2010 ASRM spot light – GCARM member took hold of a championship
By Yulian Zhao
Thomas Chang: Winner of first place in ASRM Run for Reproductive Health
One of the most exciting highlights of 2010 ASRM Annual Meeting in Denver is the inaugural ASRM Run for Reproductive Health. The race was held in Denver’s City Park, Monday, October 25th, beginning at 6:30am and the distance is 5k (~ 3.1miles). It was estimated that 250 people attended the program. Thomas’s number is 241. It took Thomas 20 minutes and 17 seconds to reach the finish line although he slowed down in the last 0.7 miles where he saw no other runners behind him… Like any strength bearing endeavors, championship does not come easily or randomly. Thomas has prepared this for months with hard working and winning spirits. He said “I came to ASRM for win. I hope I will keep getting the championship for the next five years before I turn into 50”. Way to go Thomas – We are so proud of you! We are behind of you 150%!
To see more on stories behind the scene, please read the attached file by Thomas’s own words.
Thomas Chang
Running stories
By Thomas Chang
There were about 250 people attended, because my number was 241. 5k is about 3.1 miles, it took me 20 minutes and 17 seconds, I slow down in the last 0.7 miles, because I saw no one behind me, plus I have all days of meeting, that I did not want to get exhausted by running really heard, because all I need—- is a win, and if I go all my strength, then , next year, when I get older, it is going to be hard to match my own record next year. There was a Japaneses guy said, after the match, that he will beat me next year, He finished the 3rd, I hope I will keep getting the champion for the next five years, before I turn into 50.
But most importantly, 28 months ago, I start to run 5k, every day, except Sunday, and 3 days of complete rest if I ever get a new injury, like a sharp pain suddenly occurs on my leg during my run.
If I don’t have time to run, I will find a time, morning or afternoon, I usually run with empty stomach in the morning, just water before I run, and only on the grass fields for the first 18 months straight, such as football field, soccer, baseball, softball, even golf course, to protect my knees, when snow cover the grass fields, I got “one inch” larger running shoes, with 3 pairs of wool socks designed for boots and wear long “flee” pants that normally used by skiers, so The winter weather and snow did not interrupt the running routine. This way I lost one pound of my weight per month, 28 months ago I was 166, this morning I was 138. It is still going.
I was never a runner, therefore, after 18 months of grass top running, my tendon, joint, cartilage, muscles and bones finally built up the strength to endure the ” road ” —paved hard surface impact, I decided to have my “first race” in my entire life: That was 2010, January, I finished my first 5 k in 23 minutes under a 20 degrees Fahrenheit temperature, after that my speed or time never improved until I met a Kenyan African guy, a world class runner, His 5K ( 3.1 miles) was 13 minutes something, his marathon (26.2 miles) was 2 hours 15 minutes.
The first day I went to train with him, My wife said , after I got home, ” YOU look like a cancer patient that is about to die ” because he was running 14 miles, and I did my best trying to follow him, I can only finished 9 miles, because I normally run 3 miles, these harsh training just make you want to cry . This training started only 4-5 months ago, June or July of 2010.
Like this hard training of every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, long run—8, 9, 10 miles in 80 % of our strength.Tuesday Thursday—speed work out—400 meters 8 times, or 800 meters 6 times, or the combination, or 1600 meters 4 times, in 100% strength and energy output during the work out, there is another thing called “tempo run” : it’s continues of running for 20 minutes in our 90% energy output running, and also we went to steep mountain hill run up, for 1 or 2 minutes, 6 or 7 times, make the total time of work out around 18 minuets, This is the secret of Kenyan runner’s training program—the hills, that’s why Kenyans always are winning international Marathon races. Before each training day , we always run very slow for the first one or 1.5 miles to warm up before we get into any kind of speed. Saturdays, I either go to high altitude : 10,000 feet above sea level or super long run: the entire time of running will last for at least one hour 40 minutes and up to two hours–until you used up all your energy, Sunday –recover—no run.
I also got a very light shoes for this race, I got up really early at 4 am that morning of ” Run for reproductive health” , to warm up—I jogged very slowly for 2.7 mils, and went back to hotel to take a hot shower, then I went back to the race course again to do —long stride—to extend my leg —with my regular heavy training shoes plus heavy jacket on me, This was how I did : 80 meters go one way and jogging back , for about 7-10 times. When the real race started at 6:30, I only have a short pant and one t-shirt on, I felt so light on my legs and ran so easy, about 10 steps, I passed the guy who got the second place in the end, He told me before the race, He normally do 5K in 18 minutes, I was only planing to finish this 5k under 20 minutes, but at the moment when I passed him ( about less than 5 seconds into the race), I was afraid that I will be exhausted because He should be faster than me, how could I pass him ? But I felt no “hard”—difficulty in breathing, I didn’t get tired even after those first 20 seconds of super fast speed into the race, I contribute this effect to what I did 3 days before the Monday racing : I normally run every day as I describe above, but Friday I got to Denver, searching for Hotel, registering the Meeting, I only ride bike for 3 miles, Saturday no running,—but I ride the bike to check out the race course about 3 miles, Sunday– All day of post-graduate course, plus opening ceremony, so I did not run, —–this 3 days of rest make my legs accumulate tons of ATP, and energy, therefore once I passed the second guy, I just kept running hard==== Pulling further and further away from the second guy, to the point that I was running alone—-Just like what I was dreaming to win the race before I came to Denver. In my vision-as I closed my eye thinking about the up-coming second race of my life, Only police car was in front of me —leading the road, no one else was around me !—-AND IT DID HAPPENED in THE SAME WAY —IN the REALITY, NOT just a dream.
My wife asked me before I heading to Denver : ” Why do you pay 50 dollars to run ? ” ” If they do not give out the price money for the winner, Why don’t you bet with ALL your ASRM friends that you will win the Monday race before Monday —on Fridays , Saturdays, Sundays, when you see them in the meeting ? —-this way, at least, you can get some money ! ” I told my wife ” This year of ASRM, for me , is just to win this race—that’s the whole purpose of me going to ASRM ! ”
I am indeed need to win this race, because this was what happened after I won:
One RE came to me, after he saw me got the gold metal trophy, He insisted to invite me to a dinner. (As most of my friends knew about me –in 2007 meeting in DC, I was talking about doing 1-5 eggs retrievals–by using mild simulations, but we don’t know how to deal with those Clomid resistant patients–we still don’t , we thought about using Aromatase inhibitor, but it never work ) During this diner, this RE reveled to me how to treat those CC resisted patients: by giving them 300 IU of hMG sub-dermal one shot on day 2 of their cycles, and wait for 2-3 days for a second shot, This way we can grow the follicles without daily shots and it is just like the effect of CC ( clomid ) .——-This is what I have been searching for , for the last 2-3 years,
THIS IS WHAT I REALLY COMING TO ASRM FOR !— But I didn’t know this before the meeting, so my answer to my wife ” I come to ASRM is for the race”— was partially correct !
Because …. Had I not won this race, I would never have figured out how to treat CC resistant patients. (I didn’t know this RE before , He had been doing mild-IVF for quite a long time.)
This is a long story–I hope you don’t get bored and be able to finish reading these, if you do finished, I thank you for your attention and time !
Sincerely,
Thomas 11/07/2010 in Utah