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.