Animo Run!

The Animo Run was my 3rd race and and I was really excited about it. Not just because La Salle is my Alma Matter, but also since my brothers and parents would be running with me. All my family will race for the 5K event while me on the other hand will be racing for the 10k event.

All 10k and 5k runners will race at the same time, and the same route. The only difference is that the 10k runners will run the route twice. That sounded strange since that rule doesn't happen that often.

I stayed in front together with my really fast friend Glen (7th placer in this race even if injured) . When the gun sounded, everyone rushed running. Almost everyone was sprinting, except for me. I decided to stick with my goal race pace of 4:50min/km from start to finish. So even if everyone was rushing like bulls at the starting line, I still managed to keep my composure and run the race wisely. Besides, many of those who sprinted at the starting line are 5K racers, and I need to reserve those dear energy for the next half of the race. My strategy in the 3K mark paved as I see some runners began walking and many of which who was able to overtake me slowed down. Slowly, I creep overtaking the other runners. I began to see a fast happy feet runner. He's really tall and fast! As I was looking at my watch regarding my pace, I notice we had the same pace, so I decided to try speeding up a bit to overtake him. At the 2k mark I tried speeding up and I managed to overtake him (but this wasn't the last time I saw Him).

I then manage to see a really young girl (maybe 5 years old) racing with her dad. She really had a very fast pace, perhaps a 5:00 min/km pace. Eventually I was able to overtake them. Then at the 4k mark I saw the woman who won the age category in the recent New Balance race, and was able to overtake her. At the 7K mark, I was able to overtake my mom, who walked the 5k race event.

At the 8K mark I to noticed a fort strider who was also fast, and decided to follow him, or if possible overtake him until the finish line. Then at the 8K mark I was able to overtake him for a bit, but he began to speed up his pace. So he overtook me, and right after that, the tall happy feet runner began overtaking me as well. I decided to just keep with my pace since ill be making a good time anyway. So I lost seconds from the Allan the Fort Strider, and the tall Happy Feet runner, but I got my target time of 48:22. 46 minutes will be my next target time on the next race.

Got 24th place in New Balance Power Race

Got the New Balance race results and I was suprise to find out that out of the 473 runners I got the 24th place. I never knew I'd be beating my personal record, not also because I was experiencing some pain in my lower back before the race started. This was just my second 10K race and since I lack experience, I never thought I could even place in the top 50. Before the race began I just asked God to give me a good personal record time. And God gave me a really good time to finish 10K in 50minutes and even gave me the 24th place ranking. So I give back the honor to Him and for answering one of my faith goal this year: I asked God to give me good health and sports to like this year. And he did.
Now, I'm also letting my wife experience running. Everytime I run in the morning, she'd always ask how far I ran, and I tell her, I just did a 10k. And she just smiles "ah okay". A no reaction when hearing her husband doing a 10k morning jog. But after bringing her to this Power Race she now knows how far 10k is... hehe.
Anyway just want to share this. Ill be running for the Animo Run this Nov 25 so if anyone is interested to join me, just pm me.

New Balance Power Race

This was my second experience of running a real race. First was the GK Run for Love, and now this. I could say that this race was bigger than Run for Love since Run for Love didn't have any prizes at all, and the really fast runners such as De Asis ran in this event. Before the race began, I was contemplating of just finishing the race in perhaps 59 minutes so as for me not to feel bad. I had a really bad injury in my lower back, and i leterally have some imbalance in my stride because of this injury.

If I run too slow, people will notice my limping stride, and ill definitely feel the pain in each stride, so I had to move faster to make it a little bit unoticeable.

However my friend Glen, one of the really (I mean really) fast runners I know was also injured, but his really into breaking his previous PR of 43minutes in the 10k event?? So this made me motivated.

Anway, again, since it was just my second race, I stood at the back beside my wife. I also hoped that my wife will enjoy the race since it would be her first. The gunshot signalled the start and the race was on! I slowly creeped and overtaked the runners in front of me. After 2KM, I began to see the 25K runners who started 15 minutes earlier. Boy, I felt great overtaking them. However I should'nt be too proud since I'm just running 10K and they were running for 25K!

I found a strategy I could utilize, for uphill ill just run slow pace, and for downhill run a really really fast pace. After the 10K turn around point, I now saw some runners who got passed me on the first 5K, but I was able to slowly overtake them. On the last 2K, I found two runners far away from me, but I thought I can overtake them. I began increasing my pace a bit, and soon I they were inches from me. I overtook both of them. I came to the finish line but I wasn't able to read the clock. But my watch says 48minutes. I forgot to press the watch though at the starting line for a minute or so, so I'm estimating my time was 50minutes. I'm happy with that time since i was able to beat my previous PR from run for love which is 55minutes.

I'll be training for the Animo Run, and aiming to complete it in 48minutes.

Yesterday's Adventure

I was kinda excited yesterday to join the Mizuno run club after work. It was also the time where I wanted my wife to get to meet different runners from Happy Feet and Fort Striders. One of the things I wanted my wife to do is to run and finish races with me. Unfortunately I had to finish some things at work and I hadn't have enough time to go home, change to my running costume, and join the running clinic.

So what was suppose to be an exercise for me became a mall-walk when my wife wanted to meet me at market market instead so that she can reactivate her Globe account and still get the rebate.

I was relieved after finsihing some office tasks, removed my leather shoes and strapped in my rubber shoes. I decided to pass by Mizuno just to say hi to some runners I know. Was able to say hi to Jaymie from happy feet, introduced me to a guy named Geo (i think thats his name but not sure), Art and William from the fort striders.

Anyway, as I met up with my wife, what was suppose to be a Globe reactivation became much more. Payed 1450 for the total reactivation fees and just in an instant decided to buy the LG KU250 3G phone-kit for approximately 6K for my wife. She has been dreaming for a 3G phone like mine and so I decided to let her have what she wanted. It was a nice phone full of features, and its 3G!!! Unforunately I still can't figure out how to connect the phone to the internet. I'll probably play around with it later at Seattles Best bonifacio highstreet.

Oh... and I just remembered, today is the last day of the urbanathlon registration. Would probably pass by Fitness First to register before going to seattle's best.

New Balance Running Hope

We had a great time at Rockwell last sunday at the New Balance run for a cause event called Running Hope, where the proceeds goes to Carewell. I met new friends as well as old friends during the running event.

I got to meet Diego (Red Singlet), an old colleague at La Salle Computer Science, who apparently also does running as a hobby.

I also got to meet other professional runners from the Fort Strider's club. They are a group of running enthusiasts who just smiles at 5K and really tackles the longer marathon distances of 42KM. They train almost everyday at distances 10K and more.

Pico De Loro

We climbed Pico de Loro last friday and it was a great experience. From the peak, you get to view the horizon in 360 degrees angle. It was also a good workout. It was literally a strenghening exercise to build up your leg muscles.

After the climb, I had a day of rest, and I guess climbing the mountain increased my fitness level since I was able to jog 12K yesterday without feeling too tired.

5k and 10k morning jog

Last week has been my break. It didn't rain almost the entire week so I had the chance to run. I had two major jog last week: One 5K and one 10K.

Was able to complete 5K in 26mins 53secs. Thats good for me, cause its already a major improvement to my previous record. At last, I was able to complete a 10K jog for 1hours 5mins and 55 secs.

Really love this physical activity, and I'm aiming to increase my performance in the upcoming weeks by incorporating a series of speed work, intervals and tempo runs. My goal hopefully is to be able to complete 5K in 20mins or less. Its a long shot, but I'm determined to do it.