Globe Run for Home 2010 : 3rd half marathon for 2010

3rd half marathon for 2010 and I was planning to just take Condura half marathon this year. I'm not following my plans again. But who'll blame me? Ain't it fun to run along with your friends?

There are a couple of things I want to be thankful for this race.

1. No blisters. The dri-fit socks worked!

2. No injuries! My left thigh is not aching anymore after the race. Hopefully, I can do my recovery run right away this morning.

3. Friends! Friends! Friends! Friends! Friends! Running gave me more friends! Let me name them all! I'll start with my pace group earlier first then the rest in no particular order! Mark M, Boss Rico, Noelle, Timmy, Julie Hotlegs, Wilnar, Mund, Emil, DocT, Roselle, Rod, Alex, Julie P, Brando,  Ross, Carina, Pepsi, Doc Marvs, Z, Raff, Eric, Ian, Jet, Edu,DocT, Pat, Aleth, Ellen, Morgan, Luis, Abbey, Marvs2 (hypermarvs),Ms Nao, Doc Eire and Brian, Argo, Ronald, Natz, Cess, Sam and many many more! (If I didn't mention you're name, it's not intentional, I'm writing this without a cheat sheet! :) )

Friends motivates you and help you reach your goal. For that I thank you all. :)

4. Lots of hydration! - Oh yes! we're getting spoiled by Coach Rio. Thanks for that!

5. Safety - I'm glad that no accident or Injury was reported. I'm glad that everyone finished the race safely.

6. Lots of calories burned! Woohoo! 1 and a half week to go before the end date of the BLC2. I'm thankful that I was so motivated to run that losing weight is just a second priority. I'm a winner for my self already even if I will not win the BLC2 contest. I know that I lost weight already. Can you see the difference from the pictures below?

Before the advent of running. @ 177 lbs (I really excrete sand ;-p)

Badminton didn't help to much.

Then I started running

And I started to take it seriously.

I find my journey exciting. :)

7. My new pair of Mizuno :) Thanks for the wonderful birthday gift boo. :)

So there. I'll give this race a 4.99274629743 out of 5  hahahaha. Why? There's no medal. heeheehee.

-Sid

recovery and Century Tuna Superbods 2010

This is by far, the biggest running event of the year. No doubt. Kudos to Coach Rio for doing his best to make this event successful. It's nice to meet the other Takbo.ph members and sir Mike (ms Julie's fiance). Everything seems to be fine about the race except for the early gun start and some half wit race marshalls who doesn't know how to give proper directions to the runners. I'll give this a 7/10.

Before the start of the race, I was hanging around with Timmy, Ms Carina, Ms Noelle, Ms Z, and Ms Julie with her fiance sir Mike and their choreographer. The gun start was too early for the 21km run so we thought that it's just a test. Then when we heard the second gun, we thought that it's just the 21k who's starting as we see it in the huge LCD screen. Too much of our surprise, it's already the 10k and the 21k did start on the first gun fire. So we tried to squeeze our way to the front to get out of the 5km horde. When we we're able to get out, we're already at the tail of the 10km dragon. I was able to run along with Noelle up to the 2nd km only. I slowly drifted away because this lady is one speedster. I tried to concentrate so hard with my run that I am not looking to the person in front of me. I thought that this will just make me more tired. So I raise my head up for a bit and I realize that it's a more comfortable position rather than looking down. I was able to maintain a 5:30 - 6:00 pace after the first 2 km. Passing each runners, I was able to maintain this for about 5 km. The walks when I approach a water station helps a lot. This is the first time that I tried this. I was able to relax my muscle for a bit and then go back to my pace again. I was picturing out the track in Ultra and how I run around it. I think it helped to (muscle memory?). I was able to boost some more when Vertek and Sen Pia's entourage pass through, I gave everything at this point to see if I can at least do a sub 60. When I saw the time from the screen, it just 53 minutes. It's a possible PR. So I sprinted the last 300 m to get a 53:33 on my timer. I still need to wait for the official results from the timing chip though. Hurrah!

++++

I just woke up from a 6 hour sleep after the event early this morning. As I was lying in my mat, I was having this thought that my body and spirit is communicating with each other. We think about a lot of things. And this time, I  randomly thought how it looks like when your body and spirit had a dialog with each other.

+++++

Spirit: Hey, you have a new PR! Rejoice. :) You should thank me for pushing you all through out the race.
Body: I know right. But I took a lot of beating from it dammit. You know damn right that I shoud've taken this one lightly because I'm still recovering from the the tooth extraction.

Spirit: F*ckin' weakling.

Body: Shut up. My left thigh hurts big time.

Spirit: That's because you're not that strong yet. You ate Noelle's dust after 2 km. Haha.

Body: I know right. But still I didn't give up and you saw that I pushed it hard too! And I made a lot of slow runners eat my dust.

Spirit: Don't boast about it. You'll not be able to do that without me. That time when you saw Vertek pass ahead of you leaving the Kenyans behind, I gave you a boost there but you didn't sustained it. And then When Sen Pia Cayetano's entourage pass, I did my best to boost you so you can run along with them. Then when the time is almost near, I gave my everything to give you a final boost and hit that PR! It's worth the beating is it not?

Spirit: So don't brag about it too much. You still have a long way to go buddy. Marami ka pang kakaining bigas!

Body: I know right fag. What should I do then?

Spirit: Get stronger. Impress Ms Running more just like how you impressed Ms Badminton and the brutal Ms Muay Thai before. Just try to recall how we made it through their challenges.

Body: Yeah, I'm the one who always take the beating. Because I'm weaker than you. 

Spirit: I crumble down too you stupid ass. Can't you remember the times when I can't push you anymore? When I'm the one sending you thoughts that it's time to give up? So don't say that I'm stronger that you are.

Body: So how come it still looks like we didn't give up at all?

Spirit: Uhm well, it's because Heart is always there to back us up. When we're so down and we're being pummeled and beaten by Mr Challenges, Heart is always there to the rescue. Heart fights Mr Challenge and never give up regardless how big Mr Challenge becomes. Heart always pull us back and help us to push forward.

Body: Oh...

Spirit: Oh my face! That's 4 sentences of explanation and you'll just say oh. 

Body: Oh.. Ok then..

Spirit: (Batok)

Spirit: I think you've already recovered. Heart and I planned on something.

Body: What is it?

Spirit: You want to get stronger right?

Body: Of course

Spirit: You want to hit those PRs more often and finish each races strongly right?

Body: You hit it.

Spirit: Ok, then you'll get a beating.

Body: Wait. what? What do you mean?

Spirit: I'm a show you some tough love.

Body: F*cker.

Spirit: It's for you. This time, the three of us needs to work together more often. We need each other.

Body: You think I can do it?

Spirit: Of course. But it's not going to be easy this time. It's be hard that you will have to puke.

Body: ***gulp***

Brain: Hey can I interrupt? Why are you guys doing this? This is torture!

Spirit: Shut up! Don't release negative  thoughts. We're on a special project and you'll get benefited to ass wipe.

Brain: (left the room)

Spirit: This is for you buddy. Ms Running will definitely love you back when we do this. Heart loves her already so we need to do something about it.

Body: What if I can't make it?

Spirit: You will. You'll have incentives ;-)

Body: Oh I love incentives!

Spirit: I'm sure you do. But we'll try not to spend to much because Ms Running love simple guys.

Body: Hmm.. I'm still aching.

Spirit: Get a lot of rest tonight. For tomorrow, you'll start to get the beating.

Body: Bring it on! But You should still control it ha, Mr Work is demanding sometimes. I can't afford to lose Him.

Spirit: Why are you gay?

Body: F*ck you! You know I'm not, but without him, then you can't give the beating. Haha. Remember dude, he provides the funds

Spirit: yeah, I forgot about that. Tsk

Body: Goodnight!

**Body left the room**

Spirit: Heart you still lurking there?

Heart: Yep, what's up?

Spirit: Just want to say thanks

Heart: np...

Spirit: Ok gtg

Heart: (y) aight

***Spirit left the room***

+++++++

Schizo no? hahaha.... Well I still have a long way to go and I need this 3 working it out together so I can get more stronger. So help me God.

-Sid

Condura 2010 : A humbling experience

It's over. Those weeks of preparation for this huge running event is already finished yesterday. I'm happy for myself and all my takbo.ph friends who didn't give up and finished the race. I got the miracle that day! The courage to start that is. :)

21 km is not a joke. That's what I've learned. But it was indeed a good learning experience for me! From here I will set my new goals. I'll go back to my drawing board and next time, I want to finish 21km without walking. I have to admit that I didn't follow coach Sid's advice to just run at an easy pace in the first 15 km. Well, I felt comfortable in the 1st 15 with my pace so I thought it was alright. On the way back, I was following this small old man with the name "dionisio" on his singlet. I was able to get ahead of him from time to time until the blister in my left foot started to radiate some pain. I saw Luis' tito Fernando Zobel de Ayala pass me. At one point there's a guy who's following my pace, it felt good until the blister dragged me again. So this guy was Paeng Nepumuceno and he eventually left me behind. The blister is really uncomfortable. I think my wet socks added to the size of the blister. Lesson learned. At the last 7 km, my pace slowed down to a point where I need to walk at the last uphill in the Kalayaan fly over. It's okay though, first time ko lang naman e.

Pero masaya ako kasi walang nainjure sa mga kaibigan ko sa takbo.ph, masaya ako dahil natapos ng matiwasay yung event. Walang nadisgrasya. Saka may medal ako. :) yun yun e! So I have to beat 2:12 next time, this means that I should train harder to do a sun 2 hour next time. Kakayanin ko kaya? hmmm.. Impossible is nothing. :)

Pero sa ngayun, pahinga muna ko ng 2 weeks. Hassle. Nagpatanggal kasi ako ng 2 wisdom teeth e. Sana by Feb 21, okay na ko to run 10k sa Century tuna. I won't be setting any goals for this race muna since recovery period ko yun, I'll just try to finish the race smoothly. Ansakit ng mukha ko habang ginagawa tong post na to tangamal.

Kudos to the organizers ng Condura. I think worth it naman yung binayad ko na reg fee kahit mejo mataas. Sayang naubusan ako ng loot bag. Kakaiba yung event this time, may fireworks. Daming banda na nang eencourage sayo. Kwela.

Salamat sa support group ng Takbo.ph. You guys rock! At sa lahat ng sumali, astig kayong lahat. Kasi you have the courage to start. :)

Sid

My First Multisport : SWAC 4 and some personal thoughts.

Sheer Will Aquathlon Cup that is. A multisport. Yeah, simula nung nag decide ako tumakbo, sino magaakala na eventually matatry ko din ang paglangoy at pagtakbo. Kala ko nung madali, mahirap din pala lalo na yung pakiramdam ng pagtakbo pagkatapos mong umahon sa tubig. Mabigat, para kang may pasang isang kabang bigas. Buti na lang 3 km lang yung takbo kasi sa "Lite" division lang naman ako sumali.

Bago yung araw ng event na to, isang beses lang ako nakapagpractice lumangoy sa army pool. Pero mejo mapansin ko na din na malakas na rin kahit papano yung stamina ko. Ang laking tulong nung running talaga. Ayun awa ng May Kapal, naka 3rd place pa ko sa SWAC 4. Chamba! :D Ang galing mag organize ni sir Rico e. Astig din yung mga volunteers. Astig din yung mga sumali. Astig kami lahat. hehe.

Photos courtesy of takbo.ph.

Biruin mo yun, kaya ko rin pala. :) Sabi nga sa tagline ng Milo. Great thing starts from small beginning. Doon din naman ako nagsimula e, sa wala, then nagkaroon ng konti, sinubukan kong pagibayuhin at eto na mejo naglevel up nanaman ako. Nakakatuwa. Nakakahumble din ang experience. Sa darating na Linggo, tatakbo ako ng 21km sa Condura. Who would've though that someday makakaabot din ako sa ganito kalayo. Exciting. Malamang nyan balang araw makakatakbp din ako ng Full Marathon. 42 km baby! They said that it's a life changing experience. I have to find that out for myself. If there's one thing to expect though, it's the fact that it'll make me confident to face any challenges in life.

Mejo dumami na rin ang mga kaibigan ko from the takbo.ph group. Masaya kasi silang kasama e. Nakakainspire sila. Iba't ibang tao. Iba't ibang pangarap. Iba't ibang lakad ng buhay. Pinagisa ng pagtakbo. Astig diba? Anlakas. Nagpapasalamat ako sa grupo na to kase natulungan din nila akong ilabas yung kakayanan ko. At 'sa pa, they're a good group. Healthy living. May pagka pareparehas ng trip. Yung iba kasi pagtatawanan ka sa simula pag nag healthy living ka. Plastic daw. Saglit lang daw. Sus. Eto nga marami na rin naeengganyo e. Tuloy tuloy lang kami kasi. Determinado. Desidido. Ayun, sa mga ka-team ko lang sa trabaho, marami na rin ang naenganyong tumakbo or mamuhay ng masigla. Masaya nga yun e. Sino bang gusto magkasakit. Malamang wala. Hassle yun e.

Naniniwala ako, malayo pa mararating ko sa pagtakbo, mejo naiba man yung mga una kong plano. At least, andun pa din ako sa parehas na lugar. Tumatakbo pa din. Sa susunod makikita nyo, magiiba na rin ang anyo ko. Hindi naman magmumukang unggoy hahaha. Pero papayat na rin ako. :) Ibabalik ko yung bigat ko noon, pero this time, may konting bangas. :)

So help me God. :)

Sid

on PSE Bull run and other running activities.

Wow this is a very outdated post. I'm becoming more active in twitter and dailymile versus here. The thing is I don't have a lot to share about running. I'm a newbie so I'm not that knowledgeable about the sport yet. Just like any other noobs, I visit other blogs like the bull runner, bald runner, takbo.ph, hotlegsrunner etc. to get tips about running. Reader their blogs helps a lot as I get a lot of opinions and testimonials. It's great to know that these blogs exist.

Just last Sunday, I ran my 2nd 10km race and I am happy for my new PR. I got the official result from Adevents and I ran 10km @ 54 mins and several seconds. I think the trainings that I'm doing helped me a lot to run a stronger 10k race.

So far I have registered to several events and most of them are 10km except for the Condura which I'm going for a half marathon. (Goodluck for me.)

About my training, Coach Isidro is still in Cebu according to him, he is still looking for some money to buy airfare tickets to get back in Manila. For the last 2 weeks, I am just running by myself and I find it difficult to follow the trainings that he's sending via text messages compared when he's here to assist. I have been doing long runs for I am always getting pulled back by to sleep everytime I set the alarm in early in the morning.

I ditched the training that I was previously following in runnersworld since it's for a full marathon. I have to look for a new training plan that I will be able to follow.

What a boring post again. I think I'll be more active in dailymile and twitter for now since I got nothing to share this time.

Sid

3 days of early running

In my quest to improve my run, I move it up to another level again. I am currently trained by Coach Isidro Vildosola. He's the one armed runner who represented the country in several international competition. This Friday, he will be going to Cebu to compete in the Cebu marathon. Hopefully he'll win.

3 days have gone so far and of course, you can't see the results yet. If I continue the fartleks that we are doing, I think I can reap the benefits of this in 3 months time. I saw the advantage of getting a running coach when I am getting tips from his experiences and he said that he'll teach me some of the scientific way of running that he learned.

Hopefully, I will be able to see good results in 3 months. I'm a good student anyway. :) From here, I can see what I need to do in order to improve my speed and endurance. Fartleks are killers but it'll make you strong too. Those things that you hate will make you stronger.

1st day

He make me run for 30 minutes in the Ultra oval. It's just an easy jog. I was able to complete 13 rounds after 30 minutes which is equivalent to 5200m (400mx13). Here's his dagnostic:

Sid Apolinario 13Laps

//5,200MTRS 2:27.11MTRS/SEC 

             2:23     2:52.82 1:50     2:76    4:02     3:08

              95%         90%      85%      80%       70%        110%

0400 ||   2:27.11 ||   2:20  ||   2:44  ||  3:02  ||  3:35.11 ||   2:15

0800 ||   4:05.44 ||   5:56  ||   6:00  ||  6:35  ||  6:52.9   ||   4:00

1000 ||   6:00      ||   6:28  ||   6:48  ||  7:00  ||  7:30      ||   5:55

2000 ||   7:50      ||   8:15  ||   8:57  ||  9:00  ||  9:52      ||   7:40

3000 ||  13:22     ||  14:02 ||  14:38 || 14:59 || 15:48     ||  13:15

4000 ||  17:11     ||  18:24 ||  18:44 || 19:16 || 20:30     ||  17:05

5000 ||  21:03     ||  22:11 ||  23:57 || 25:07 || 26:43     ||  20:30

So the chart above is what I need to follow. I am clueless on how to use this until we did the fartleks in the second day.

200 x 8 

I run 200m @ 44 seconds. Initially, when I ran the 200m, it only took me 33 seconds. The coach said that it's too fast and I need to slow down a little or I might not be able to complete 8 sets. the succeeding 200m @ 44 seconds is like doing punch mitts continuously for 3 minutes. This is the same feeling that I get when I am gasping for air.

100 x 4

Here what we did it to sprint it all out for 100m then walk for another 100m and so on. Ang boring ng post ko no?

For now, I'll follow this and we'll see the result in several days.

-Sid

Personal Report : First long run for 2010

Early this morning, I tag along with some takbo.ph peeps for a 20 km LSD. I really have no idea how this works so I'm quite excited to experience this. Of course, I know that I will benefit from this run in preparation for my 1st 21k this February. Good thing Wily tag along too so I didn't had any problem going to Paseo de Sta Rosa anymore which is the meeting place for our LSD. Wily didn't run though because he went off for a cruise driving to Tagaytay.

It's my second time to meet the members of Takbo.ph. I'm glad that they are all friendly. Thanks to Argo for introducing me to the other members!

It was really a tiring yet fun experience. I didn't expect that one day, I'll be moving one level up again in running. I'm not even sure if I can finish 20 km at first since I never reached that distance yet. The cardiac hills is really challenging. I thought the uphill in St Martin St is already tough, but this one is tougher. I was at least able to complete maybe about 70% of the major hill then I walked. I thought I'm gonna pass out since I can feel that my head is starting to get dizzy.

The route is a mix of flat roads and trail running. The trail part is harder since you need to watch your steps or you'll f up your ankle. I tried to run in small steps so I can watch where my feet are landing and it worked for me. But Since the trail is long, I can feel that my knees are getting the hard beating. After we reached the flat road again, I can feel that my legs are starting to get shaky. So I'm really thankful that we have some pitstops so we're able to rest for a while. I was running along with Aleth and Raymund in the second half of the whole 19.5 km route. Thanks to you guys! According to my watch, we finished the run in 2:50 mins. But I think it's more than that since I wasn't able to set it right away.

I think I lost a lot of water weight after than run. It's really a fun and challenging experience. I'm thankful that nobody got hurt or injured. I think that I'm already getting serious with this sports. The fact that I'm considering it a sport and not a hobby is a serious thing for me. I love challenges. I hope that I'll be able to conquer more challenges in running and learn along the way. I hope that I can share my experiences to others in time and they'll learn something from it. I wish I can always run so I will not be conscious with the food that I'm eating. I hope I can reach all my goals by the end of 2010. (I haven't set my goals yet, I'll just blog it tomorrow perhaps.)

So I'll start training again this tuesday. I already talked to coach Sid (Isidro) and he'll train me get a PR or get stronger. So help me God. :) Goodnight!

Sid

It's almost 2010

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all!

It was a great year! Although there are many challenges, I am thankful to the Lord that I was able to carry on! Woohoo! Thanks to you!

2010 will be my year. Yeah baby! I'm positive! no doubt! This is what the Law of Attraction has taught me. Positive thinking. Circumstances are sometimes uncontrollable but you can manage it. Just be positive.

For next year, I've already signed up for 2 marathons, a 10k in January and a 21k on February. I still have no  plans yet if I'll be joining any muay thai tournament or badminton but for sure, I will be including these sports to my regimen.

Merry Christmas!

Philstar Christmas Celebrity Run 2009

I just got back from the Philstar Christmas Celebrity Run 2009 held at Bonifacio High Street grounds.


Christmas is just around the corner. On the way there, I had a hard time getting a cab because a lot of people partied last night and they're just going home by 5 am. I left my place at 4:45 am and it took me 45 minutes more to get a cab. Crap.


On the way there, I thought it's gonna be a smooth travel but them MMDAs are creating a foot-bridge in C5 along Kalayaan Ave which created a bottle neck for the vehicles. Sh*t, I'm almost late. By the time I arrived in the venue, the 21k runners are already waiting for the gun start.


There are a lot of runners. It's gonna be a busy race. I never had a chance to warm up but I made sure that I still did my stretching. I tag along with Mark and Marvie.


This is my final 5k race. I was planning to beat my 5k PR for the last time but that plan never happened because I wasn't able to position myself somewhere near the front area. So I said to my self, I'm so pogi it hurts! lol~ I'll just run and see what happens.


It looks like a pretty organized race at the start. There's an Emcee and she's a DJ from Wave 89.1. I forgot her name but I believe that she hosted the New Balance last time. So the countdown began and everyone was getting ready. I think everyone is excited. No doubt.


Experience.


I feel good whenever I pass a lot of runners because I can see my improvement. Whenever I see someone walking, I can't help but reminisce my first time of running a 5k. Silently, I was saying to them that they can do it if they will not stop or give up. Now I'm in a level where I can afford to not walk and push strongly. I can see how I level up in this sport. I was thanking God for giving me a strong heart and determination. I can see that my uphill running outside Ultra (St. Martin and St Paul) are paying off. Since Mckinley doesn't have a very steep hill, I was able to attack it without any problem. Then I can easily recover during the downhill.


Every new run, there's a new experience and it leads to more learning. I should not stop from learning, and so do you! As I move one feet at a time, I am trying to think what should I try to improve next time. This is something that makes me look forward to my next running experience. Should I do more hill? Should I do more endurance? These questions I ask myself.


Issue?


As I pass the 3km mark, I noticed that there's a group of runners who stopped and I don't know if they're complaining about something. I heard 1 guy who said, "sa MOA na lang tayo tumakbo next time, walang kwenta to!" Hmm, I think there was a confusion with the 3k route and 5k. I think what was wrong here is they're giving the arm band in the water station several hundred meters away before the U-turn slot for the 5 k runners. So it seems like other people went back earlier. Technically, they really didn't finish the 5k route. So it seems that there's a disorganization of things.


So you know, this is really what make things wrong. Who do the organizers care about? Is it the runners? Or their sponsors? As a runner, when I run, I want a safe road with sufficient, alert ushers to guide you. I want to make sure that I'm running the right course and I can know how long have I run so far. I want sufficient water stations where I can rehydrate. I didn't join for the freebies and give aways. Runner's safety should be the top priority. So there.


To wrap things up, there's a lot of things I want to be thankful. I am looking forward for a stronger and longer run next year. I hope that all learned from their personal experiences. I hope that every organizers learned from their experiences and make more exciting and more enjoyable and safer runs next year.


Merry Christmas and a Happy New year to all!


(I just registered for PSE Bull Run. I'll be starting the year with a 10k run. :) )


-Sid

Know what you're trying to accomplish. Go in with a purpose.

What an inspiring message. I got this while watching the instructional disc that comes along with my new Nike Triax C3.

Yeah, I think this is already an old model. The acknowledgement in the video still acknowledges Macromedia (my former team) which is already bought by Adobe (my newer-former company). The video dates back to 2004!

Why did I bought an old model anyway? It comes with a Chronograph, a digital time a HRM and a Big Discount. 'nuf said.

So before getting the chance to watch the video, I already used the watch and the HRM to test it. Boy I was so excited to run wearing a HRM. Before, I really don't get it why people uses HRM. Then as I started running, I eventually learned its purpose. So there you go, I'm a HRM user now. Wisdom comes after a new experience.

Going back to the topic, let me break it down to you according to what I've learned in the video.

1. At First, just see what numbers you get. Because maybe your numbers really are specific to you.


When I first tested my HRM in the treadmill several days ago, and since this is the first time that I am using a heart rate monitor, I am curious with my numbers. I'm curious about my heartbeat when I'm running at a speed of 7,8,9,10,10.5,11 and12 then inclines. What's cool about that is the treadmill detects that I'm wearing a HRM and it flashes my BPM (beat per minute). Cool (while drooling at the treadmill's monitor). So I realize what numbers I get when I hit a specific pace. (Running is becoming interesting with these gadgets huh?).

Having a monitor gives you a different angle of view with your training. Before, when I'm running on a theadmill, I only focus on the distance that I accomplished for a certain period of time and then try to beat that next time. Then it gets boring after sometime. So that's when #2 hit me.

2. Know what you're trying to accomplish. Go in with a purpose.


What am I trying to accomplish again? Why am I running? What's my original goal? Why should I train hard?


These are the questions that I come up with after watching the video. Like Badminton and Muay Thai, I think running is also my sport because...


1. It helps me build endurance that will be beneficial to the other sports that I play.
2. It will help me lose weight.
3. It will make me healthy as long a I don't run to stress my self. I remember that I'm running to feel good, not to get stressed.
4. I want to train hard because I don't want to be branded as a casual runner. Like I want to be on top of the Fad Pyramid of running. (Ego? lol~)
5. I want to become a strong runner and eventually finish a full marathon under 4 hours. (woohoo! goal setting).


So there. I know that I have other reasons but I think that this are the important one.


Purpose.


I contemplated about this word. Did I ever ran for a personal purpose. Like why am I running uphill when I can choose to ran on an even road. Purpose, I want to build my endurance and it will help me make my strides stronger. Same goes with the other exercises and drills that I'm doing. One of my simple achievement is I am not talking a walk anymore when I reach the uphill part of Julia Vargas coming from Lanuza drive. Before, I hate it when I reach this area during my jogs. It fucking hurts in the legs! But now, it's easy. I even targeted to run an additional uphill in St Pauli in the duration of the run. I think some of the efforts that I'm doing is paying off. Those stair climbs that I curses sometimes when I was in Ultra paid off. Same with the drills that I'm doing alone in the track. They all paid off really nice.


This is just the beginning. I'm yet in the 3rd week of my program. Still a long way to run. I'm kinda wondering who will I become after I finished my training. That day will come not too long from now.


As I go along the way, just like in a RPG, I'm slowly gaining experience. I'm leveling up. I'm getting stronger. It's a game. I love games. I take games seriously. For me, running is one of the games I am playing in my life. Therefore, I take running seriously.


Just the other night, I felt good after finishing 6.5 km of jogging. What's good about the run is that I'm still ok after the round. Had 2 hills, the dreaded St Martin and then St Paul. I was able to sprint for 15 seconds then rest for 30 sec. I was shouting "aerobic endurance!" while sprinting up. (Good thing that there's no too many people around at 5 in the morning. :) )


See, I don't even know if this post has an essence again. Hahaha. I can't always focus on the main topic! Fuck me. I want to share a lot of things, sometimes I find it hard what to share next.


At least I shared my purpose. :) Later I'll do 10 x 400m again. I want to know if I can beat my 47 secs in the track. :) I will include a purpose this time and that it to train my mind to do quality runs when I'm already tired. :)


Good morning.


-Sid

Getting stronger

A wise friend said to me once. "In order to be strong, you need to get strong NOT to look strong."

I think he's right. In the world of running, I realize that there are no shortcuts. It's the same with the other sports. It's not a video game. There's no cheat. You have to train hard, give your heart, be intelligent, and always get inspired.

In my opinion, these are some important factors in becoming a successful athlete. Whoa! I'm talking BIG! Athlete level. Good luck for me. Lol~ But why not. We all know the Adidas tag line, "impossible is nothing." Yeah it may be hard, but not impossible.Why should we dream of reaching the sky when we can dream of reaching the stars? You know what I'm saying? I'm already 27 years old and It's already hard for me to compete with the younger people out there. Also there are those guys who've already reached the pinnacle of running. But I think it's not bad to do you best. I mean, yeah running can be consider as a fad today just like badminton several years ago, but if you acquired that "heart" that other excellent runners have, then why not compete and do your best? I am always competitive. I don't want to belong to the median who just consider running as a hobby, or some other casual reasons. I want to take it seriously. Bring it to the next level. Let me see how far can I take myself.

Just earlier, I'm in the gym doing some strength training for my legs. Sometimes, I'm telling my self that I'm crazy because I'm pushing myself so hard, like I'm coaching myself. I know it's fun to train with a group. But when a group is not available and you're all by yourself, isn't it good to be able to push yourself too? Look what I did earlier then you decide. For me, I think it's not enough because I'm still conscious of the time.

1. 30 mins I jog barefooted in the thread mill and used an incline of 2-4%, I did this because I want to make my feet stronger and to prevent injuries. I remember the days when I run barefooted in muay thai but that's another strory.
2. Jump ropes barefooted 3 sets of 3 mins. 1 minute break in between.
3. Bulgarian leg exercise. I forgot the real term but it's like doing squats with one leg at a time then your other leg is resting behind a chair.I guess runners out there get what I'm describing. I did a variation of this my holding different weights. Thanks to Orly for suggesting me to twist my body while  holding the dumbell.
4. Lunges lunges lunges.
5. Step up. Like this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS-yX_cy7Tc. but holding 20 pounds for hand.
6. Core workout. See Ridgeline fitness in you tube.
7. Dips.
8. Squat to dumbell shoulder press.
9. Ab workout.

So these is all that I have squeezed in 2 hours and I think it's not enough. But as I have said earlier, I need to be intelligent as well to not over train since I just ran 9.2 km yesterday. I might get a hard time sleeping and I don't want my shift tonight to suffer. 

I'll still check my personal workout to see how long should I run tomorrow. I might do some hills because I'm starting to consider my VO2 max. See! I'm learning some running jargons. :) For now I have to rest and keep my self inspired. Someday, I want to see how I progress in running by the help of this blog. We'll see how it'll all go. So help me God. :)

-Sid

Week02Day02,04 & Ateneo Big Blue 150 Run

Just got home from a 5km run in Ateneo. I was glad that I made it to the top 150 although I'm not really satisfied with my run. I wasn't able to go for a sub 25 but I finished at 26 mins again. Congratulation to the organizers of the race!

I got a good form at the start of the run but my fault is not drinking water in the 2nd water station. I didn't realize that climbing up the flyover twice will dry up my throat, and as a result, I slowed down for a bit to the point that I walked for about 20 seconds. It's adrenaline that pushed me to finish the race because I don't want too many runners to get ahead of me. In the end, I was still able to finish th 5km race without any injury.

The stair running that I'm doing in ultra helped. I notice that my stride becomes longer (for a bit) and my legs are more stable. I guess I just need to learn how to strategically drink next time. I was able to complete my running schedule for tuesday and thursday but I still lacked some kilometers for yesterday and today. Tomorrow, instead of having a restday, I will need to run for 26 laps again in ultra just like the last time. It's holiday season so I can't avoid to attend some gatherings and offset my training.

What I realized is aside from doing stair running in Ultra's bleachers, I will need to go out somewhere in St. Paul pasig and run the hills there over and over. I will have to force my self to love running in hills. I also saw a good spot for hill running near green meadows, I think I can run there if I need to do long runs. But I will have to buy a hydration belt this time because I think it's more comfortable to run with the belt versus holding the bottle in my hand.

Since I run in the evening, I think I need to look for my dri fit jacket because I don't feel comfortable running when cold. I feel like my body is not sweating at all. Thus, I can't exert more speed. I tried wearing my sauna suit but the feeling is different since it traps the swear and makes my hand wet.

I still have 1 5km run left for this year. And I still have 2 weeks to get stronger and faster for that last race. I hope that I will be able to get a sub 25 for the last run. Hopefully I will be able to do it.

2009 NEW BALANCE POWER RUN RAISING HOPE, etc.

The race is fun. Boring male host (kala ko ba fun? lol~). Uniformed marshalls. Sufficient portalets. Medals. Chocolates and bananas.  Bag counters. Different Start and Finish lines. Better luck next time with the claiming of singlets.

I lost. I didn't beat myself. I'm 1 min slower from the last run. I should punish myself for this so I can run faster and stronger next time.

Wrong move. I should've not ran @ 80% at the first 8 minutes of the race. Wrong strategy. @3 km, I think I was gasping for breath. I should've stayed with the pace I did in Botak. At least, I learned a lesson. So I will need to do more trainings. I still have 5km, races to go before the end of the year.

Congratulation to New Balance and its organizers!

+++++

After the run, I went home in Las Pinas hurriedly because I still have training for Muay Thai with Pam. This is the first time that I will have a session in Elorde Southmall. I think running is a big help for my Muay Thai. I noticed that even after the 5k run, I can still throw strong kicks and Sir Jherson was quite impressed (I guess) with my form. I noticed that I don't get tired easily. i didn't gasp for air within the 3 minute round and I was able to do 6 rounds and I'm still ok. Osu! Now I don't have any guilt of eating sinigang during lunch.

It was a tiring day though, cuz after lunch, Me and my friend Wily went to Dasma for a meeting. We're not able to attend our driver's meeting last night. It'a a good thing that the meeting ended after an hour.

Jack Daniels Burger. This is the shit! One of the best burger that I tried aside from Charlie's Black angus Burger. I think that this burger is worth the bucks

After devouring the burger, we had some masculine bonds to do. Foot Spa. hahaha. Foot massage trip ko e kaso si Wily trip foot spa hahahaha. Pero ok naman. Magising ako sa sarili kong hilik habang inaattendan.

Last, Left 4 Dead till 1 am. So when I got home, neverland is paradise.

-Sid

A wasted long weekend : but something to look forward

You learn from your experience. No doubt.

I just wasted 6 thousand pesos for a back and fort ticket to Cebu. As I write this post, I should've been in Cebu in transit to Hagnaya Port. By 12 noon, I should've been to Bantayan beach, relaxing, enjoying the sun, island hopping. But it never happened. When we (me and gf) arrived in NAIA Terminal 3 at around 3:50 A.M., they said that the flight is already closed. But it's still 1 hour to go! So we check any other available flights and there's a vacant slot in the 12:15 flight. Ok, that's cool. You know what's not? They want us to pay an additional 10,500php on top of the 6,000+ php ticket that I purchased. At this point, I decided to withdraw. I don't think it's practical to pay 10-5 just to get there. So we just went home.

Lesson learned:

   1. Go to the airport 2 hours before your flight.
   2. Etc. (>:-))

We're home by 5:30 a. I just decided to run in Ultra to take away my stress. (I'm so fucking stressed mentally and emotionally). So there... I went to Ultra and I was planning to run for an hour since I wasn't able to do this yesterday though it's part of my schedule. But I'm not in the mood of running easy for one hour. I need to release my aggression before I hit somebody's face! (Which I'm really not going to do because I don't want to get arrested by mister POW-lease meyn.) So I tried my best to run a 6 x 200m at 90% effort. Oh yes, I love this feeling of passing out. I wish I passed out. I wish I puked but I didn't. Maybe next time I should try something tougher. And I realized that it's too much of a hassle if I passed out since I don't know any runners in the track. After that I rested for 10 minutes and I did 10 reps of stair running. I think I'll love this drill because it's tough. After my 3rd rep, Coach Rio and another guy went there and did stair running too. (Nag apir pa nga sa kin kung ayus ba daw. Xempre ayus. Mabait pala si coach Rio.)


I think I will have to repeat week 2 again next week. It's a good thing that I was able to think of a backup plan. Tomorrow, I will watch my friend Peter's amateur Muay Thai fight in Paranaque. There's an event tomorrow for Elorde gym's Ultimate Knockout Challenge. I hope he wins.


I realized that going for a sub 20 for a 5k will not be happening anytime soon. I did my calculations and once again, I had a temporary brain aneurysm. No, it won't happen in the next 2 months. I will have to work on my endurance more in order to do a sub 20 5k run. I will need to lose more weight. But I think a sub 25 min is achievable. And that's what I will try this Sunday at the New Balance Power run. I think I'm fated to run this race. So I have only one challenger this Sunday, myself. I will go all out with what I've got to get a sub 25. Woohoo. This is like a game; I need to pass this level. Oh gawd!


I will go out now as I am still in pain of my 6k, sayang diba?! It's a good thing that it's my hard earned money and not someone else. Pero sayang talaga. I will go to Ateneo to register for the Big Blue 150 Run. Of course I'll do another 5k for that race. Then I might watch the Ninja Assassin, I want to know if the movie is as good as the making of the film. I hope the visual effects are not cheaply created. It's a martial art film, there should be less special effects and more ass-kicking stunts.


I hope the rest of my weekend won't go to waste. I hope nobody gets hurt or injured in the Power Run this Sunday. I hope I can write better next time. I hope that the movie will be great. I hope there will be good governance in our country. I hope everyone stay as a hero. I hope I'll be a better person. I hope... you comprehend (simpy red). lol.. This is enough, its nonsense anymore. Cheers!


-Sid

Week02Day02 : training results

I can't sleep maybe because I'm kinda excited in trying this exercises that I listed. I saw a good spot in Ultra around 5 in the afternoon and I did my drills as the other runners do their laps around the track. I didn't know that it rained because there's another floor on top of our pad so unless you peek outside, then that's when you'll get a clue what the weather is.

Drills

Here's what I found out. The tabata method is only applicable to the simplified quick feet (yes guys, I simplified the quick feet because it's hard on the 1st attempt.). As for the other exercises, they are better executed using the regular 50m line. (pardom me if some of my terms are not correct :) i'm a noob in running remember? :) ). So I was able to perform all the drills that I shared from my last post, except! the freaking karaoke drill. boy that was hard! So I spent around 30-45 minutes for all the drills. I'm perspiring profusely after the drills. (Maybe Ripped Fuel is also helping with its thermogenesis? Hope so)

Run

Here's what I did for the run:

1. 2 - 400m - relax racing pace (1st lap 00'02"23.15 & 2nd lap 00'02"31.17) avg and current relax pace is 00'2"27.2
2. 2 - 400m + 6% effort (1st lap 00'02"12.44 & 2nd lap 00'02"15.47) avg @ +6% is 00'02"13.955 (ok I passed since the ideal +6% of my relax racing pace is 00'02"18.368)
3. 2 - 400m - relax racing pace (1st lap 00'02"36.21 & 2nd lap 00'02"31.00 ) - eto di na kailangan ng average neto hehe.. (blood dripping from the previous computation)
4. 4 x 400 hard - recover (1st hard - 00'01"57.19; 1st recover - 00'02"39.49; 2nd hard - 00'01"56.88; 2nd recover - 00'02"42.510) you can see that my recovery runs slows down since I'm starting to feel tired
   
5. 2 - 400m - +3% effort (1st lap 00'02"18.61 & [2nd lap + 200m] = 00'03"10.05)

Final result:

1. Brain aneurysm caused by computing the numbers that nobody cares but me. lol~
2. 5 km or 12.5 x 400 = 00'29"14.00

*Thanks to my Timex WR 100 M. I was able to time everylap that I made around the track. By the way, I got this watch when they picked my race number in last year's Botak Paabilisan (Nov) which is my first marathon. Beginner's luck no? or maybe it's a sign that I will become a competitive runner too. hehe

Self Evaluation

Ok, this is 00'04"14 slower than my botak run. But it's all good. I think the drills took some of my energy and I need to consider that this is just part of my training. I guess it's ok to run slower than your PR. no? I have to admit that I still do not know what my regular 5k pace should be. I will have to use this initial data to figure that out. I will need to do some research for the ideal 5k pace. *-.-*

Later, I will do some strength training in the gym then I'll do my 1 hour run tomorrow. I will still contemplate if I will do the 1 hour or I will do some surge. Anyway, I might need to stick with week 2 next week since I'm going to cebu this friday morning to relaxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Bantayan Island here I come.

I saw a lot of runners in Ultra last night. Some are beginners like me and some are long time runners. They're all inspiring. I know that we have different reasons why we run. Different goals, different plans. I think I'm starting to like running since I'm starting to think about it most of the time. I initially thought of it as a good way to lose weight which is my original goal. Now, losing weight just comes second for I know that I will lose weight in running. There will be a time that I will have some friends in Ultra. Maybe people who I usually see and run along.

Now I have 2 short term goals. 1st is to beat my final time when doing the training and 2nd is to beat my PR in the next 5k race. With that said, I guess I will do the chacha, I mean do the circuit again and then continue to run for 1 hour. Tama.. ganun na nga.. hehe..

-Sid