Carrie: How I Finished My First 16KM

A good 2 weeks before the Condura Skyway Marathon I was invited by my hubby to join him and other TBR 2011 dreamers for a 90min run at BGC, of course I said yes and eagerly hoped for a good run.

On that beautiful Saturday morning, I told hubby that if I could not carry on with the group's pace, I will just run on my own and just do my thing. Little did I know that people who joined the running session will be divided into 3 categories (run continuously, 9min run/1min walk and 4min run/1min walk) the announcement got me excited since hopefully I will not be running alone after all, though I secretly hoped that the group that I joined will not be running fast. I positioned myself at the end of the 4-1 group and was joined by Vic, a TBR dreamer. A few minutes before the run we were joined by Jaymie Pizarro, TBR herself (Jaymie assigned herself as the day's sweeper), lucky for us! Introductions were made and the run officially started.

I had a great time running with Vic and Jaymie, so much so that we got lost from our group. We didnt realized that the group took a left turn and we look a straight path. All the same, we chatted our way through the meet up point and finished a good 4+km and surprisingly maintained my most comfortable pace (8:45-9). After a few minutes rest, we resumed running and made it for another 4+km sans Jaymie who exchanged places with Lit Onrubia.

After the training session, I continued running for another 2km with hubby, all the while telling him of my experience and wonderful conversations with Vic and Jaymie. I told him that I never did imagine that I could converse with fellow runners while running and the many running advices Jaymie shared, one which is so important is to follow the Jeff Galloway run/walk/run method. I used to do run/walk/run strategy but run for 1km then walk for 10secs. I always get tired early on. Though this method got me through all of my 5km and 10km races, I was afraid that it may not get me through with 16kms. Oh and by the way, my Saturday morning session with the TBR dreamers will not be complete without another special moment. Finally I was able to meet Reylynne Delapaz, the runvocate. She was the pacer for our 4-1 group. Reylynne and I shared a few medical alarms with thyroid diseases. But that is under the bridge now, mine got removed a few years back so no worries.

One week before Condura, I altered my game plan and incorporated Jeff Galloway's run/walk method. But instead of a 4-1, I opted for a 5-1 instead. One minute additional running time wont hurt at all, I thought.

On Condura day, I felt good and inspired. I vowed to stick to my new game plan of 5-1 (run/walk/run) method plus I told myself to better tackle the route I will brisk walk the Amorsolo flyover and the Kalayaan flyover and will resume the run/walk method after. I had the best time of my life while running the Skyway. My plan worked to perfection! And I am happy to share that I made it with an official time of 2h 24min 47sec with an 8:54 pace, strong, no injuries and very very happy.

Thank you Jaymie for all the insights that you shared. I most probably be miserable if I continued on with my 1km run and 10secs walk strategy.

Carrie: Early Christmas Gift

Its a surprise to receive my Christmas gift this early. I should be the one giving out gifts to friends and relatives but mine came so early unexpectedly. You see, I have been so busy with personal and business matters for the past 3-4 months now, coupled with running trainings I do within the week and a must during weekends, I did not think of achieving these results. I am always always a work in progress especially with running. I only became a runner because I said so. And now these....

October 24 - Adidas King of the Road (10km) - 1h:33m:18s
November 6 - HSBC 135 Run (10km) - 1h:27m:11s
November 20 - RunRio Leg 3 Run United (10km) - 1h:24m:23s

Now tell me who wouldn't be too merry this time of the year?

I'm fired up, geared up and so inspired to continue with my slow progress towards that healthy lifestyle, and I know running will get me there soon.

Happy Christmas!

Carrie: My 1st 10KM

I have been preparing for my first 10km for the past 2-3 months and by the looks of what happened in the recently concluded Adidas KOTR Race, I was not able to beat my practice training PR by about 3mins. Not bad! Not bad at all. Considering the madness that happened last October 24, from the unruly crowd to the different choke points to my enthusiasm to conquer the Kalayaan flyover, I got the best 10km baptism anyone could ever dream of.

Though I know I still have a lot to train for especially with hill training, the route was an awakening of sorts. I had the best time running until I reached the turn around point in Buendia going up to the sharp point of the flyover. I decided to take a walk break and took sips of water and braced myself for the challenge ahead. Mid point of the steep road, my heart was pounding fast, I was huffing and puffing, my mind was yelling at me to just walk the entire uphill route and just make it up in the next 10km race. I said "NO". I prepared for this, made a lot of sacrifices and dreamed of conquering this flyover. So, I pushed myself to continue, willed myself to go forward, made a mental note of finishing if not the entire race BUT JUST this particular uphill challenge alone...then a question came across...is this what they call running with the heart when nothing is left anymore? Maybe yes. I got myself through the entire steep road and when I reached the top I immediately rewarded myself by doing a 200-meter walk break, got my groove back and run all the way to the finish line. I even had the strength to smile for a photo op!

Pictures courtesy of Greentennial Run

Official race time was 1h:31m:04s - really not bad at all. I guess going back to the hills of Alabang Hills and Hillsborough will help me improve my time and staying power. Race time is just the icing on the cake, I would rather improve on the journey towards longevity.

See you on my next 10km engagement!

Carrie: The Hills are Alive with the Sound of My Footsteps

I have long been wondering why my running is not improving. Well, for one I'm overweight heehee, then I don't have a regular running schedule, then I do not exert more effort during runs (why?...Im afraid to have a heart rate more than 160bpm and feel light headed), then I still eat as much food as I want (bad ones included) and I do not cross train. Bad me maintaining these bad habits.

One day as I am so frustrated running and so envious of what Din had already achieved, I made a promise to myself to train as hard as he does, to eat the right food, to cross train 2x per week and most of all to have a positive attitude. That was when I discovered the hills at Alabang Hills and at Hillsborough. The first time I made an attempt to run at Tirona St. going to Alabang Hills (June 2010), I literally died. My heart rate was at 170bpm, I felt lightheaded, my hands were cold clammy and my knees trembled. I vowed not to run there anymore. But after two days of rest I found myself attempting the street again. This time with more determination and hoped that in due time I might be friends with the street. Thank God, luck was on my side. After 3 more months, as I run the street of Ramona Tirona, entering Alabang Hills all the way to Hillsborough, I can proudly say that I have made a very big improvement from an average pace of 9:45min/km to 8:49min/km. Yipee!

With the improved pace came my gradual weight loss, came the unflinching desire to conquer more hills (no, Corregidor is not for me.....yet), came the determination to run 10km. On October 24, at Adidas KOTR, I will attempt to run my first 10km hoping that my training at the hills of Alabang hills and Hillsborough will not fail me. Indeed, the hills are alive with the sound of my steady and determined footsteps!

Carrie: Lifeline Foundation's Run 4 Life - UPDATE

As I have promised in my last post, I would like to give an update regarding my discussions with runningmate.ph regarding what I deem to be a discrepancy in my race results. After several emails (4 emails from me and 2 emails from them and a lot of patience for waiting for about a month for an update) I have yet to receive any response from runningmate.ph. I have provided them with the necessary answers to their questions and likewise, gave them access to my Garmin online account for evaluation, I think it is best to say that I will not be hearing anything from them anymore. Why? Well, there are only a handful of theories I could think of and I have listed them below.

• runningmate.ph could not resolve their problem with my race results nor would they admit that maybe there was something wrong with the timing device that was on the race bib.
  
• Maybe since I am not a seasoned runner, they ignored to give me an update after I have answered all of their questions. Again, their reasons were not transparent with me.
• Maybe since they are an outsourced entity by Lifeline Foundation to conduct the race result of the event, runningmate.ph may have thought that it is Lifeline Foundation's responsibility to act on my request. Unfortunately, even though I have included Lifeline Foundation in my emails, I have also not received any response or acknowledgement.
  
• How do you suppose I feel about this? Actually, it would have been great if they provided me with an update, whether or not there was no problem with their system and the results would be the same or there was a problem but they could not change the results anymore. Either way, it is still an update and that is all what I want to receive to provide closure to this issue. As in every situation, transparency is always a critical key.
  

So the question now is, will I still continue running? HELL YES!!!! But I would not admit that I would be running for 01:26:12 for a 5km race. I have been joining races since January of this year and I can very much say that the longest time it took me to finish a 5km was at Pinay In Action with a time of 46:53s. Now I would be very happy if the result runningmate.ph provided was for a 10km race which I intend to join and finish at Adidas KOTR on 24 October 2010.

Carrie: Lifeline Foundation's Run 4 Life

Kudos to the team behind Lifeline Foundation for organizing such a successful event. Din and I had a grand time. Below are the factors we observed in contributing to the event's success.

• the weather was fair considering that it was already the rainy season
• great venue and challenging race route
• visible and energetic marshals
• water stations strategically placed
• ambulances were available and were there until the end of the race
• on the spot race results
• 350 registration fee was all worth it

As always there is a big room for improvement.

• late gun start
• no visible portalet
• no kilometer markers
• longer 5km route
• shorter 10km route
• inaccurate race result from runningmate.ph -- I received an email and sms regarding my race result only to find out that they have a different result compared with what I have with my Garmin 305. We are still in the process of discovering what went wrong. Will update regarding this matter soon.

Again, kudos to Lifeline Foundation and race director Edwin Tobias for a job well done. May the Foundation's missions help save more lives.

Carrie: Calm after the Storm

When I woke up last Sunday, I hoped that Din and I will be able to have a different experience with our run for The Bottle School Project. And true enough we were not disappointed.

The race was spearheaded by Mr. Iliac Diaz of My Shelter together with the Department of Education, the City of Taguig, Cecon and The Insular Life. The event was mainly to empower people and communities to spread the word that we have the solution to build schools using soda PET bottles as hollow blocks. The run aims to collect bottles for the construction of the first school in Taguig City.

The event gathered a small crowd of people who run for a cause. Before the race started Mr Diaz gave a small pep talk about the projects of Bottle School and about how "we" as runners can spread the word about how this project will help less fortunate people especially children to experience having their own classrooms that will help foster an environment for education.

Prior to this event we also participated in the Philippine Independence Day Half Marathon as part of our back to back weekend run but unfortunately the PIDM was to say the least our most forgettable disorganized run. The Bottle School Project run didn't disappoint us at all. Though there were a lot of technicalities that needs to be improved the event was way way above the standards of PIDM. We commend, Mr Diaz together the sponsors and the volunteers for a job well done. The event had a calming effect on us after a day of fiasco called PIDM.

Carrie: Two Thumbs Up for the Meek Runner

Din and I would like to congratulate our first runner friend Anna Bautista of The Meek Runner and her family for finishing The Bull Runner Dream Marathon last May 22. Congratulations Anna! You and your family are truly an inspiration!

Anna and I became friends through her blog, the meek runner. I was so inspired from her running experiences that I wanted to meet her the soonest. Luckily there was a coming run later in the weeks that we were corresponding through her blog and it paved the way for our meeting. I was so happy to meet Anna and her husband. Though the meeting was brief, I immediately sensed that Anna will be a great inspiration to my running adventures. Anna's first advice was to take it slowly and to make sure not to have injuries.

Din and I hope to run with Anna and her family soon. I bet we will have a blast exchanging running stories!

Din: RUNew 2010

The race results for the RUNew 2010 by the Asian Hospital and Medical Center are now out. You can download the results from the links below.

3K Results
5K Results
10K Results
16K Results

We joined the 5K race and frankly, this was the most difficult route that we ran so far. We were already anticipating this when we saw the race map since parts of it were our regular route to the Festival Mall and Alabang Town Center. There were several uphill parts in the route that were a lot steeper and longer than previous race routes that we joined. It was a tough route but heck, for runners like us looking for the next challenge, it was helluva fun!

Carrie: Takbo para sa PGH

Another charity event we joined was the Takbo para sa PGH. This was for the benefit of charity patients medical fund. As a member of the health care system I was very happy to be part of this event.It was PGH's first charity run and I hope they will continue this yearly.

I joined the 5km run for the nth time but that time the feeling was very different. I felt stronger, I felt good, I felt something changing...I felt that for every stride I made equals one life saved. As I get near the finish line my strides became more determined, something I never felt before. That was a first for me and maybe it happened to Din too. Being able to help others through running was a lot different that giving out money. Through running we are not only in battle with ourselves but we are also in battle to make it for other people's benefit. The feeling was different....it was awesome.

Carrie: NatGeo Earth Day Run 2010

We were glad to be part of an event which inspires people to care about our dear Mother Earth. This was National Geographic Channel's first earth day run in celebration of the 40th earth day anniversary. All proceeds will be for the benefit of DATE (Design Against The Elements).

The event went well despite of the humid atmosphre. Everyone was proudly wearing their NatGeo technical shirt. To add more spice to our shirt the organizers gave each runner a complimentary green bandana. Every stride dedicated to our Mother earth. Every stride determined to make a difference.

Carrie: Mizuno Infinity Run

We were very lucky to be able to join the first Mizuno Infinity Race at the Fort yesterday. To our surprise the event was not that all hyped up (whew!). The crowd was on a decent number. People were not packed like sardines when we entered the race ground, this is true most especially with the 5k category (we have experienced being packed like one during our first ever run). Let me share with you some of my reviews.

• The race started on time.
• There was ample parking for those who came with their own ride.
• There were enough water stations though its just so sad to see people throwing their empty plastic cups around and not have the decency to practice proper waste disposal. As runners, I believe that if we can discipline ourselves to perfect our sport then we can also make a habit to do proper disposal especially during races.
• There was a water truck with a sprinkler to cool our bodies. the weather was so hot yesterday.
• There was a bit of chaos with the line formation to claim freebies and other stuff.
• The 5k race route was not the same as what the organizer posted in their site. Good thing was we finished :)
• Overall, Mizuno Infinity Race was a good race. Training was worth it!

Mizuno's challenge to runners is to "Beat Your Own Time"- we got the message and we did! I did my 5k with a 38min 51sec time. A 7 min improvement from my last race. I was in high spirits and cant complain. My training paid off. Now who says the street where my Grandma and my Aunt lives is steep?

Carrie: Pinay in Action

Last Saturday was our first time to join the yearly running event of Senator Pia Cayetano, Pinay In Action For the last 5 years Senator Pia together with the Filipino women celebrate the yearly event with a run to commemorate the month of March as Women's month. This event aims to provide women different channels for a healthy lifestyle and guidelines for a better future.

It was my second 5km run and I really enjoyed myself. With hubby beside me painstakingly enduring my running pace - yep he supported me all the way! Though the fun run started a bit late the women and our men supporters were eager to hear words of encouragement from the Senator.

The run was light and easy but I still have a lot to improve. At 46mins 50+ seconds I finished and was greeted at the finish line by hubby and new found friends The Meek Runner [Anna] and her hubby. We were all smiling and happy to have finished. Anna and her hubby have to leave early to attend to a previous engagement, hubby and I stayed on to the mini program and awarding of winners. Over all, the event was a success.

I hope to do this event yearly. I hope to become a Pinay In Action woman.


With Anna (the meek runner).


Finishing the race. Look at the time! Hahaha! It doesnt matter though. I did it! I had fun! I supported a very good cause.


With Senator Pia Cayetano.

Carrie: Pacing = Patience

When I run with hubby last Monday I decided to follow his lead. His pace was a bit slower than mine so I adjusted mine and shared with him the road, the cool-hot morning air, blue skies, the overall morning atmosphere in our village. As we were running I noticed that I had this urge to run ahead and do my own pace. Fortunately, I kept on with him and was surprised to discover that I had covered almost 2kms non stop. For somebody like me that was an achievement.

You see, when I start a hobby or a sport I usually end up doing all the wrong moves, why? because I want my cake right away. I always fall on the category of being impatient. Thus, since I started running my left heel always hurts, my whole body ache, and I ran out of breath. For 7 weeks now I have been running on and off and still haven't learned anything about pacing, endurance, strength, breathing and form.

Last Monday was the turning point. Because I waited, because I paced properly, I was able to achieve something I will never do on my own. Its never too late to start learning and the first thing I should learn is to be patient to understand pacing more.

Carrie: Running is to Dancing

Ever since I could remember I was a dancer. I love dancing especially with my late Papa. Papa introduced me to disco dancing, disco music, disco balls and John Travolta. Yes, I was that kid roaming around in parties trying my best to make the perfect imitation of John Travolta's signature move in Saturday Night Fever. Dancing before was associated with quality time with my Father then going to parties during college days and eventually as a means to my never ending quest to lose weight.

I have been through a lot of weight loss routines. Some work but others dont. Most of the time I end up eating more since I get so tired doing the routine that I felt I needed more to sustain energy. For days I would stick to a single routine only to end up disappointed. Then I discovered Tae Bo. Tae Bo gave a new meaning to my weight loss problems. It worked and I got results. Then I found myself longing to have someone to do Tae Bo with. My hubby Din was all willing to help and be my exercise buddy but he soon discovered that not all people could do Tae Bo. He told me the main reason he couldn't do Tae Bo is because he doesn't know how to dance. What!

Din my ever optimistic hubby suggested that I try running instead. At first I was skeptical, I couldn't do what he could. I can't even run around the compound. Then one day I tried and was surprised that I liked it. It was not an easy task...I was quitting every minute but I persevered and I was able to do it. It was like dancing to me...I had what they call runner's high but what I had was my dancer's high....a step with every beat, a move with every breath, a step towards loving running as I have loved dancing.