In the months leading up to the ASEAN
University Games 2018, Nicole Low was training intensively and rigorously –
until she burnt out from overtraining.
“It was really disappointing and
demoralising to crash and burn a week before flying to Myanmar for the Women’s
10,000m race. I was quite skeptical as to how I would perform,” said the
22-year-old Nanyang Technological University undergrad student.
This became the most brutal race that
Nicole ever experienced, with her quads cramping up after 2km. “I had to endure
the pain for the remaining 8km and I remember thinking to myself, whatever I
do, I have to complete the race,” she added.
Despite the struggle, Nicole still managed
to snag the bronze medal – with the New Balance Hanzo v1. She said, “Although I
felt it was a pity that I did not race to my best potential, I was happy for
the experience as well as managing to secure bronze despite the setbacks.”
After returning from this race, she had to
take a break from running and do cross training to maintain her aerobic
fitness. With the support of her friends and teammates, Nicole emerged stronger
the next season after going through this down time.
At the 51st Singapore Athletics Inter-Club
Championships 2019, she won the Women’s 10,000m with a time of 39:19.36 in the
New Balance FuelCell Impulse. This was also the record for Singapore’s Under-23
Women’s 10,000m.
Another significant accomplishment of
Nicole’s, also achieved in the New Balance FuelCell Impulse, is the Standard
Chartered Singapore Marathon (SCSM) Under-23 Half-Marathon title in 2019 with a
time of 1:45:08.
The FuelCell foam is a result of research
done by New Balance’s innovation and design teams, where they worked with elite
athletes and micro-analysed every 1/10th of a second of the
athletes’ biomechanics.
Delivering the highest energy return from
any New Balance performance foams ever, the technology is designed through
data-driven midsole shaping to give runners more speed.
“I started wearing New Balance shoes in
2017 and most of my notable achievements were won wearing their shoes. My
latest pair from New Balance is the FuelCell Speedrift,” she shared.
“I like how the Speedrift has a combination
of cushioning found in highly cushioned shoes and responsiveness from speed
shoes. It is a great pair of speed trainers for those who needs the extra
cushioning. Unlike other FuelCell models such as the Prism, the Speedrift comes
with a Pebax® plate that mimics the carbon plate found in the 5280 and the
FuelCell TC.”
Inspired by the form and speed of the
FuelCell 5280, the Speedrift has a breathable textile upper, a visible
propulsion forefoot plate and a midsole that features the highest rebound scores
of any New Balance foam. Combined with a Pebax® plate and uniquely designed
microlabel outsole, you get that spring in your step to make you want to go
faster.
Similar to Nicole, SEA Games marathoner
Gordon Lim’s current choice of shoes is the FuelCell Speedrift. “The Speedrift
looks amazing to be honest. I have worn it for tempo runs and it does feel
amazing to be able to get good energy return from the Pebax® foam,” he said.
Kept light with a translucent woven textile
upper, cooling materials and yarns, the Speedrift’s performance fit
construction with the asymmetrical directional branding and geometric shapes
make for a sharp look to help you look good on the road or in the gym.
He added, “I’ve always liked the FuelCell
foam. The FuelCell TC for example, is lightweight and consists of a carbon
fibre plate that gives the runner a lot more energy return when running in
them. Personally, I use it for workouts ranging from 1km repeats and above. It
is comfortable and breathable as well, making it one of the better shoes to
wear to run fast.”
Gordon also went through a difficult period
in his running journey. After an impressive finish at the SCSM 2013 where he
came in third in the local men’s marathon category with a time of 2 hours 58
minutes 7 seconds, the 27-year-old physiotherapist was eager to improve on his
form. This was only his first marathon.
Without any knowledge or experience in
running, Gordon ran at a high intensity for many days a week for months. The
overtraining resulted in Gordon sustaining a slew of injuries – iliotibial band
friction syndrome, hamstring strains, calf strains, piriformis syndrome – that
made it tough for him to walk, let alone run.
It was only until every step he took hurt
and he was not able to stand up after sitting for prolonged periods that he
realised he needed to take a step back. “It was a wake up call for me, to learn
how to reduce the stress I had put on my body and to allow it to recover over a
long time. I was out for six months and I swore to never return to that phase again,”
he said.
After that wake-up call, Gordon learnt how
to manage his training and recovery better and was continued to work at his
running performance.
When he headed to the Sunshine Coast
Marathon 2019, his intention was to qualify for the Boston Marathon. His time
of 2 hours 37 minutes 16 seconds was not only a massive personal best (shaving
13 minutes off his previous best), but it also snagged him a qualification for
the Boston Marathon and a spot on the Southeast Asian Games squad for the Men’s
marathon event.
“I have never really strived to represent
the nation but the opportunity came and I hopped on it!” he said.
Accompanying Gordon on his inspiring journey
were various pairs of New Balance running shoes. Having worn New Balance shoes
for many years, he currently uses the Fresh Foam 1080s and the 880s for easy
runs, the FuelCell TC and the Hanzo S for speed work, and the latest Speedrift
for tempo runs.
The New Balance Speedrift is available at $279 at newbalance.com.sg and all New Balance Lighthouse and Experience stores (excluding Bugis Junction, Parkway Parade and Kallang Wave Mall).
