Runslates: Blair McWhirter: October 2012

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Momentum

Being currently based in Korea I thought I’d share a little bit of food related information for you. As a runner, this is always very close to my heart, the more you train, the more you get to chow down!

The particular dish I’m going to mention here is the first I tried in Korea and is still my favourite. It’s called Bibimbap. This dish is based with rice, and served steaming in a hot bowl. Layered on top are stacks of local vegetables (mushroom, carrot, spring onion (lots of others too), seaweeds, an egg and a very small portion of meat. Although most Korean dishes have meat they only eat a very small amount (unless it’s a BBQ).

Anyway you mix it all together and eat. Simple and tasty every time. There are also a variety of options you can mix into your bowl and some places even let you select what you want, with restrictions. Great to smash down after a run, yes a run, which I’ve been doing a little bit more of lately!

This week has been awesome! Two great trail runs, finding more of the local area and beginning to get some bearings in the hills. The flats seem to be treating me well also with two double days, and waking to early morning sessions with a spring in my step. Now with this in mind I’ve started to look seriously at the possibility of some racing in the middle of November. More to follow soon.

Few Stats and food pictures to wet the appetite

Avg Distance:	12.12 km
Avg Time:	1:00:59 h:m:s
Count:	7 Activities
Distance:	84.83 km
Time:	7:06:51 h:m:s
Elevation Gain:	2,365 m
Avg HR:	139 bpm
Calories:	4,471 C
Max HR:	172 bpm
Avg Elevation Gain:	338 m
Max Time:	1:39:38 h:m:s

Bibimbap can be served hot or cold

Mix it up and chomp it down

Wednesday 10 October 2012

Another Week

Well another week ticks over very quickly, and I am happy to report some more mileage.
Some very important milestones ticked off again this week.

First trail run has to be the most significant one to brag about. It was great to get into the trails above Okpo (photos below) as they have been teasing me since arrival in August. Without getting a chance to run up there I struggled to grasp how much of a network there is. So many small little trails linked into each other with what seems to be a good four wheel drive track threading its way through some of the lower valleys, although for how long I haven't been able to work out just yet.

Now I’ve also managed to get hold of a Garmin USB (well, a generous birthday gift!) I will be able to study some of the upcoming runs I have planned. The aim from this will be to map the trail area out. It’s already mapped, I’m not an explorer of any kind, but there’s no map you can get to guide. Not that this is a worry, quite the opposite really. While up on the trails there are some maps but they have little detail and are in Korean, which I cannot read….yet (wonder how long this will last for?)

So here are some images from my Sunday run, with the trail-head a nice 3 minute run away from home.

Here be some S T A T S too!

Avg Distance:	10.16 km
Avg Time:	51:58 h:m:s
Count:	5 Activities
Distance:	50.81 km
Time:	4:19:49 h:m:s
Elevation Gain:	941 m
Avg HR:	140 bpm
Calories:	3,133 C
Max HR:	170 bpm
Avg Elevation Gain:	188 m
Max Time:	1:06:13 h:m:s

Run!

Could be plenty of places, Korea though

Friday 5 October 2012

September 2012

There comes a time and place for something to click. Sometimes it can be learning a language, a point where you just get it. No, I have not reached that stage with Korean, nor am I close. I’m talking about running again. Throughout September I ran every second day, with a couple of back to back days thrown in for good measure. I finished all of these sessions and despite a little hiccup while playing Ultimate Frisbee, I think I may be looking down that path towards, let’s say, ‘click Ville’!

So it’s with excited pleasure that I announce some September stats:

Total: 111km Time: 11 hr 34min

Clocked!

It’s funny what the difference an amount of time can make. At the beginning of September I was hoping/praying that I could post something like this. Now that I have, it builds an idea for something similar at the end of October.

Will have to wait and see, but smaller goals to achieve within the month before then!

I’ve added some running shots from Osaka, Japan. The hills surrounding the city would be a haven for runners, although I didn’t get the chance to head there I’m sure I will another time. I’m still on a diet of flat stuff. For now anyway!

Run hard