Running Log: Dec26 - Jan1

"Need a little patience, yeah..." ---Guns N' Roses

Dec26:
7km. 54:56mins. 7:51/km average. Bikilas.
Ave HR 130. Max 142. Didn't walk at all.

Dec28:
8km. 1:05. 8:07/km ave. Green Silence.
Ave HR 134. Mac 150. Walked the uphills.

Dec31:
18.44. 2:37. 8:30/km ave. Green Silence.
Ave HR 140. Max 152. Required a lot of patience to keep HR below 142, especially during climbs. Green silence. Gatorade/water alternate every 2k. Peanuts at 1hr mark. Banana at km13. No GU needed.




TOTAL KMS: 33km

Patience is the theme of this base-building phase as I'm still holding on to Maffetone-paced training after almost 2 weeks. I keep reminding myself to slow down when my HR exceeds 142. About 10 more weeks before I put back speedwork and tempo runs. REALLY hoping this type of slow-run training pays off dividends for 2012.

Happy New Year everyone!

Running Log: Dec19-25

Dec21:
7km. 55mins. 7:38/km average. Green Silence.
Attempted a 5k mock race with a target time of sub-28mins. Crashed, ran out of gas at km3. Settled for a 17:52 for 3km. Added extra kms during the cooldown to make up for the short "race."

Dec22:
5.2km. 40:10. 7:43/km average. Bikilas.
First Maffetone run. Target HR <142. Ave HR 135. Max HR 146. Walked the uphills whenever HR exceeded 142.

Dec24:
17.06km. 2:18:26. 8:07/km average. Green Silence.
Long run. 10k with an officemate around Ghills to Ortigas Business District and back. Pitstop at km14 for a choco drink. Had fun, as usual. GU at km9. Gatorade all the way.

TOTAL KMS: 29km

10% weekly mileage increase met. Hope the trend continues in the following weeks. The race ads all over the local running blogs are very tempting but Maffetone training limits running pace not to exceed a target HR (in my case, 142). Still feel slow at the 135-142 HR range but I'm looking forward to the results after 6 weeks, entrusting myself to the science of this type of training (Mark Allen better be right about this).

I've signed up to myfitnesspal.com, a free online service that requires you to log in ALL food that you've eaten for the day and then shows the corresponding calories. Finding it tough to resist food, which I believe should be lessened since the lbs I've lost to exercise solely have been maxed out.

Yup, Christmas weekend feasting didn't help my cause, but in a jolly way. Hehehe.

Iten

Kenyans have been topping most of the local races since the running boom started. It has its pros and cons towards our Filipino runners. On one hand, it puts the level of racing into new heights as local runners need to up their game whenever they toe the line with these Kenyans.

On the other hand, prize money has been dominated by Kenyans as well much to the chagrin of local runners who are not well to do and use racing as their source of income.

How come these Kenyans are so darn fast at running?

The movie "Iten - The Town of Red Dust" might be able to answer this question.

ITEN - The Town of RED Dust Teaser Trailer from Erik O'Neill on Vimeo.

Running Log: Dec 12-18

Dec15:
6km. 50:14. 8:22/km average. Bikilas.
First run in 11 days (after QCIM3). Sluggish, but great to be running again.

Dec17:
14.8km. 1:56. 7:50/km average. Green Silence. GU at km3.
Had fun since officemate joined me in the middle 7.6km at chillax pace. The choco drink and fried lumpia pitstop at Greenhills weekend market was energizing.

Dec18:
5km. 36:51. 7:22/km average. Bikilas.
Ran in BGC on a drizzling day. Ran easy then tried the Hadd method HRmax test (800m sprint, 2mins rest, 400m sprint). Max HR recorded at 171.

TOTAL KMS: 26km


I found it weird to have logged only 171 HRmax on that last run since last year I remember having logged a 181HR at the end of a 15k race. I'll try to test it again but this time I'll run a mock 5k race around the neighborhood (on a 1.7km loop that I've mapped out). Hope to log a higher HRmax then.

Hadd training begins this week, assuming I get a more "preferred" HRmax.

Gettin' Better

Out of curiosity I came up with the table below which averages my race times across different distances from 2009 to 2011.



This is encouraging since it seems that, on average, my race times are getting better each year. My race times in 2012 is definitely something to look forward to (provided that I put in the miles).

Oh, and yes, I started running again yesterday.

Yup, finally. :)

Tomorrow, promise!

QCIM3 42km: Post-Mortem

Let us strive to improve ourselves, for we cannot remain stationary; one either progresses or retrogrades. ---Mme. Du Deffand




Last Sunday's marathon was a humbling experience. It just shows that I have a LOT to work on in terms of getting ready not only physically but mentally for a 42km race.

My office work occassionally works on stats. To go over exactly where I went wrong in QCIM3, I had to go not on what happened last December 4 but, rather, I had to go back to the past 16 weeks of training for this race. Below is a table that I've summarized:




T = tempo runs
MP = Marathon-Pace runs

It would be good to have another race to compare this with. Fortunately, I ran the Condura 42km last February wherein I finished my still-standing 5:23 PR. Below was my training summary for that race:



Comparing the weekly long run average distance, my Condura training fared just a bit better, about 2km more on average versus QCIM3 training.

I had more tempo run workouts in Condura (10) versus QCIM3 (6). If I had run more 6:30-ish/km pace during that 16-week span then maybe running 7:00/km on race day would have felt more comfortable.

But the stat that was very telling on both tables was the average weekly total km. QCIM3 training totaled 529km while Condura training was 120km more(640km)!

More miles equals better marathon performance. A very obvious wake-up call for me. Averaging 33km (or even 40km) per week for a marathon will not be enough if I want to finish 42km below 5 hours. I may need to up the miles per week for my next marathon.


MAFFETONE OR HADD?

That next marathon, marathon #4, might have to be delayed even though I'm itching to redeem myself for a sub-5 PR. I have a lot to work on my aerobic capacity, which, according to references I've read, is the force needed 99% of the time when running a marathon. Looking back at my past 3 marathons wherein, at the 2nd half of the race, I was walking like I was tied to a bulldozer behind my back, my aerobic capacity needs work ---a LOT of work.

So, probably for the next 3 months, I will try to improve on it by going back to Maffetone-paced training which I only did for 3 weeks (or even trying out the Hadd method). Both approaches are focused on improving aerobic capacity by doing all/most runs at a comfortable HR/pace.

I'll keep you posted once I resume running next week. Let's see how this'll all go.

In the meantime, I still have Sat and Sun for rest and recovery. Enjoying the week off after a year of training and racing has been grand.



But, I'd rather be running.

QCIM3 42km: Respect The Distance

I started the race comfortably, at around 7:30/km. As this race included pacers, I slowly increased my pace to try to look for the 5:00 pacer.

The 5:00 pacer (Jonel Mendoza) may have started late as he whizzed by me at around km5. As I was dreaming of a sub-5 finish, I decided to stick with him as much as I can logging 6:50-ish per km pace.

THAT was not my planned pace for this race. I was supposed to try the first half at 7:10/km and try to win back the 2nd half at 7:00/km. Realizing that I'm not able to cope, by km13 I drifted back at around 7:15/km to recover.

As this was my first time to enter La Mesa, I found the area quite nice. It was a beautiful respite from my usual BGC races.

The 21km turnaround point was a few kms away so I decided to pick up the pace, suffering a side stitch in the process. I reached the turnaround point at 2:29. At that point, I forced myself to gulp 2 cups of Gatorade offered by the aid station. That proved to be too much as I felt bloated around 200 meters later. I wanted to throw up but nothing came out. I plodded on.

The side stitch, the bloatedness, and the hilly course within La Mesa overwhelmed me that I started to slow down after km22. I've hit the wall very early.

I felt a short relief when I landed Commonwealth avenue again but it was short lived. By km26 I was mentally defeated, with the pouring rain literally on my parade. I wanted to up the pace but my mind was forcing me to walk.

I reached km32 near 4:10 race time. Sub-5 was definitely out. I was forcing myself to get back in the groove, even playing Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" in my head. It was only when I entered the UP campus with 8km to go that I started hitting sub-7:00/km pace again but only for about 500 meters max. It was overlapped with walk breaks.

With 5km left the 5:45 pacers passed me just before reaching the UP Oblation statue. Was my finish time for this race gonna be worse than my 5:53 first marathon? I just let everything go and chose to overtake the 5:45 pacers. I was still walking but the run sections of those last painful kilometers were, at best, 7-7:30/km.

In the end, I was able to escape the 5:45 pacers as I crossed the finish arc at 5:35:20 (Garmin time).

I've learned quite a lot on my race performance here (which deserves an entirely separate post). The 5:35 finish time was just reflective of the lackluster training that I prepared for this race. Poor training = poor race performance.

I need another marathon.

Brooks Green Silence: After 505kms

I've been alternating this shoe with my Vibram Bikilas since March this year. I've adjusted to it fairly well. Two weeks ago I noticed the upper, where the pinky toe stays, has worn down.




This could've been caused by the roomy toebox that the shoe is known for. I'm not complaining of the generous toebox, mind you, since my feet are not narrow. It fits nicely but I think it just got worn down due to regular use.

The solution? I brought it over to the local shoe repair store (Mr. Quickie) and, after 120 pesos, it's fixed!




They've covered the hole with a thin leather on both shoes. The sewn part is only noticeable when you look at the shoe up close.

The ride has been ok again, i.e. no more part of the sock trying to get out of that hole, especially when wearing Injinji socks.

Yup, I'll wear 'em this Sunday on Marathon #3 (QCIM). Hopefully, a sub-5 finish this time.

Training Log Recap (Oct31 - Nov24)

Oct31-Nov6 = 50km. This included the 25+7km run (NB Power Run). This was the highest weekly total that I've had training for marathon #3 thanks to that 32km Sunday long run.

Nov7-13 = 13km. Weekly total drastically dropped. There was unscheduled added workload in the office due to recent merger news. I was sleeping late and even worked on a Sat just to finish some of the work. I was just too tired mentally and physically to get up in the morning and run. Planned final long run >20km had to be dropped.

Nov14-20 = 19km. The office work slowly adjusted back to normal, but I caught the flu and had to call off training for several days. Another dismal week of training.

For this week I've managed 17km so far (as of today, Thursday) and hope to log two more workouts (Fri and Sun) to get my weekly total to 41km. Marathon #3 is Sunday next week (Dec 4) so I hope to put in a few more quality workouts this week (an 8k tempo and a 16km long run).

Based on the marathon-pace workouts I've done (adding to that the terrible mental condition I was in for the past few weeks as mentioned above), running 7:00/km even pace for 42km straight would be a heavy task. I need to tinker my pace plan on splitting the race into two sections: 32km and then the last 10km. On race day, if all goes well after 32k, I hope to run a negative split on the last 10k to finish below 5 hours. Said pace-plan will be tested this Sunday on my long run.

I started following @RunningQuotes on Twitter a few weeks ago. Their quotes have been inspiring during this training plan, especially now that I feel lazy to wake up most of the mornings just to haul my ass out of the door and run. Here's a few that I liked:

"Anyone can run 20 miles. It's the next six that count." - Barry Magee

I'm not running this #race to win, but to give it everything I got.

"#Run the mile you are in." ~ via @ryanhall3

Not all runs require a garmin and music. Sometimes it needs to be you and the ground #runningtip

The greatest danger for most of us is not that we aim too high & miss it, but we aim too low & reach it. ~Michelangelo

And, my favorite (which I think sums up my plan for marathon #3):

"In the first half of the race, don't be an idiot. In the second half, don't be a wimp." via @runnersworld #truth #run

Oh, before I go, I just wanna say that I love this video from Saucony. I'm not endorsing Saucony (although I am a convert to natural/minimalist running), but the way they shot this guy while he ran looked very inspiring.



It does make you wanna run now, doesn't it?

SEA Games Marathon Results

Well, there was no gold medal for the Philippine delegates sent to run the Marathon event in the current SEA Games 2011 in Indonesia. But I believe they gave it their all.

Below are the results as per the SEAG website (click the images to get a full view):

Men's Marathon:



Women's Marathon:



A silver and bronze for the men's event. For the women's event, at least we didn't DNF.

We're proud of you Eric, Vertek, and Jhoan!!!

Garmin brings back Google Maps! Yehey!

I was planning out my 42k pace strategy for QCIM3 just now (using trusty Excel, hehe) when I thought of comparing the plan with my past 42k performance during Condura 2011. Hence, I needed to pull out my stats via Garmin Connect.

I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Garmin, probably due to public demand, has decided to bring back Google Maps! Woohoo!

Just click on the image below for a larger view:




All you need to do is open your workout and, on the map, toggle between using Bing or Google for your map reference. Nice, right?!

Thank you Garmin!

Rain? No Problemo!

If you ran the NB Power Run 25km the other week, you would've remembered the pouring rain at the start of the race. Well, this guy didn't seem to have a problem when he raced last week.



I bet Headsweats is looking into releasing a similar model by spring 2012 and that those racing BDM next year will be looking into adding this into their running gear to counter the heat (wink wink).

Based on the race results, his name is Arnel Manzano and he finished with a respectable time of 2:58.

Congrats pare!

NB Power Run 25km (+7km): Nailed It

The objective of the day was to complete 32km, a distance that many recommend to be the minimal number of kms of a long run when training for a full marathon. It provides a physical and mental edge come race day. As it was a little over a month left before QCIM, my third attempt at 42k, I had yet to chalk up a 32k on my 16-week training cycle. The NB Power Run 25k was my last chance (since RU3 32k falls on a Pacquiao Sunday), just add 7k more to meet the required mileage.

Running the race would mean slowing down at a relaxed pace since finish time was unimportant. All that matters will be the "32.00 km" logged on my Garmin. To coin it in engine terms, I was leaving the Ferrari in favor of a Prius. It was imperative that I leave BGC with 32k on my belt.

It was probably 15mins before gun time when I made my warmup jog around BHS. By the time I caught a glimpse of the start arc and the corral, the host started counting down from 10. It was no biggie, I thought, so I started the race from the back of the pack ---a first for me who'd normally squeeze to the middle of the corral. The warmup was 1.6km long as per my Garmin.

30.4km left.

At a last-minute-decided 7:30/km pace, I was amazingly relaxed throughout the 25km race. I didn't care of the race time, or if this guy or that guy or gal was way ahead of me. "32" was all that mattered but my perspective all throughout was like I got a dose of the happy pill, if there ever was one.

I shared a few kms with Jazzrunner Rene inside BGC ("finisher medals" hehehe), I was chatting with Craig Logan while he pushed Justin along Buendia on the away path. I was able to check my form in time to stop an impending right calf cramp.

What proved to be a sure sign of my relaxed mood was that I had absolutely NO problems tackling the Buendia flyover return path, even volunteering my services in pushing Justin and his stroller along that dreaded uphill flyover for about 100 meters. I really felt great (and surprised how Justin weighed with that uphill factor).

Upon reaching the last 5km of the race, I decided to push the gas pedal a bit to 7:00/km, see if I can hold my target 42k pace after 21k. I surprised myself as I was able to maintain it, passing most of the runners who gassed out or had cramps or blisters.

Finish time: 3:04 (unofficial gun time).

As I got my lootbag and walked back to my car, I knew that the day was still not over. There was still 5+ km left to run. I changed singlets, strapped on my hydration belt, and made an out and back course on the last part of the race course. I was still ok on the first half but started walk-running on the way back. Fatigue crawled in, finally.

But fatigue couldn't do much as I finally reached my car and my Garmin beeped the end of the workout. I was just too mentally-conditioned that day:

32km in 4:00:14!!!

It was one of those rare everything-just-clicked days. I didn't carbo-load days before but I followed a strict 1GU-2cupsof100plus per hour during the race, something that I got from a running article days earlier. Ok ok, I take back what I said before about 100plus sports drink (smile).

My Brooks GreenSilence, now at 448km after Sunday's workout, performed well as usual. No blisters even when the race was dampened by rain. Probably the cool rainy-then-cloudy weather helped running conditions, too.

Seeing that 32km completed was a real mental boost for me now that QCIM is a few weeks away. I hope the running gods will be kind enough to bestow a sub-5:00 finish for me by then.

Condura 2012 Gun Times

There was some noise over FB a weeks ago when the Condura Skyway Marathon Facebook page asked its followers on their preferred starting gun time. The two full marathons that I’ve ran had 4am (Milo Elims 2010) and 3am (Condura 2011) start times. Waking up early in the morning for races has been a familiar habit for me so I didn’t mind the extra 1-2 hours. Naturally, I opted for a 3am gun start as my FB response.

The FB page suddenly lit up with responses/comments when Condura made a suggestion to start the full-marathon event at 12 midnight. Most of the replies were ok with it but there were a few, including myself, which preferred the usual 3 or 4am gun start.

I’ve several (personal) reasons on why I prefer a 3 or 4am gun start.

First is the body adaptation. In order to simulate racing conditions, it is best to train at or near your race’s gun time. In that way, your mind and body is adjusted. But it is rare for me to be wide awake at midnight. My body knows that by midnight, I should already be asleep. It would be difficult to simulate race conditions especially for myself who needs to work during the daytime.

Second is safety ---during training. I know that the race organizers will be securing the safety of the runners on race day. But how about the training runs that we want simulated at midnight? Snatchers, knife-wielding “gents,” drunks, drug addicts, drunk drivers could be on the prowl by that time. It is difficult, especially for the ladies, to train at that odd time of the night.

I’m speaking as someone who was opened into the sport of running when I ran my first 5k ---in the 2009 Condura race. I have ran the Condura race yearly since then (a 21k for 2010 and then a full marathon earlier this year). It’s been on my personal race calendar year after year so I’m hoping to run another 42k(?) Condura race on 2012.

But starting it on midnight is not my cup of tea (or Gatorade/Powerade if you will). I may have to unfortunately skip it if that happens.

KOTR 2011: Stitches and Burns

I was aiming for 2 goals yesterday, Oct 23. The primary goal was to complete 32km as part of my build-up for QCIM3. The second was to aim a sub-2:20 finish at the KOTR 21km race.

To cut the long story short, I failed on both.

After the effects of a shot of GU taken 35 minutes into the race spread thru my system, I gave into the idea of hitting the gas full throttle as I cruised along Buendia Avenue. I was pacing remarkably well, even logging a 5:50/km on one lap. Blame it as well on the Kenyan 16.8km racers passing us mid-pack runners several kms into the race. It was as if I wanted to run like them too. But, as fate would have it, I lost steam and succumbed to a nasty right side stitch from km15 onwards (there was still some pain the rest of the afternoon which I assume to be caused by my trying to diffuse the pain by pressing hard on it during the race). I was taking a lot of walk breaks than usual, even walking the return-path of the Buendia flyover and the final upward turnaround point at 5th avenue. A second shot of GU at the 1:35 mark didn’t help my cause. By the last 200 meters, I was sorry sight, walking my way across the finish arc as my 305 read 2:22:40.

Now, there is still a chance that I’ve finished sub-2:20 (teeny weeny chance), chip-time wise, since it took me almost (or more than) 2 minutes to cross the start arc due to the 4,000-strong participants of the 21km event. The official race results will provide the answer to that. Nevertheless, this race was a lesson (yet again) that proper and controlled pacing should be considered during races. Oh well, at least the finisher medal was very nice!



The second goal, 32km total distance for the day, was missed on account of the heat and extreme fatigue after that failed race. I was supposed to run 10km more after the race, but I was jogging at a pedestrian 10:00/km. The morning sun’s heat was terribly early that day so much that I decided to turn back and call it a day.

Total distance for the day: 27.75km.

I’ve yet to run the mandatory 20-mile long run prior to my third full marathon.

I’m hoping that it will come soon before taper period comes.

Thankful

The kids were egging me to go down the stairs immediately this morning. I was surprised to find a beautifully crafted customized birthday cake ordered by the wifey.

The 42k on the Milo singlet I'm wearing on the cake seems to be a sign of things to come (Milo Finals 42km perhaps? Dream on! Hehehe).

You gotta love my supportive wife and kids on my passion for running. Days like these help me to keep in mind that family is ALWAYS first. That is why I try my best to keep myself healthy (thru running and other means) so that I hope to be always there for them, my support system.

Well, a birthday race is coming up this Sunday so I hope to do well. I've been running Adidas KOTR since 2009, always the 21k version (2009=2:29:55, 2010=2:21:59). I hope to finish sub-2:20 this year.

I'm now 38 and havin' a good time. Life's great!

Thank you Lord!

Up The Mountain Again

I've just registered for marathon #3: QCIM (Quezon City Intl Marathon) on December 04, 2011.

Will it be 3rd time's a charm on my sub-5:00 goal? Accomplishing that would be great to close the year 2011.

With the way my total miles per week is unfolding, I really need to do a lot of work, especially on the weekend long runs. Good thing KOTR is coming up this Sunday so that's 21km already covered. I hope to add more after the race to log the needed miles (32km wishful goal ---yeah, I wish! Hehe).

See you on the road!

The Kawauchi In You

It was several months ago on a lazy TV-surfing Saturday morning that I stopped the channel at Star Sports when I saw a recap of the 2011 Tokyo Marathon. Running events are rarely shown in ESPN or Star Sports, so seeing a big race such as this was a warm welcome to this running addict.

I was particularly amazed at this runner on the last 3-4kms of the race, a nobody named Yuki Kawauchi (wearing bib 16) of Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Months passed, and I got reminded of him again when I read an article of him from Running Times the other day. Watch the Youtube video below so you'll know what I'm talking about:

Amazing, right? His determination (as seen on his face) paid off. Coming from behind, he finished third overall (behind an Ethiopian and a Kenyan) with a stellar time of 2:08:37.

What makes him more amazing is that he's not corporate-sponsored, unlike many elite runners out there. He's an everyday office worker, like many of us are. It's really inspiring the way he manages his work and training to be able to run a race such as that in Tokyo. He's an example that if we just put our mind into logging the miles and train hard "because you love to run," then you'll get results.

Here's Yuki with his words of inspiration:

Let's run!!!

Octoberun 2011: Wicked!

Preparation/Strategy

I went into this race with not much expectation from myself. A PR was waaay impossible as I lacked the necessary speedwork and tempo runs, just coming out of a 3 week experiment with Maffetone-paced training. Although I hoped for a sub-2:20 time, I was more concerned on logging decent amount of miles for the day’s required workout: a much-needed long run. Thus, any amount of kilometres before and after the race would be a warm-welcome for my marathon plans for QCIM3.

The strategy would be for me to pace myself in the opening kilometres and try to keep below or at 7:00/km the rest of the way, make most of the hydration stations, keep my running form in check at all times, take a gel after 1 hour, and, most of all, prepare myself mentally for the closing kilometres. The reason for the last bit was because of something I realized whenever I do long runs/races. At the latter part of a long race/run, my mind seems to be at, oh how do I explain it, lazy-tired-oh-just-walk-a-bit-but-you-know-later-on-you’ll-be-walking-the-rest-of-the-way train of thought. I realized this when I was training for Condura2011 and also on the race itself, specifically after km32. Yes, my body could be tired at that point but I know if I tried to dismiss the fatigue mentally, I know I could finish it running strong if I put my mind to it. The problem at the time, my mind gave up easily to the fatigue-mirage being orchestrated by the Governor. I was hoping that in this race, Octoberun2011, I would be better prepared mentally.

With a pre-race snack of BreadTalk floss bread (yummeh!), I went to the Octoberun 2011 21km starting line.


RACE!

There was a modest amount of 21km runners compared to your usual RunRio races, with familiar faces present (saw Dennis “Running Fatboy” on most of the U-turns). To psych myself, I set my 305 to countdown from 2:20 to encourage me to try to finish sub-2:20. We were sent off on schedule (5:15am).

Split for the first 5km was 34:13 (6:50/km ave). Right on schedule.

Btw, the race-org made a twist to the usual BGC-Buendia route for 21km races. Instead of tackling the BGC part first, we went up the Kalayaan flyover and onward to Buendia first. If you ask me, the route was especially challenging since by the time you reach the way back to BGC via the Buendia flyover, you’d think that you’re almost near the finish line. However, in Octoberun, you still got 10km to go around BGC to complete the half marathon. It’s wickedly challenging that it causes you to change your pace strategy: conserve energy along Buendia so you still have something left in the tank by the time you go around BGC. I give credit to MLB, the race organizer, for plotting in that twist. Good job!

Split from km6-10: 33:25 (6:41/km ave). This was along Buendia. I was able to cope with the climb back up the flyover (thanks to the usual Meralco compound hilly runs during training). I took my Powerbal Energy Gel along km8. I may have ran this section too fast, which may have caused the next sequence of events to occur.

Split from km11-15: 34:57 (6:59/km ave). Uh-oh. I started slowing down from here. I had a short side-stitch episode. Further, my right bicep started to ache as well. Based on Condura2011 and this race, I can fairly conclude that my continous holding of a Gatorade plastic bottle from the initial kms of the race caused this ache as I’ve never experienced this in my other races. Yup, I think I’ll ditch the bottle in favour of my hydration belt from now on.


HATAK (“pull”)

I logged my slowest lap at km17 (7:24/km). I was drained at this point (yup, the change of route sequence got me), but not out. At this point I was within range (either in front or at the back) of 2 ladies. One was wearing a tri-suit and the other was wearing an Ironman shirt. I saw them chatting on the initial kms of the race and was surprised that they were still at constant pace ---yup, still chatting. I decided then to drift behind them and use them as my pacers. Just follow them, I told myself. Well that got me going again (or was it the free Ricoa Flat Tops candy that was given along km14?), holding on to their constant “chillax” pace up to the finish line.

Km18 = 6:55, km19 = 7:05, km20 = 6:58.

By the time we reached the BHS perimeter with 2 turns left to the finish, my 2 Ironman (or should I say Ironwomen?) pacers went all out. I upped my pace as well but couldn’t catch up to them. However, I managed to overtake two men using me as marker on their run-walk strategy (hehe) 100m from the finish.

GF305 unofficial time: 2:22:40. Octoberun official time: 2:22:50.


GOOD RACE

I missed my target by almost 3 minutes. But not bad since I’ve improved on my last 21km race time for this year (2:24). I have to thank my two Ironwomen pacers on the last stretch, enabling me to finish at a decent time (by my personal standards).

Aside from the wicked route, MLB had covered this race well. The hydration stations, sponges, bananas, and, most of all, the Ricoa FLAT TOPS (one of my indulgences)were fantastic. Race marshals were giving words of encouragement which helped too. This was my first MLB org’d race and I have to say that they did a splendid job (all for a fair registration fee of P600.00).

Oh, I have to say that the finisher’s shirt is veeeerrrry nice.



COMPLETING THE DAY’S MILES

After the race I went back to the car and changed singlets and onto my VFF Bikilas, wherein I did a painfully slow 3km cooldown run in 30 minutes. Total miles for the day: 25km (including the earlier 1+ km warmup). The 21km race was helpful in forcing me to complete my scheduled long run which is why I’m thinking of registering for RunRio3 32km. The race atmosphere just keeps your mind busy as the kms tick by. The schedule is just right before a two-week taper for the Dec 04 QCIM marathon so we’ll see how things happen next month.

For now, it’s back to training.

Runch

Woke up late.

Too lazy to get up.

Kids woke up earlier than you.

One of your kids is sick and needs Daddy's dose of TLC.

The bed is just too comfy to move away from.

Had a tiring day yesterday so you had to sleep until late morning to recover.

These are just a few of the reasons why I had to occassionally skip running in the early morning before heading to the office. For those that were due to laziness, I felt guilty the rest of the day, regretting the lost pounds/training/miles that I should've logged.

The answer?

RUNCH.

Running on my lunch break, even "just" for 5 kilometers, provides the relief that at least I was able to run for that scheduled day of training. It could be on a treadmill in the gym or the Lawton-Bayani Taguig route, either of which will suffice my addictiveness in running.

Today I had a good runch. I was able to run along the Lawton-Bayani amidst the midday sun with water-bottle in hand. Drinking and dousing my head and arms as my 305 lapped the kilometers, I felt great, managing to maintain an average 6:45/km average pace.

It's 5pm. Now, I need a real (late) lunch!

Egg Before The Chicken

This is the first time I received a race medal upon registration. It's anti-climactic in a way.

Well, at least I can use it as paperweight in the office. Frankly, it would have more value to me if I get to finish the 25km Power Run inside 3 hours (2:55, ideally). The distance also forces me to log my weekend long run, something that I'm just too lazy to do (although I was able to log 22km last Sunday when I got myself in the mood for a sunset-evening run).

See you on November 6th!

Oh yeah, 25km babyyyyyy!!!

Race Hungry

I've been raceless since Aug21 (Run United2 21k). I've become bored with the Maffetone training that I've been injecting tempo runs lately seeing that my Maf pace doesn't seem to be improving.

Quite worried that I might be doing this HR-based training method and not be conditioned pace-wise in time for QCIM 42k. I'm worried as well that I'm not being committed to my weekend long run schedule, the longest being a 23km (Run United2 + 2km for warmup and cooldown).

Shit, that was almost a month ago?!?!

Being raceless for quite some time is not helping as well as I think I'm experiencing race-withdrawal panic.

To put it simply, I need to join a race. A long one. And soon!

Finishing Kick II

The 10,000m race below was held just recently in the IAAF World Championships in Daegu. The heavy favorite was Mo Farah, one of the UK's famous running elites.

The video starts with the last 400m (last lap) of the race, with Mo Farah starting his final kick. Unbeknownst to him, Ibrahim Jeilan of Ethiopia made pursuit.

It's incredible to watch such amazing athletes run their heart out to finish first, something that I've experienced (in a small, untelevised way, hehe) when I ran in some races. I won some, and lost some too ---all for the unprecious, no-prize hundredth of a place in the finishers' list.

But the video that plays over and over again on my mind recalling that mini duel as I drive back home?

Priceless.

Maffetone after 89 kilometers

Except for Run United 2 where I ran the 21k event, all my runs since Aug13 have been set below the Maffetone pace for my age (180-37 = 143). Forgive me for my nerdiness, but below is a summarized table of those runs:

As obviously pointed out in the Maffetone training method, this type of training will have you eat your ego. That is, those "back of the pack" runners will seem to be faster than you as you try to keep your HR below the prescribed Maff pace, especially in uphills. I had to swallow a lot of pride, especially in my 20km long run last Sunday, when I wanted to speed up but my beeping GF305 won't let me to. I had to stay below the 143 HR. I finished the run in 2:53.

My aerobic capacity needs a lot of work, especially in the longer distances. Based on the above, it seems that my aerobic capacity is primed only up to around 8k. Beyond that, I have to tap into my anaeraobic tank which does not last for long. What I like about this method is that it's relaxing and less injury prone because of the slow pace. I just need to keep my running form in check from time to time.

I'll give this thing until end of September before I inject back my other workouts (intervals & tempo runs) as I think I'm ready to climb the urban Everest again ---all 42.195kms of it. The dream of finishing sub-5 hours is there for the taking.

The QCIM full marathon this December awaits.

False Prophecy?

I've been following Pete Larson's blog for quite a long time, especially when I started to explore into the minimalist/natural running trend. Migrating from a heel to a forefoot/midfoot strike, it is true that improving one's gait to a more natural form is greatly beneficial to not only improving one's race times, but reducing injuries as well. That was my experience since going thru the Newton Distancia Racers, Adidas Adios ---both I consider to be transition shoes to minimalism/natural running. Currently, I'm rotating between my VFF Bikilas and the Brooks Green Silence, both of which encourages barefoot and minimalist running, respectively. The pain on my left knee has subsided since then. This of course, coupled with consciously following the prescribed paces/heart-rates for my workouts and reading about how to improve one's running gait ---until now. Yes, I'm still a work in progress.

Going back to Pete's blog, I read his post on the Mizuno Wave Prophecy last May 2011 and I couldn't help but recall his views ("personal bias" as he had said) against the said shoe. With all the hype/blogs being posted about preference for the Wave Prophecy, it would be good to put in some "balance" by echoing Pete's post that somehow discourages barefoot/minimalist-wannabees like myself from purchasing it.

Pete's post ("Mizuno Wave Prophecy – The Anti-Minimalist Shoe?") can be read in detail by clicking here.

Yankz!

Loose shoelaces were problems that I encountered with the Brooks Green Silence when I raced in the Mizuno 10k and Takbo.ph 16k. Just having to slow down, stop, and kneel to fix the damn thing would cause me about 30sec-1min delay ---time that I don't need especially when gunning for a PR. @paopedal, my triathlete-officemate, encountered the same mishap during one of his running workouts ---wearing the Brooks Green Silence as well. Hmmm, this should be something that Brooks needs to look at.

After the takbo.ph 16k race I decided to buy a pair of Yankz! shoelaces. I've seen this type of laces being used by triathletes (watching the video from the 2010 Ironman Kona Championships). Their "you'll never tie laces again" logo had bought me in.

Installing these laces takes some patience. Just follow the manual inserted, or you can follow the video I found below in YouTube (yeah, almost everything you need to know is in YouTube these days):

Well, I'm happy to say that I am quite satisfied with them Yankz!. I used them in last weekend's Run United2 half-marathon and had no complaints. Oh btw, I used tiewraps for installing the RunRio timing card. Works like a charm!

Run United2 21km: Crushed!

I was doing well for the first half of the race, keeping my pace at around 6:30-ish per km. I have set my GF305 to countdown from 2:20 ---my hopeful target time--- so I believed that I was in pace even though I was zig-zagging my way among the 3,300 other 21km runners who registered at the first few kms (2,100+ actually finished 21k as per the race result page).

The effect of lacking long runs (longest at 15k) was felt when I started to trudge Buendia Avenue just after the turn-around. It was a long crushing climb back as I was run-walking for some time. I managed to check my bearings and resisted to stop at the Buendia flyover return path, jogging my way at a slow 7:30+/km pace.

I reached the 2:20 mark just after The Fort (where Embassy used to be). The last climb at 32nd avenue before the last turn to the finish wouldn't come any sooner as I hoped to finish running.

The finish arc welcomed me at 2:26:01 (Garmin gun time).

POST MORTEM

I'm happy with the 4-minute improvement (based on chip time) since my last half-mary last May (Goldilocks), but I've a lot of catching up to do in terms of my long runs. December's QCIM 42km is very tempting to register for, especially now that I've decided to resume my base-building via the Maffetone method. But without complying to doing the long run, another 42km via QCIM might turn out to be a waste of effort.

I'll probably go at it for 2 months of 143-max HR workouts as recommended. Going raceless will also be a consequence as I hope to prioritize building my aerobic engine before pursuing races. Or, I could still reg for races but will control myself from exceeding 143 HR. This would be good especially if I join half-marys just so I can follow my scheduled long run.

I just hope that this thing that I'm trying out will be rewarding in the end.

We'll see in 2 months.

Trading in my lawn mower for a jet engine

"You can either try to race with an engine the size of a lawnmower or you can build your engine up with a good base so that you are racing with a huge-turbo charged jet engine."

---Mark Allen

I got quite interested in the Maffetone method of training after reading one of Baldrunner's posts (here). My triathlete-officemate, @paopedal, recommended me to try it too since he says that the basis for such "low max HR" limits for 3 months will eventually increase one's aerobic capacity. I won't bore you with the details since there's a lot out there in the Internet for your mind to digest.

Well, I'm sold to trying this out due to the following:

• less injuries
• pace improvement (imagine running sub-7:00/km pace at 8:30/km effort!)
• last but not least, aerobic training burns fat! (two thumbs up!!!!)

I tried this out last weekend on my scheduled long run. As expected, I was jogging at a very pedestrian 8:30/km pace, limiting the heart rate displayed on my GF305 to 143 (180 minus my age). It really took a lot of self-control not to go fast. Amazingly, I finished my workout after 15km without the need to munch a GU pack! Average pace was 9:01/km and calorie burn was less than 900. What was great about it was that I never felt hungry until noon (I'd normally shake in hunger at around 11am after a morning long run, a trigger that I really need to eat). There was also no knee pain like I normally get hours after.

This is definitely something, I thought. Actually I've been doing pseudo-Maffetone running before but not exclusively doing easy runs for 2-3 months straight. Tempo and interval runs are stacked in once a week, at the least. I ran easy on easy days, and ran hard on hard days.

Well, I will resume this next week since I've registered for the Run United2 21k this Sunday. By next week, I'll do all my runs exclusively below the recommended 143 max HR and see if my aerobic pace improves in 2 or 3 months ---right on schedule for Condura 42km 2012!

Wish me luck!

Company Sportsfest 2011 10k: Sub-60 3-Peat?

PRESSURE COOKER

I was somehow pressured going into this 10k race for three things. First, no thanks to the constant rains I wasn’t able to run much for the past weeks (the only run I had last week was an 8km tempo including warmup and cooldown wherein I paced 6:10-6:40/km). Logging below average weekly mileage for the past 2 weeks got me worried.

The second reason was that this would be my 3rd 10k race since IRFI and Mizuno wherein I finished sub-60. Yup, there is that pressure for me to three-peat. I guess this was how Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls team mates felt back in the 90s? Nah, maybe not.



The last reason for me to feel pressured to perform is that this race was organized by the company where I work in. There are a lot of recreational but competitive runners here so one’s finish time would be a good lunch break or water cooler topic among peers. If you had been following this blog for some time, I made a similar race report last year in our company run (15km) where I barely survived the charge of a fast runner (because he started 10 minutes late). To be honest, there was more of a desire for me to compete rather than pressure since I WANTED to run my best in this race. In a company where mostly everyone knows everybody, it would be great to finish somewhere on the upper half of the finishers’ list.


HALA SPRINT, SIGE!

As the 10-to-1 countdown sent the 10k runners off at BGC, I remembered my learnings from previous races, specifically: don’t rush at the start. Unfortunately for most of the 10k runners, they must’ve felt like Usain Bolt. “Remember that this is a 10km race, not a 1km sprint,” I told myself as I refrained from going all-out. I was just below 6 minutes by the 1st kilometre and I intended to keep it that way throughout the race. Going near 5:30/km or below would be suicide for me unless it’s the last kilometre.

As expected, as I reached the 32nd street uphill from 5th avenue going towards Market-Market, the runners who sprinted from the starting line were dropping their pace. Some would walk, some would be breathing heavily as they tried to hang on to their earlier km pace, to no avail. My patience was paying off as I started overtaking.

By the British School path I had overtaken most of the runners, except of course, for those aiming for sub-55/50 times. A sub-55 or sub-50 finish may come for me but not on this race. Probably in two or three years perhaps?


HALFWAY PACE, CHECK!

I reached the 5km mark in 29:04. I was doing well compared to IRFI (28:14) and Mizuno (28:44) since I was able to strategize my pace as even as possible per km. Bottomline, I didn’t over-exert myself at the first half of the race.

The rain started to pour when I reached 8th(?) street, a 400-500m downhill, turnaround, and uphill at the same distance. I had to keep myself conscious of my form and pace, glancing at my Garmin from time to time and feeling my footstrike. Fatigue would cause me to heel strike so I had to constantly check that I strike midfoot/forefoot all the time.


SPRINT TAYO BATA?

By the last 2 kilometers I was still feeling good, overtaking a few more running officemates along the way. At the last turn to the finish (passing the Nike store), I glanced at the timer above the finish arc: it read 57 minutes and counting. My 10k PR was 59minutes+ so I knew a new PR was in the bag. Nice!

At the last 100 meters, the last guy I overtook from 32nd street had probably managed to sprint from the last turn since I heard his footsteps approaching me rapidly from behind. I wasn’t going to give up my place in the finisher’s list that easily so I went to sprint myself. I was pleasantly surprised that I still managed to out-kick him as I crossed the line about 2-3 seconds ahead of him.

57:57 (Garmin, unofficial).

Another 10k PR! Woohoo! Thank you Looord!!!

Yup, I think it’s time to run another half-marathon soon.

Run United 2 anyone?


SIDENOTE: BUKAS-KOTSE GANG

As our company sportsfest was ongoing, news spread of the unfortunate incident of 2 (or more) vehicles by our officemates being robbed of cash and valuables. They parked on that makeshift parking lot along the street near NBC Tent (parking teller is situated just next to the said tent, across The Fort Strip). Some of the owners were understandably furious at the security guards since they were supposed to man the area from would-be looters. I hope this sad incident serves as a warning to all runners (not only in BGC but in other race venues as well) to securely lock their vehicles as they race. Don’t leave valuables in the car as well.

Take care and happy running!

So the 1st person to do this died?

I saw this on running.competitor.com. A hilarious take on how other people see us runners.

Hehehe....

takbo.ph Runfest 16km: Hills? Bring 'em on!

LUCKY ME

I was lucky to have that 10x200m hill-repeat session 3 weeks ago and a hilly 10km Subic long-run the weekend prior to this race in BGC because once I saw the route days before the race, I only felt a tinge of fear (usually, it's a heap of fear) upon seeing the Lawton-Bayani-McKinleyHill leg of the route. It’s like Mr.Bean’s classmate who was happy to see that the questionnaire for their exam was for Trigonometry, the one that he studied for.

The only question left was as to what pace should I run this one. After a manageable short tempo run the other week (5km averaged 6:35/km), I decided to settle for an even-paced run at 6:30-6:40/km effort.


RACE DAY

The race started on time (5:30am for 16km) and we were off. I decided to take it easy in the first km (even doing a #1 just before the 1km marker, hihihi). I was feeling good at this point, deciding on banking on good km-splits early on since I know I could be in trouble pace-wise on the uphills later on.


HILLS

I managed to go thru Bayani Road’s return uphill climb. The difficult part, as expected and as recounted by many, is the McKinley climb from C5. Everyone was either on a slow-jog or walking ---I was partly both. When I reached the top back to Lawton, it was time to recover my bearings and just go for it.

By the last km I was pushing hard, even with a side stitch. “Pain is temporary,” I thought, as my GF305 passed my 1:45 target time. My 2009 1:49 PR seemed to be there, teasing me that I won’t be able to beat it. I even resorted to daring myself to beat this guy in a black compression shirt and Garmin310XT, but failed. The shoelaces on my left Brooks Green Silence got loose (time to buy Yankz?) but I resorted to run.



I ran as fast as I could though and, as I made that last turn, glanced at my 305, I rejoiced and raised my left arm in a victory fist as I approached the finish arc:

1:47:55 (GF305 time).

16km PR broken by nearly 2 minutes.

3rd PR-breaking race in a row.

Life is good!



TAKBO.PH

I got my medal and rested by the sidewalk which was at the last 200m of the race. As I saw fellow running-bloggers passed by (Sir Amado, Roselle, and Sir Jovie), I could only thank takbo.ph for helping me discover their blogs and keeping me inspired thru their posts. I’m thankful as well for takbo.ph for the “race schedule” updates that they post, keeping me on my toes as to when’s the next race that I would like to join in.



Giving back to takbo.ph, via this recently concluded Runfest, was definitely a good choice. Thanks Jinoe and Queenie for a giving us a great race!

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

This was a nice read. It will not exactly pump you up to head out the door for a run like "Born To Run," but Haruki Murakami's calm writing presents to its readers an alternative way to thinking while on the run, instead of with iPods.

His thoughts as he ran were calm and collected, the way I think how non-elite, non-competitive runners like myself should be.

Anyone for a zen run?

Another Subic Long Run

My family and I checked-in at the Kamana Sanctuary and Spa in Subic last weekend and boy, it's a very nice place especially if you want some peace and quiet.

It's just unfortunate that I only noticed last Sat when we reached Subic that there was a Milo elims race scheduled there (Olongapo leg) the next day. This was obvious after I noticed almost every other electric pole along the road to Subic airport wrapped with a Milo poster plus a lone open tent which I presumed to be a water station. If there was room for late registrants I would've woken up early and went to the track and field in Subic-proper to race an impromptu half-marathon.

Anyway, prior to that discovery I already conditioned myself to do a 12-14km long run on Sunday morning in preparation for this Sunday's takbo.ph 16k. Thus, with my trusty Bikilas, hydration belt and pack of GU, I started my run.

To summarize my run, I fell short of my target and ended up with 10.26km only as per my GF305. The 1st 3km run (or climb) was from the resort to the main road. It was an endless climb (think Baguio, but without the chill) that I ended up sweating like a pig after a mile. Average pace was at a struggling 8:30/km but I still trudged on and turned right on the main road towards Zoobic.

The main reason why my long run was cut short was, sissy me, I saw a mean-looking askal.

No, not that Azkal, but a real ASong KALye (stray dog) barking at me wildly like I was for breakfast. Sad to say, I had to turn back which was incidentally at km5 at that point and made my way back to the resort.

Except for that dog incident, I had a nice, challenging run. The climbs and descents were steep that are comparable to Baguio.

"S" climb

Yup, I'll run that route again the next time we spend the weekend there, hopefully without the askal.

Next race: A 10-miler

10-mile (16km) races don't come very often. There's 3k, 5k, 10k, and 21k events that often come up every race weekend, but rarely/never a 10-miler.

The first (and last) 16k race that I ran was in 2009 (Botak Paa-Tibayan in UP) wherein I set a 1:49 PR. I'm not really sure why, but I have this fascination with the 10-mile distance. It's often my favorite number when it comes to weekend long runs, especially that I already have a fixed route from home to Greenhills to San Juan then back to home.

16k. 10miles.

It just sounds perfect.

Well, thanks to takbo.PH, I'll be able to race that distance again on the 24th. I've DNS'ed last year's takbo.PH race (overslept) so I hope to have no problems waking up for this year's version.

See you there!

Raceless but happy

I haven't registered for any race since Mizuno. There was an unfortunate event in the family that required me to put that in priority first over races the past weekends, but I still had my early morning runs, averaging about 22kms per week for the past 3 weeks.

My usual route is a 5km-loop that stretches throughout the New Manila area. As I've memorized by heart the kilometer-markers, I can even set my runs for 6, 7, 8, 9 or even 10km via an out-and-back path. I mostly do easy and tempo runs here but sometimes I also do 1km cruise-intervals and even use the 1st 4km as a start-path for my weekend long runs which often goes to GreenHills and then to San Juan via Wilson Street. The route then goes to a street parallel to P. Guevarra until I reach N.Domingo. It's all uphill from there to Balete Drive which is the last street to complete my usual 10-miler (16km) long run.

As I had to change hating hills to loving them, last week I discovered a 100m hill at Horseshoe Village, about a mile from my house. The merciless 100m climb belongs to a street with a name that speaks for itself: HILLTOP street. My planned 10x100m hill repeats was reduced to 8x100m last week as I felt my heart and lungs pounding after the 8th repeat. Yup, I'll definitely get back at said hill next week.

Going back to the 5km New Manila route, I see various people doing their morning run/walk. The ages vary, but most of those that I've known by face (a brief "good morning" as we pass each other) are probably within the 40-60 age group, all men. There's an old Japanese fella that always has a water bottle in each hand, another with a compact stick to ward off potential street dogs, and a Chinese-looking guy in his 60s that can still manage a 7:00/km steadily. It's nice to know that these guys, even at their age, strive to wake up every morning to get their daily dose of exercise.

I've also seen those that look to be racing a lot, based on the singlet that they wear (like me). This one guy, in particular, looked heavier than me when I first saw him run months ago. But, as I've seen him last week, he's lost a lot of weight! There's also a young lady, probably in her teens, that had lost weight over the many times I've seen her out-sprint her yaya. It just goes to show that running does help in keeping the unwanted fat out.

The tall trees provide sufficient shade in New Manila, especially in Broadway Avenue where the road stretches up and down like the SLEX Skyway. Just be careful of the oncoming vehicles that uses the street as a shortcut on their way to Tomas Morato.

If I do a 5km run, the last km is all uphill until I reach home. As my GF305 beeps the end of another morning run, I go back to the house and get myself ready for work.

Another morning run completed, I log into my trusty Excel file and dailymile.com:

"I felt good."

Mizuno Infinity Run 10k: No Fluke

It was the same race org, the same race route, and the same distance. Mizuno 2011 Inifinity Run was the perfect venue to confirm if my first sub-60 achieved in my previous race was no fluke.

Well, to summarize my performance, I finished it in 59:32 (unofficial). Not only had I beaten last year's Mizuno 10k record by a minute and 25 seconds, but I've set a new 10k PR by a close 6 seconds.

Yup, not bad.

LEARNINGS

From the two races, I Run For Integrity (IRFI) and Mizuno 10k, I was able to remember my per-5km lap times as below:

The table above definitely shows that I positive-splitted these two races, mostly caused by the uphills in the latter half of the route (including the ruthless Kalayaan Flyover). There is also the question of my endurance of keeping a sub-6:00/km pace for more than 5km.

Either lack of endurance at fast paces or hills, that could be where my focus should be. I have to admit, I absolutely hate hills as much as the next guy. That could be the reason why I don't do much of hill training as I find myself content with tempos, speed intervals, and long runs. Yes, I'd probably should be doing more hill training....

...Or should I try running a 10k in a flat-route race such as those held in MOA to see if I can break 59-minutes? Or 58 minutes? ;-)

PROGRESS

If I were to base how I am in terms of my running, the Mizuno Infinity Run is one of those races that will form part of the criteria. My race times for the past 3 versions of this race were very encouraging (2009-1:09, 2010-1:00:57, 2011-59:32) as it reflected constant improvement on my speed.

Yup, things are lookin' good. Now if only I could bring this 10k pace to a half-marathon, that would be great!

Jersey Up The Rafters

As the ball bounced towards the outside lane, I stretched and tried to reach it to keep it inbound. I failed for I was late for about a second and the ball was eventually given to the opposing team.

As I was walked/jogged back to play defense, I felt a pain on my back which could've resulted from the previous play.

Darn it.

A possible back strain which is still lingering as of this morning.

Last night was only the 3rd time I played basketball since December 2010 and by some sheer bad luck, I've come off injured by the following day. Prior to discovering my passion for running, I play regular hoops with the guys here in the office around once a week, and then there was a time that I'd even do shoot-arounds at Club650 by myself once a week during lunchtime. I was keen on getting my shooting-pulse in ship-shape and try to imitate the driving moves of my idols: Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. In spite of all those practices, I would still be often left on the bench on school-alumni leagues and office sportsfests. Yup, I love basketball but I don't seem to have the skills to make basketball love me back.

Several thoughts came up as to why these string of post-basketball injuries have become regular:

First, I think that my body has been more attuned to running in which once you get the form and pace right, you just need to do the same thing over and over as you tick off the miles. You don't need to bend, stretch, jog backwards, do lateral movements, nor jump. But in basketball, you need to do all of these. Di na ako sanay sa basketball, I guess. Probably spending more time in strength-training would do the trick.

Second, and the more obvious reason, is that my body is not as young as it used to be. I'll be 38 by the last quarter of the year and even the aches and pains that I feel during hard running workouts just goes to show that I need to be more careful of my body at this age. The banging, jumping, and different paces of basketball is something that I need to watch out for. Wag nang sumabay sa pagrebound kung malalaki ang mga katabi. I think I should just impose my age with the youngsters (mang-gulang? hehe) like my other idol: Robert "The Big J" Jaworski.

Yup, I've no plans of hanging up my basketball jersey just yet. I will just have to be more mindful of my limits.

Well I hope my bad back will heal in time for Mizuno 10k although I don't think it'll be much of a problem (crossing-fingers here) since no bending/diving for the ball is required.

Expos - Dislike

I'm starting to dislike running/race expos. The matter of claiming your singlet/racekit should be simple and fast. Adidas KOTR 2009 was such an example. For those of you who were there at SM Megamall Megatrade, it was mayhem just to claim the racekit. The following year, KOTR 2010 scrapped the expo altogether and just gave the racekit upon registration.

I thought that was the last of that.

Well, Mizuno Infinity Run 2011 seemed to have followed suit. I heard that the first day of claiming (Jun2) was mayhem as well so I decided to claim the next day.

From my office in Ortigas, I left lunchtime and drove all the way to Mizuno Magallanes only to be approached by this sign at the lobby:

I tried on the M-size but I felt like a suman (not really a sight to behold if you'll see me race on a singlet of that size).

Time and effort wasted.

Utter disappointment. Again.

I'm starting to hate expos.

It Never Ends

Along with Condura, the Mizuno Infinity Run is one of those races that I want to run every year. The concept of beating your time year after year is both unique and challenging. Well, I've just registered for the 10km event earlier this week and I'm all set to hopefully beat last year's 1:00:57 and my recent PR of 59:38.

I was surprised btw when I visited the Mizuno.PH website and found that they archived the list of "beat your time" finishers (comparing 2009 and 2010 results). I was humbled to find out that I ranked well (out of 48 runners) last year as seen below:

I've never ranked that high on a race, so seeing my name on page1 as above was very gratifying.

As mentioned by the comments on my last post, I'm all set to be greedy with logging sub-60 race times for 10k from hereon, hoping that the 59:38 from last weekend's race was no fluke.

See you on June 11!