Hope to get back on my feet soon

I hope yo get back on mu feet soon. Can't seem to get vacj from slumber. But each time I see so many people enjoying the the breeze of the air, I'm always wish I could go back to my old habit. Time will tell. Becase they say, a runner is always a runner. And deep down inside I know I am.

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Men's Health All Terrain

I have been in a running hiatus for like 2 months already. I knew I needed to get back on my feet soon, and I would be more motivated to do so if I join a really great race. So, I’m returning to the sport by joining the Men’s Health All-Terrain Race on May 16. It will be Men’s Health 5th anniversary, and they will celebrating it with an all-new trail in Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna on May 16, at 5am.

Nuvali is an eco village being developed by Ayala Lands, and they have opened their territory for this exciting event. In this vast and naturally rich site, runners and bikers will get to experience running and riding on pavements, dirt roads and grass lands.

I wouldn’t be as enthusiastic as now if I wasn’t there to see a sneak preview of how the terrain will look like. Men’s Health was gracious enough to arrange a 6K trial run for us and the test run was fantastic.

The terrain in Nuvali comprises of 3 types as I mentioned earlier. Pavements, grass and dirt. Majority of the trail will be dirt. What this means is depending on the weather, the dirt could be wet and slippery, or it could be thick and uneven. For those who might be interested in running using an ordinary running shoe might find this doable, if the weather conditions are right. Also, runners and bikers should be prepared for a really hot weather since the trail is an open area. That means, you wouldn’t have the luxury of trees to cover you.

Participants may choose to run the 6-kilometer, 10-kilometer or 16-kilometer trail course, or ride their bikes on the 20-kilometer or the 40 kilometer route. But for those up for the challenge, there is also the option to do both the 10-kilometer trail run and the 20 kilometer bike ride.

Here are the registration details from Men’s Health:
Registration is now ongoing at Aktiv Sports and Lifestyle Centers in Trinoma and Festival Super Mall, ROX in Bonifacio High Street and at the Summit Media Office at the 7th Floor of Robinsons Cybergate Tower 3, Pioneer St., Mandaluyong, City. Deadline of registration is on May 7, 2010.

Oh btw, more prizes will be given out. There will be Top 5 prizes for each category.

See you guys there.

Train to Wake Up

If you are a runner, or someone who's starting to be one, you might have visited several websites, read some magazines, or have asked advises from other veteran runners on how to train to improve your running. You might have already heard about jargons such as speed-work, intervals, fartlek, tempo, LSD and learned how to train using these techniques. Yes all these training tools are important, but there is another form of training that is equally important. That is to train yourself to wake up early so that you can do your run. Yes, you might be scientific with your training, but if you only get to do a good training for once a week because waking up is so difficult, then your not getting any from those.

So how do we do the waking up early training? Well here are 3 very useful drills:

1.) Sleep early. Yes of course. You don't expect to wake up early if you can't sleep early. This means a limited gimmick or TV schedule.
2.) Set your alarm clock and place it away from you where you cannot reach it but you can hear it. I need to be specific here that you should not be able reach it. This is because our tendency is to adjust the time when the alarm rings. So in this case, you will not have any other option but to stand up from bed and stop the alarm.
3.) Wear your running attire before your go to bed. Yes that can be a good motivating factor to wake you up so that you can do your run. The only thing you need to do is to wear your running shoes and you're off.

There you go, the waking up early training.

Globe Run for Home

I was really excited about joining this race for one particular reason, and that is the ability to analyze your run accurately through the use of the timing chip. Me and my wife were registered to run the 10K category. True to what Globe said, there were plenty of runners who joined the event. There were 6000 runners according to Globe.

Before the race, I remembered the story of Eric Lidell, and I got reminded of what the Bible says:

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." - 1 Cor 10:21

So I prayed and told God that I'm offering Him this race. And I knew that if I did my best with whatever God has given us, then He is glorified by it.

I lined up in front of the starting line and chatted with some people I knew including Pastor Junn.

When the gun started I paced a 4 minute / km pace until the 3rd kilometer. Then I slowed down a bit and my pace played around between 4:18 and 4:25 throughout the whole course. Heading back I saw my wife and she was encouraging me throughout the run. At kilometer 7, I was dead tired. So before the buendia fly over assault I walked as I drank 100 plus until my heart rate subsided. Then I made the final assault, hanged on and didn't mind my heart rate monitor because I knew it was over shooting. The next thing I knew, I was 500 meters away from the finish line. According to a running magazine I read before, if you can still do an all out speed to the finish line, its likely you didn't do your best. But no... I was trying to sprint and my speed went only as fast as 4:00 min/km on the last hundred meter.

I clocked 43:42. I did my best for the Lord and thats what counts. I might not be as fast as the elite runners, be he gave me the legs to run. I gave my best for Him because in the first place, He gave His best for me. Thank you Jesus.

These are the things I liked about the race:
1.) They used the timing chip so that you can analyze the run
2.) There were ample supply of 100 plus
3.) The weather cooperated
4.) Lots of food stalls at the race area. My wife particularly liked the Puto Bumbong.
5.) Free photo vendo pics which they say will come out soon.

These are the things that needs to be improved:
1.) I heard there were litters along lawton avenue that were not cleaned up.
2.) The awards weren't given immediately to winners. Prizes will have to be claimed at the Globe office.
3.) Frankly I was expectant that the results will be out right after the race. This is because they were using a timing chip technology. Base on my experience, if the race is organized by Finishline, the results are out on the same day at www.runrio.com. Its kinda ironic that the results took more time to be published than before considering the fact that the timing chip was used.

There may be plenty of contrasting opinions about the race, but for me and my wife, we had a great race. I enjoyed the run, and even if the results aren't out yet, they promised it will be soon.

Raising Hope Year 2

Lets support the Cancer Resource and Wellness Community in this fund raising program that will be held in Rockwell Center Makati on September 21, 2008 around 6am to 9am. The first CAREWELL fund raising running activity was held last year. Heres the link of my old post: http://takicutie.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html
I was privileged to be there and it was very memorable to me. The reason being, is that it was the very first running activity I joined. It was the place where I was able to meet new running friends and buddies. It was also the first activity that helped me to see how fun running can be. During that time, I haven't joined a single race yet.

Now for the second time around, in cooperation with New Balance and Planet Sports, this fund raising activity will once again be held in the same venue. This is a walk/run for a cause fund raising activity that invites everyone who wants to support CAREWELL and who wants to build a healthy lifestyle.

For those who would be joining this running event for the first time, take note that this is not a race, so there aren't any finish line. All you need to do is run around Powerplant while wearing the CAREWELL baller bands. Its up to you how far or long you want to run. So just run, meet new friends and enjoy the event.

See you there. :)

4th October Run Festival teams with Real Life Foundation

This coming October the 4th October Run Festival's theme is "The Start of A New Life". Looking back at the past I would say that running has helped me live a healthier lifestyle. I'm sure many runners if not all could name tons of benefits of running not just physically but also psychologically.

This time around not only the runners will benefit from the event, but also those young people who are less fortunate to pursue a higher degree of education.

The Fort Striders has teamed up with Real Life Foundation who's vision is to help less fortunate young people pursue their dreams in this event. So running the event means no matter how fast you cross the line, you are a winner in many young people's eye who cannot afford a good education.

The Race will be held at the Fort NBC Tent on October 26, 2008 and it will start at exactly 6:00am. There will be 3 events namely 3K Boys and Girls Division, 5K Men and Women, and 10K Men and Women. Start of Registration is to be announced. Once registered, the race packet and shirt will be given. Furthermore a training CD will be provided for all those who registered after the race. This will be useful for those who would like to seriously pursue running as their sport.

The prices are as follows:

3K Boys and Girls (Must be 12yrs old and below):
Champion: P1500
Runner-up: P1000
3rd Place: P500

5K Men and Women
Champion: P3000
Runner-up: P2000
3rd Place: P1000

10K Men and Women
Champion: P4000
Runner-up: P3000
3rd Place: P2000

For age category winners: Medal & Gift Packs

Running 101

It has always been a goal by many people to find the miracle drug that can cure and prevent the majority of diseases. The true miracle medicine though cannot be simply bought from a drug store and for many, the price isn’t easy to pay. The true miracle drug I am referring to is exercise. Since this blog is intended for running, most of the benefit that I’ll be mentioning would come from running, although most of these benefits can also be achieved in any form of aerobic exercise.
Here are the health benefits of running taken from “The Marathon Runner’s Handbook” by Bruce Fordyce:
1.) Cardiac Strengthening – A fit heart pumps 50% more blood than an unfit one. It has been proven that a fit heart reduces the risk of a coronary heart failure.
2.) Regular physical exercise such as running maintains a healthy inner lining to the body’s blood vessels, making artery blockages a less likely occurrence.
3.) Superior Lung Capacity - A runner’s lung capacity is vastly superior than others because it is more expansive and expel inhaled smoke, gas and foreign matter more efficiently.
4.) Strengthens the joints – Contrary to most people think, running actually helps strengthen the areas that are being stressed the most. More blood supply are being brought to the joints due to the stress on the femur, tibia and fibula bones of the legs, which also sets in motion a strengthening process which builds up the bone density.
5.) Healthier lifestyle – Yes, chicken or the egg, but true when you start to enjoy running, it is inherent that you become more health conscious.
6.) Stimulates the Brain – That’s right, exercise helps to stimulate the brain. It is no joke. It is a known fact that due to an increased blood supply to the brain through activity stimulates the thinking and creative parts of the brain.
Now, if you could just combine all these benefits and put them in a capsule, then you get a miracle drug. Unfortunately, reaping these benefits is not as easy as just drinking two tablets a day. It takes patience and effort to get into running. The good news is, the hard part is just getting started, and then it gets easier until you are hooked.
So how do you start? I’m not really an expert in running, and in fact I’m also quite new to the sport. I have just been running for a year, but I’ve gathered here some tips I got from Runner’s World and a few things that worked for me when I started running.
1.) Buy yourself a nice pair of running shoes that will work for you. If you are unsure what shoe to buy, then I’d recommend visiting http://www.runnersworld.com/ and check out their shoe finder and tips of getting the perfect shoe type for you. You’ll be surprised how complicated it is to choose the perfect running shoe. Once you’ve got that, you’ll be motivated to run and test your new shoe.
2.) Focus first on distance before timing yourself. If you are just starting, just count the distance you are running and don’t mind how long you finish that distance. Logging the distances you’ve ran for the week will also help motivate you to keep running.
3.) Remember the 10% rule. The 10% rule just means not to increase the intensity and distance you are running to more than 10% every week. This will help you avoid injuries. For example if you normally run 3 kilometer per day for week 1 then for week 2, you should only run at most 3.3 kilometers.
4.) Find a running buddy. Let’s face it, sometimes running alone is boring. So it is highly recommended to find a running partner. And please… don’t race your partner. Just enjoy the company and the run.
5.) Commit to wake up early in the morning to do your morning runs. Morning is the perfect day to run because of the cool weather. If you find it difficult to wake up, then you could actually sleep with your running attire so that getting up becomes easier since you only need to wear your socks and shoe to start doing your run. You are not limited to run only in the mornings though. Some people run in the afternoon or in the evening if their time permits it.
6.) Enjoy the view. It is easier to run when you are simply out there to enjoy the view. Try to invent your running course. Be creative in looking for new routes.
7.) If you could spend for a gadget then go ahead. Buy yourself a Heart Rate Monitor or a watch that can compute the pace and distance you are running. Nike for example offers a device that can measure the distance and speed you are running. Be careful though in relying too much with these devices. They are just tools to help you monitor your progress. Don’t be too attached to it especially in races. I only use mine to make sure I’m on track of my pace. But I still use my competitive nature direct the speed of the race.
8.) Remember that you could increase your performance with a lesser effort as long as you are consistent with your training. Always put this in mind, because this is the very reason that will keep you motivated.
9.) Join races. It’s the best venue to get to meet other runners and to break PRs. You will also be surprised that running in races becomes a lot easier than your training runs. This means you begin to run faster than your usual pace during trainings. This has always been a phenomenon, but it is true. There may be a lot of factors why this is so, but to my experience I can run 20 - 30 seconds per kilometer faster than my usual training race pace during actual races. That’s 3 to 5 minutes faster in a 10K race!
So, what are you waiting for? Put on those running shoes and hit the streets!

Pinay in Action Family Bonding

The “Pinay in Action” is the first and biggest women’s running event in the country. For some reason, I was excited about this event. This was the Sunday race event where I am not planning to race but am very excited about. It was the race event where I get to bring my whole family including my baby Meekha. My wife and Meekha will join the 1.6KM mother and daughter run. I on the other hand plan to run and tag along with friends who would be running the 10KM event.

As we arrived at the NBC tent, we saw Reva who would be running the 10K event. She asked if I could assist to pace her during her 10K run. Our plan, if possible is to get her a sub 50 minute time. I should say that was the most “showbiz” run I’ve ever joined… hehe… On the 3rd loop, we were already running beside Pia Cayetano, and of course all the camera were on her and all the peeps running beside her. I knew I wasn’t supposed to be there since I’m a guy. Senator Pia asked few guys (including me) to stay far behind while they do a photo shoot. So I had to ease the pace so that Reva could get nice photos running beside Sen. Pia… wohoooh. Those were the good part of the 10K race. Now here comes the bad part. First the 10K event requires everyone to run 4 loops around Serendra and Bonifacio Highstreet, and for any runner, counting the number of loops that you have ran can be confusing, most especially if you are very much concentrated with your run. Yes there were ribbons being distributed. However, the color of the ribbon for each loop are the same. Now the big problem is, the ushers would find it hard to determine the number of loops you have already ran and so they wouldn’t be able to assist you if you already need to head for the finish line. Lucky for us, I was wearing my T3 and so I already know the number of kilometers we were running. Unfortunately, the road toward the finish line was different from the road where we started, and we weren’t aware of this. To cut the long story short, we missed the road to the finish line and after asking an usher were the finish line was, we had to go back and look for it. It probably took minutes to find the finish line which shattered the possibility for the sub 50 minutes goal. We reached the finish line and Reva clocked 51 minutes and 45 secs in my watch. Oh well, things like that really happen to races.

Now, it’s the turn of my wife and Meekha to run their 1.6 km race. They gathered in front beside two women in wheel chairs. Meekha was in a stroller and my wife would be pushing while jogging. The 1.6KM race consists 4 x 400 meter around the loop. I was there taking a phone video of starting gun so Ill be posting this video here in this blog. I was walking/jogging along my wife while she was running around the loop. It was pretty cool to see many people taking pictures of my wife and baby. Hehe… so Pia isn’t just the famous one. My baby got plenty of pics too… hehe. I wish this was televised.

After the run, we went inside NBC tent to get those plenty freebies! We got a month’s supply of Downy and Ariel. We also got other freebies such as Enervon C vitamins, a taste of Herbalife Meal replacement, free Herbalife fitness test, and Nesvita oaths. There were also plenty of booths that sell fitness products.

After a couple of tour inside the NBC tent booths, we head our way to Serendra and we dined at Contis. It was a very nice Sunday where I get to spend quality time with my family. We’ll be attending church in a while and will be thanking God for the wonderful blessing today.

Condura Run

After my first Marathon at Pasig, little did I know that I will embark in the Condura Run 10K race the week after. I had no intentions of running any races weeks after my first marathon since I needed weeks of recovery in order for my muscles to recuperate from the tons of pounding taken from the marathon.
The week after the marathon was suppose to be the 0-week, or the week where there is almost no running. I was consistent with this recovery week not until Sunday when I changed my mind and joined the said race event.
So as recommended this is what I did:

Monday – No Running
Tuesday – No Running
Wednesday – 4K easy
Thursday – 3K easy
Friday – 6K
Saturday – 3K easy

So why did I changed my mind? Well it started when I went to the Fort Striders hangout Saturday because kuya Melvin announced a meeting. The announcement was that there will be different pacers who will be supporting the race coming from our club. There would be a 7min/km, 6min/km, 5min/km, and 4.5min/km pacers. But kuya Melvin needed pacers who have gadgets who can accurately maintain the pace all throughout the race. I was one of those who had one. Kuya Melvin asked me if I could pace the 4.5min/km and since I thought that it would be a privilege to assist as a pacer, I nodded.

4.5min/km thought is a fast pace and I wasn’t so sure if running such speed would cause me problems with my sheen which hasn’t fully healed after the marathon. The night before the race, I texted Glen if he could proxy in pacing since I was still feeling the pain in my sheens. Unfortunately he was still at the province. And so, I texted Joy if he could assist, and it was a relief that he agreed. We agreed to meet the next day at the race as I will lend him my gear for pacing.

I woke up early morning around 4:30AM and I felt I was having colds. I also felt soreness in my throat. But I still managed to get into my running attire (just in case something happens and joy doesn’t show up), and headed towards NBC tent. Surprisingly, when I was jogging toward NBC Tent, the sheen pain vanished. As I arrived, I saw the other pacers already wearing the pace flags on their backs. I was looking for Joy, but he wasn’t in any reach. Kuya Melvin then told me to wear the 4.5min/km pace flag so I did. But then Kuya Melvin asked where my race number is. I never thought that to be a pacer you also need to be registered at the race! So minutes before the race would begin, I fell in line to register to get my number.

As we were lining up at the starting line I stayed beside my co-pacer Jimmy. Then I saw a friend who was before part of our small group. His name is Omar who works at Lawson. I was surprise to find out that they jog after working hours at the Fort. I had been looking for running partners who could run with me in the evening after working hours at the fort if in some cases I can’t run in the morning. Here was a friend who does so, so it was great to get to see him in the race.

The race started on time and I started running at the pace which I was intended to run. The lead pack were of course already far in front since they would always start at a 3:00min/km pace at the start. After 500 meters I saw many other runners of different sort overtaking my pace. So beating 4.5min/km pace is everybody’s goal. My friend Teddy, who’s wearing a Garmin Forerunner gadget decided to join my pace. I was happy he joined me so that we could compare and estimate if we were doing the pace more accurately. Reggie also joined to pace with us. My watch displays the minutes per kilometer while his watch displays the average pace during the duration of the run. It was pretty hard maintaining one single pace since there was a steep fly over which causes fluctuations in the pace. Good thing Teddy’s Garmin tells the average pace. Some of those runners who overtook us early during the race began to slow down and so as we maintained our pace, we were able to overtake them. While going up the bridge I had problems with the pacer flag cause it was about to fall. I was trying to secure it but I wasn’t so sure if holding it at my back would be a good idea during the whole duration of the race. Thanks to Teddy, he took the flag and just held it as we ran beside him. When we were going down the steep bridge we were running faster than the supposed pace but Teddy’s Garmin was telling us we were still averaging at a correct pace. As we reached the turning point we were still averaging the correct pace. At around 7KM Teddy told me that I could go ahead if I wanted to as he brings the flag to the finish line at the correct pace. I was kind of hesitant since it would be a major favor from him. He could have just raced at a faster pace but it was kind of him to hold the flag for me and that he insisted for me to go ahead and try getting a better time. On the other hand, my competitive nature aroused me to add speed on my pace so I did. As I reached the finish line, my official time was 43:57 (thanks to thebullrunner for the race results) and my Suunto registered that the whole stretch was 10.21KM. Teddy and his very accurate Garmin reached the finish line at around 44:55 just 5 seconds faster than the pace we were suppose to run.

I must say that the Condura Race was one organized racing event. They started on time, the race clock can easily be seen. In fact, they patrolled cars with race clocks on top so that other runners could see their time even on the road. Also I was impressed that every kilometer has a marker. Plus the giveaways are really worth it. I particularly liked the shirt and the bag that came with the giveaways which had a juice, milk, canned corned beef, condura pin and sticker. The race event is to support the Reef at Tubbataha and I'm glad I'm one of those who ran and supported it. Oh, it was also cool when the band played the Superman theme when the last runner was approaching the finish line. I'm telling you, he is probably the most famous guy in the race.

After the race, I was surprise that there were no sheen pain after. I had no problems with any of my muscles. Unfortunately my cold and sore throat began to worsen after reaching home. So I’m having fever and I am really sick today. I don’t think the run was the reason that aggravated it. Right doc? It was just unfortunate that I got the flu at the same day the Condura run was held, but fortunate to reap the symptoms after and not before the race.

My First Marathon (Philippine International Marathon)

February 24, 2008. This was D-Day for my first marathon. I was already awake at around 1:45AM preparing my things. I was excited at the same time anxious. But who wouldn’t, this was my first marathon, and 42K is the longest distance I’ll ever be running. We arrived at the Marikina River banks at around 3:30am. The area was already packed with many runners. I stayed beside my pace partner Glen. So my plan as a first time marathoner is to simply stick with a pace between 5:30 – 6:00 per kilometer. 4:00AM and the race began. I was with Glen, Joy, and Teddy and we were running at an even pace of 5:30/km. We didn’t mind some of the runners passing by. Glen said that we will soon overtake them at the half kilometer or so. The plan is to simply stick with the pace whatever it takes.

As we were about to enter Heritage, true to what Glen predicted, this young girl who was in the magazine was already walking. Then we overtook other runners inside the fort. As we passed by JP Rizal, we saw my parents providing supplies. They have prepared Gatorade in large quantities in a large ice bag. But to get those gatorade was really a relief. It was unfortunate though at around 24KM teddy had problems and was left behind. We also saw kuya Art having cramps at the 25th kilometer. But I'm confident they will be able to complete the race since they are really strong runners.

Everything seemed to be okay at this point. Not until we reached the 30KM mark. This was the time when I tightness in my knees. I told Glen that I’m getting knee pains but he told me not to mind it and just continue running. At kilometer 35 the pain began to increase, and all my feet are sore. I remember what Ben told me, that after the 30KM mark, it would be all heart. Yes it was so I kept on running. Not until we reached the 38th kilometer, I knew it would really be hard for me to continue so I stopped and walked. Maybe stopping was a bad idea, cause by that time, I felt the pain in my legs and it seems I could no longer run. So I walked and walked, and tried to run, but I was getting cramps in my calves. 4KM left and I needed to do something to cross that finish line. I walked and walked, and tried running again. Now as I was running, I felt the pain but I continued running. I thought that I might as well finish the race running than walking. Slowly I was nearing finish and I reached the finish line with a smile. I looked at the wide clock in the finish line as I crossed it. For my first marathon, I clocked 4 hours 5 minutes. I went to the recovery booth and my Fort Striders family congratulated me for finishing my first marathon and for remarkably finishing it with a decent time. I was so happy finishing it. I got my medal and it remarkable to achieve something very few people can achieve – to run 42KM. Its true what they say, whatever speed or time you finish the marathon, as long as you finish it, It is an achievement you will cherish forever. My legs are all sore right now and I can barely walk - so its recovery time. I’m targeting the Milo marathon and I’m planning to achieve a sub 4hours race time for it.

Ateneo Aquathlon

The week before the much awaited Pasig Marathon was a taper period. So what do you plan to do during your taper period? Hmmm... let me see... do those tempo runs, get as much rest as you can, and well, join the Ateneo Aquathlon!
Joining this event is purely unintended. It was just an ordinary training Saturday when our top Triathletes Joy, Norman, and Reva invited me to join the Ateneo Aquathlon. So whats the deal with this sprint aquathlon? Its 600 meter swim and 5KM run. What made me join this? I'm not really sure what came to me, but I felt this was a different thing and maybe its not bad to try.
Me, Norman, Reva and Joy arrived at the area at around 530am and had our body markings. The moment I arrived at the area, I was so nervous. For one, this was my first multi-sport race. Second, I've never swam a continuous lap for more the 100 meter. Oh, and I don't have enough practice at swimming.
Around 630am we started doing our warmup runs, followed by warmup at the pool. I also saw 3 familiar faces. I saw my cousin Kadee who is a Water Polo athlete, Totoy and Marga. Me and Totoy had something in common. It was our first time, and we were both non-swimmers. Marga on the other hand has been training in swimming for quite some time now, so technically this isn't really that new to her.
The race will start by different age group and genders. The 12 and below started first, and they were very fast! I was in awe seeing them swim. Then slowly the different age groups started the race. As I saw others swim, I was becoming more and more nervous. Most especially as I saw some last place swimmers being cheered upon. I was actually seeing myself in their footsteps/swim attire. So what have you just put yourself into Taki?? And the thing is, I had to do a total of 24(8x3) laps! Now finishing the swim was also one of my concerns!
Now it was our age group's turn. As the race started, I felt different feet hitting me.. hehe... So I decided to just stay a little bit at the back. Besides, I'm not sure I'm ready for race mode in swimming. My goal was simply to finish. 2nd wave I was literally holding to dear life. I was saying to myself "you can do this" as I was inching my way towards completing the second wave. On the third wave on the 18th lap, I looked at my back and there were no one at my back already. So now it looks like I'm the last swimmer! Slowly but surely, I was able to complete the laps and I was really really exhausted. As I arrived at the transition area, when I was placing my shirt, the pins of went off so I had to slowly place them. I was very slow at transitioning, probably took minutes to do so. I was suppose to put my heartrate and watch but decided not to use them. I slowly jogged out of the pool area and started running! Now I thought that this was pay back time.. hehehe.
I'm not sure what speed I was running, nor If I was doing enough effort, but it was bliss as I was passing by other triathletes running. I notice the guy who had a grey one-suit who was one of those ahead of me in swimming. It was really cool as I slowly overtook him. Now, I'm no longer last place.. hehe... But overtaking did not end from there. There were so many I couldn't count how many I was able to overtake. I finished strong and the run was not as tiring as some of my morning tempos so I was very happy finishing the race. But the best part is, I was happy to finish my first Aquathlon. I don't mind if I was last place in swimming, but I'm definitely more motivated to try swimming as a weekly regimen.
Oh, and my friends Reva won first place in her age category, and Joy won 2nd place in his age category. Overall, this was a great event!

Marathon Training Updates

As Feb 24 nears (my first 42K Marathon), there are butterflies in my stomach. Racing 10Ks is much different than racing a marathon. To run one whole marathon is almost equivalent to not eating for two days in terms of calories burned. But what scares me the most is not the amount of calories to burn, but rather the amount of impact you do to your feet. Its basically pounding hundreds of pounds for hours. This is the type of stress that retires many runners because of major injuries. But I've made up my mind. Ill be running a marathon this Feb.

It has been a taper period already so this week is quite light in terms of mileage, but not necessarily easy. So what was my running plan this week? Well its straight tempo workouts from tuesday to saturday at distances 5K to 6K followed by a 16K long run on Sunday. I've already ran last tuesday until today at 4:40min per kilometer pace for each 6Ks (approximately 23 minutes for 5KM). So tomorrow would be my last tempo for the week. Many would probably ask how would a tempo run for 6K help me in my marathon goal when they are so short? Well, honestly speaking I'm not sure. Except that I feel I needed to keep my fitness elevated in the last 2 week with less chance of getting injuries by removing very very long runs in the middle of the week and very very fast speedworks. So its almost all tempos for me, but of course, I still need that 1 long run on Sunday.

But training alone isn't enough. I needed a clear cut strategy on hyrdration and mental motivation come Feb 24. So whats the strategy? Well heres my list

1.) After 10K drink water
2.) After 21K power gel
3.) 21K onwards, power gel and water as necessary.
4.) Stick with my pacing partner Glen.
5.) My watch does not tell a lie, so stick with that pace and remind Glen to stick with it also. If tempted to increase the pace, we need to slow down.
6.) Its okay to walk for a minute or 2, but please not more than that or else i might be tempted to ride a taxi cab.
7.) If possible, try getting the sub 4 hours goal time. If not possible, then there is always a Milo Marathon this August.
8.) Enjoy the scenery. This would be the first time I would be running around the whole Manila!

Alright, thats just about it. Pasig Marathon here I come.

My Morning Tempo Run

I woke up quite late already this morning around 630am and I wasn't in the mood in running at this time. I looked at my watch and decided that I'll just try running a few laps around the makati park area. I took my usual running clothes, adidas cap, and my can't run without Suunto watch and heart rate monitor. But as soon as I was about to leave the house, my 7 month daughter Meekha began crying. So I went back into the room took Meekha in my arms and cuddled her. As usuall, my cute irresistable daughter always makes my mornings a blessing. At this point I was already contemplating of not doing my morning run and play with her the whole morning instead. That wasn't a bad idea I thought. After minutes of playing with her, I gave her to her yaya, kissed her a couple of times and again I decided to continue my morning run. I thought it wouldn't take that long if I'd just do a 5km tempo run.

As I was about to walk to makati park, I thought that in order not consume much time by walking there, I decided to start the stopwatch do my run and do the laps that will complete 5km for my tempo run. I made my pace to approximately 4:35 seconds. I looked at my heart rate monitor and I was averaging 88% of my maximu heart rate, which is enough for almost a threshold level. I ended the run with still enough amo, but satisfied enough for the short workout. I clocked 23:00.8 minutes. I was so happy with the time, cause it was my best tempo training run. I was 8 milliseconds close to clocking in the 22 minutes section. I was thinking of trying a 5KM race soon. Normally, I use 90% to 95% effort during races, so I hope I could get a good time on my next race.

This tempo run also made me realized how much I had improved compared to 3 months ago. 3 months ago, doing all my effort, and almost vomiting doing so, I only clocked around 26 minutes. 26 minutes and I had absolutely no more amo left. But today, a 23 minute tempo run was now just a normal day in the park.

My 6K Rain Jog

Yesterday was really a bad day, but I knew I should'nt miss training to build my endurance. Because of the heavy rain, I already had a 2 days rest, which is good, since I made a 9K jog prior to resting. However, 2 days is long enough for my next training, so I went out at Makati park, even if the floor was so slippery and made 10 laps to according to my suunto footpod has a distance of 6.08K. Completed the distance for approximately 37mins. Was not so impressive since the floor was slippery so I had to slow down a bit. But nevertheless, I had a good work out. My next target is to do a complete 10K jog with probably a 1K tempo run, and hopefully reach my first target in less than an hour. But of course, that all depends on the wheather.

Got my Suunto T3

At last, I've purchased the Suunto T3 watch, for a bargain price of 10K, and its really an amazing tool for running enthusiast such as me. I got mine, the one with the yellow strap from Time Depot. I'm not sure if there are other dealers who sells this watch here in the Philippines.

The downside of this watch is its made up of mostly plastic, and it looks like an ordinary watch. It doesn't look expensive.

But it sure has plenty of features you won't see in other normal Heart Rate Monitors. The watch is capable of detecting your heart rate, calories burned, and a unique feature in suunto which is Training Effect. It has a capability to store up to 15 training sessions, which is good if you want to keep track of your progress. You can also connect it to your laptop using the Suunto pc pod, and you can analyze your progress at a much better way using the Suunto downloadable software. You can also mount the watch in a foot pod, to meausre distance and speed.

This watch is really a running motivator, and keeps you moving and push beyond your limit.