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!
Nov 26, 2010
Nov 3, 2010
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!
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!
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!
Oct 25, 2010
Din: Hill Training and My First Half Mary
My favorite workout is hill training. Mind you I'm not a masochist hehehe =). I just love the challenge and the exhilarating feeling of being on top of a hill after a hard run. Thus, when I started my training for the half marathon, I immediately incorporated hill training in my workouts. In fact, I even incorporated it in my long slow and tempo runs. I firmly believed if I could be strong in running hills, I would be stronger in "flats."
This belief and training regimen was put to the test, successfully if I might say, in my first half marathon run last Sunday, October 17, when I joined the The Fort Running Festival. I was only aiming for a 7min 30sec / km pace. That's what I have trained for based on my 5K race pace using the FIRST Training program. During the race, even if I was already running at a 7min / km pace, I still felt strong thus I continued with this pace surprisingly until the end of the race with enough juice left so to speak.
A week after the Fort Running Festival race, I ran another 21K at the Adidas King of the Road race last October 24. I was able to get a new PR considering that the route was a lot more challenging and there were hydration challenges in the last 5 kilometers of the race. Good thing I have my Amphipod Hydration Belt which supplied me with enough juice during these last kilometers.
Pictures courtesy of Greentennial Run
Picture courtesy of Adidas Philippines
All these great results, I attribute mostly to hill training. As such, I am planning to incorporate hill training again to my marathon training plan that will start next month. It is my hope that I will be able to replicate the same great results that I have in my first two 21km races to the TBR Dream Marathon next year.
For more information about hill training, I have listed below some links that helped me. I hope these will also help you out in learning and enjoying this great workout.
Hill Training articles from Runner's World
Hill Training from Runner's World UK
Hill Training from BrianMac
This belief and training regimen was put to the test, successfully if I might say, in my first half marathon run last Sunday, October 17, when I joined the The Fort Running Festival. I was only aiming for a 7min 30sec / km pace. That's what I have trained for based on my 5K race pace using the FIRST Training program. During the race, even if I was already running at a 7min / km pace, I still felt strong thus I continued with this pace surprisingly until the end of the race with enough juice left so to speak.
A week after the Fort Running Festival race, I ran another 21K at the Adidas King of the Road race last October 24. I was able to get a new PR considering that the route was a lot more challenging and there were hydration challenges in the last 5 kilometers of the race. Good thing I have my Amphipod Hydration Belt which supplied me with enough juice during these last kilometers.
All these great results, I attribute mostly to hill training. As such, I am planning to incorporate hill training again to my marathon training plan that will start next month. It is my hope that I will be able to replicate the same great results that I have in my first two 21km races to the TBR Dream Marathon next year.
For more information about hill training, I have listed below some links that helped me. I hope these will also help you out in learning and enjoying this great workout.
Hill Training articles from Runner's World
Hill Training from Runner's World UK
Hill Training from BrianMac
Oct 11, 2010
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!
Oct 3, 2010
Din: #5
I was registrant #5 in the recently concluded registration period for the TBR Dream Marathon 2011. Talk about being excited!
Kudos to TJ who enthusiastically and patiently answered all my questions when he was processing my registration. It was fast and efficient. The photo-session was also a blast.
Now that the 2nd half of the process has been completed, the real fun begins! Time to put on the shoes and hit the road!
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