. Had a taper run on Wednesday  morning in Stockholm. It was freezing cold and windy and I found a nice path along the river. During this forty-minute run at half past six in the morning I spotted more runners than I would see in a month in Tehran. I had the same impression in Oslo and Copenhagen. Can we consider Scandinavians as running nations? 3. My ankle still hurts. It was all right for two or three days, but it got worse this afternoon after carying my stuff from one train  to another and to every single terminal in the airport. I was feeling quite down before arriving in Frankfurt. Visiting the mar

Ankle is pretty much fixed and I decided to go for Frankfurt Marathon. I might not be in the best shape, but whatever happens I am going to give it my best on Sunday. Stay tuned guys.

Sitting on a chair, resting my left foot on a stool with a pack of ice over my recently twisted ankle, I am contemplating whether or not to run this marathon. After icing the sprained ankle several times and taking some anti-inflammatory pills it is almost fixed now. But how about running a marathon on it in a week time? It might not be a wise idea to run this marathon. But this is not the first time that I twisted my ankle. It happened a few times in the past and every time I came back to my running routine in a few days. The last time I did twist my ankle was actually during the Swissalpine marathon. Somewhere around 28k I landed badly on the outer edge of my foot and my ankle rolled inward. I stopped, walked for a few meters and started running again, limping for a kilometre and when I passed the 30k mark the pain was completely forgotten. I am quite sure even if I don't attend this marathon. I cannot put my feet up for the whole week. At some point after a couple of days

A fun trail run and a slightly twisted ankle. Tapering is no longer and option, it's a must! Running injuries happen every now and then. You can decrease the risk of injury by cross training, proper running from, choosing the right shoes and "quite ironically" trail running. If an injury happens, remember RICE! Rest, Ice, Compress and elevate. I usually find the first part the hardest. A twisted ankle is not what you wish for nine days before a marathon. This marathon is just getting harder. But I will still be there and give it my best.

You often find similarities between your job and your passion. There should be something in common that suits you. Architecture and running are not exceptional. They are both challenging and require dedication and commitment.      While Frankfurt marathon is getting closer. I actually got the same feeling as approaching a deadline in architectural design process. In architecture, you do most of the work in the last few days before a deadline. On running you cannot afford to do that. You need to taper before your marathon, meaning whether or not your training has gone well up to this point, there is not too much you can do about it a week before a marathon. When it comes to tapering  "less is more" On the other hand when you are used to running and training, tapering is not what you are looking forward to. Although you are excited about your coming marathon, you might feel sluggish and find the whole taper thing boring. That's when " Less is a bore " P

There have been only a few athletes that are so dominant in their sports that you cannot think of that particular sport without those names coming across your mind. Think of Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali. You cannot think of cycling without acknowledging Lance Armstrong, an inspiring figure who survived the cancer, got back to cycling and won seven Tour de France titles and helped fighting cancer through his organization "Live Strong".  But after several years there are now more words that remind us Lance Armstrong. Say doping, EPO and testosterone. He will no longer be remembered as Tour de France winner, but as someone who destroyed cycling for almost a decade. I used to be a big fan of Lance. His autobiography is one of the most inspirational books I have ever read. He has inspired millions for sure. Thank you lance for inspiring me, but I would rather seek motivation somewhere else. Here are a couple of quotes I cannot figure out: "I know who won those se

On 28th I will be running my second marathon. Cannot wait for that.

Once again I changed the look of this page. The reason is while I still believe it was looking pretty neat, it is more functional now. It's much easier to navigate and  you can find the most popular posts of mine and also all the labels. And there is also a link to my latest workouts on Movescount (Suunto's official training log website) So you can track my training and hopefully give me some feedback on that.

I could not agree more. “There are so many people out there who will tell you that you can’t. What you’ve got to do is turn around and say, ‘watch me’.”   Layne Beachley

Today started by trail running on one of my favourite routes. A quick 5K in the evening followed by an intense plyometric workout. Eighteen days to Frankfurt marathon. Missed quite a few workouts while training for this marathon. It's not gonna be easy this time. But wait a minute! It has never been easy. This is the essence of running.

I am planning to run Frankfurt marathon late this month and I am not in the best shape! I admit that I have missed quite few training sessions due to different reasons (Or shall I say excuses?). Three weeks of intense training ahead. This is not going to be easy and for that very reason I am going enjoy it. Again I am going to give it my best. Stay tuned!