Click the image for the bigger version.
Feb 17, 2012
Din: Runners
This is the version for runners. I find the "what I really do" part hilarious!
Click the image for the bigger version.
Click the image for the bigger version.
Din: Ultra Runners
A new meme is becoming popular / circulating around social media circles and recently, I saw a version for ultra runners. Funny as hell and I could definitely relate to this! Enjoy.
Click the image for the bigger version.
Click the image for the bigger version.
Feb 9, 2012
Din: The Ben Colmen Story
We need more Ben Colmen's in this world. Someone who does not look at disability as a limitation to what one can do. Someone who does not give up in the face adversity.
Feb 7, 2012
Din: Sh!@ Ultrarunners Say
I find this a very funny sh!@ internet meme for ultrarunners. There were a couple of familiar situations and my favorite was at 1:35. =D
Feb 2, 2012
Din: The Road To Becoming an Ultramarathoner
One of the primary reasons why I decided to complete my first marathon was the lure of joining ultramarathons. I am not "driven by speed" thus when I was training for my first marathon, I avoided tempo and interval training runs as much as I can and "cheated" by replacing them with hill repeats and hill training runs instead. Well, as mentioned in RunnersWorld, training on hills is speedwork in disguise. =D
It was actually the easy long runs that I enjoyed during my trainings. I liked the solitude, the zen-like rhythmic sound of my feet on the road and the calming effect this gave me. As a result, after I finished my first marathon, I looked for ultra races instead of improving my 10k, 21k and 42k personal bests.
The potential opportunity came even before I had finished my first marathon. A week before the TBR Dream Marathon. my good friend Julius, invited me to join him in the Mayon 360 50 miler race. It was scheduled two weeks after the TBR Dream Marathon. I was quite tempted in registering already for this race but eventually decided to wait until I had completed my marathon. It was in the end a wise decision since I incurred injuries in my first marathon which required at least one week of rest. As a result, I had to put my plan of running my first ultra race in the back burner and focus first on healing my injuries.
The next opportunity came in frontRUNNER's Valley Trail Challenge at Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna. This was scheduled on June 18, roughly three months after my first marathon. My initial thought was perfect, I still had time to prepare and train. There were two challenges though that I needed to face. First, it was a trail run (I didn't have any training on trail routes since there were none where I live) and second, instead of being a 50K race, an additional 7 kilometers were added to the race! I thought, wow, this would be a great painfest for my first ultra! =D
Even with these challenges, I was excited (or crazy perhaps) that when the first day of registration came, I immediately signed-up for the race. To my surprise, I was the second registrant and got this for a bib number (the first registrants, a couple, chose the 100 and 101 numbers). I felt like an elite for a second but became scared shit afterwards because of the implications of the number! haha! =D In the end, I didn't have the number changed since I thought this would be a good symbol for my first ultra.
After putting the race registration out of the way, the next challenge was how to train for this race. Back then, actually I didn't know how to approach my training. All I knew, based on my researches, was to do back-to-back long runs. As a result, you could see this from the samples of my weekly training report below.
On the latter part of my training, I also learned about heat training courtesy of Julius. He accompanied me in a long run with heat training included (see training report below). We started around 2pm and just one and a half hour in the run, I was already burnt crisp and panting like a dog from the heat of the sun and the pavement! That was a rude awakening! That was my first taste on how heat could be a game changer and adversely affect one's performance.
With these preparations, I thought I was ready but boy was I mistaken! Don't get me wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed my first ultra but I had a lot of lessons learned from heat training (I did not have enough), to hydration (the one 20oz handheld bottle I brought was not enough to carry me to the next hydration station), to the right trail running shoe (I used Vibram FiveFingers Treksport which was not suited to the gravel roads of the route).
Just like what I did in my first marathon, I would let the pictures I took speak for all the emotions I felt when I ran my first ultramarathon. Please excuse some of the crappy pictures since I used my "wet-from-sweat" mobile phone.
The beauty of trail running. You don't see this in your regular road races.
For me, this was the most beautiful part of the route. This area was even called "New Zealand."
Running with Mt. Makiling as your backdrop.
My fellow running comrades and for some, this was also their first ultra.
What lies beyond 42K?
For me, this was the true meaning of trail running. Notice the dirty legs and shoes!
1km away from finishing my first ultramarathon. All thumbs up amidst the sore feet and legs.
After 9 hours and 15 minutes of running bliss!
Simple, straightforward, lotsa fun! This was ultrarunning at its finest!
Ranked 63rd out of 112 runners. Not bad for a first timer! =)
Lastly, I would like to share this great race recap from the main man himself, Race Director and frontRUNNER Magazine Editor, Jonel Mendoza.
It was actually the easy long runs that I enjoyed during my trainings. I liked the solitude, the zen-like rhythmic sound of my feet on the road and the calming effect this gave me. As a result, after I finished my first marathon, I looked for ultra races instead of improving my 10k, 21k and 42k personal bests.
The potential opportunity came even before I had finished my first marathon. A week before the TBR Dream Marathon. my good friend Julius, invited me to join him in the Mayon 360 50 miler race. It was scheduled two weeks after the TBR Dream Marathon. I was quite tempted in registering already for this race but eventually decided to wait until I had completed my marathon. It was in the end a wise decision since I incurred injuries in my first marathon which required at least one week of rest. As a result, I had to put my plan of running my first ultra race in the back burner and focus first on healing my injuries.
The next opportunity came in frontRUNNER's Valley Trail Challenge at Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna. This was scheduled on June 18, roughly three months after my first marathon. My initial thought was perfect, I still had time to prepare and train. There were two challenges though that I needed to face. First, it was a trail run (I didn't have any training on trail routes since there were none where I live) and second, instead of being a 50K race, an additional 7 kilometers were added to the race! I thought, wow, this would be a great painfest for my first ultra! =D
Even with these challenges, I was excited (or crazy perhaps) that when the first day of registration came, I immediately signed-up for the race. To my surprise, I was the second registrant and got this for a bib number (the first registrants, a couple, chose the 100 and 101 numbers). I felt like an elite for a second but became scared shit afterwards because of the implications of the number! haha! =D In the end, I didn't have the number changed since I thought this would be a good symbol for my first ultra.
After putting the race registration out of the way, the next challenge was how to train for this race. Back then, actually I didn't know how to approach my training. All I knew, based on my researches, was to do back-to-back long runs. As a result, you could see this from the samples of my weekly training report below.
On the latter part of my training, I also learned about heat training courtesy of Julius. He accompanied me in a long run with heat training included (see training report below). We started around 2pm and just one and a half hour in the run, I was already burnt crisp and panting like a dog from the heat of the sun and the pavement! That was a rude awakening! That was my first taste on how heat could be a game changer and adversely affect one's performance.
With these preparations, I thought I was ready but boy was I mistaken! Don't get me wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed my first ultra but I had a lot of lessons learned from heat training (I did not have enough), to hydration (the one 20oz handheld bottle I brought was not enough to carry me to the next hydration station), to the right trail running shoe (I used Vibram FiveFingers Treksport which was not suited to the gravel roads of the route).
Just like what I did in my first marathon, I would let the pictures I took speak for all the emotions I felt when I ran my first ultramarathon. Please excuse some of the crappy pictures since I used my "wet-from-sweat" mobile phone.
The beauty of trail running. You don't see this in your regular road races.
For me, this was the most beautiful part of the route. This area was even called "New Zealand."
Running with Mt. Makiling as your backdrop.
My fellow running comrades and for some, this was also their first ultra.
What lies beyond 42K?
For me, this was the true meaning of trail running. Notice the dirty legs and shoes!
1km away from finishing my first ultramarathon. All thumbs up amidst the sore feet and legs.
After 9 hours and 15 minutes of running bliss!
Simple, straightforward, lotsa fun! This was ultrarunning at its finest!
Ranked 63rd out of 112 runners. Not bad for a first timer! =)
Lastly, I would like to share this great race recap from the main man himself, Race Director and frontRUNNER Magazine Editor, Jonel Mendoza.
Jul 1, 2011
Din: The Road To Becoming a Marathoner
Update:
1/26/2012 - I decided to complete this post rather than have it in 2 parts.
More than three months after running the TBR Dream Marathon 2011 (my first marathon!), when the euphoria has died down and the hustles and bustles of daily routine and work has taken over again, it is now the best time to look back and reflect on what led me to finish this great endeavor. Looking back will give me the insights (hopefully) to look forward and plan the next phase of my running activities.
The Decision
It was September last year that I made the big leap and decided to sign-up for the TBR Dream Marathon 2011. I was able to document what I felt back then here and here in making this decision. It was quite nerve-wracking since I felt I was not yet ready to take the plunge and run a marathon. In fact, my longest race back then was just a 16K!
What drove me though was the rising passion on running and the thought, "It is better to aim at the sun and hit the moon rather than aim at the moon and hit the rocks." Looking back, I thought, sometimes, there was indeed a thin line separating bravery and stupidity! =)
The Preparation
I learned that fear and uncertainty were great motivators. So much so that I took everything to the extremes especially my marathon training. I immediately worked on running half-marathon races. As a result, I ran two half-marathon races in two consecutive Sundays, the October Running Festival followed by the Adidas King of the Road.
You might be wondering, what were I thinking? Yeah, fear and uncertainty really makes you do stupid things. Great thing was I held back in these races meaning I did not race them until I "redline." I just considered them as "training runs." Most probably this was the reason why I did not incur any injuries.
Foolishly boosted by the "successes" in these two half-marathon races, I ran 3 more "challenging" (well from my standards) races in the two months after the Adidas King of the Road Race. These were:
Run United 2 32K
Corregidor Half-Marathon
Rizal Day Run 32K
All the while I thought I was doing something right when I successfully finished these races. I was even proud that I was ending 2010 with lots of confidence that I would be ready for the TBR Dream Marathon or even "I am now ready." Little did I know that I was setting myself up for disaster.
The Setback
I started 2011 with a bang by joining the Cebu half-marathon event. I was feeling great in the race that I decided to forego my run-walk strategy for the first time and ran the whole course non-stop!
Cebu Half-Marathon (I didn't noticed that the runner besides me was cramping. I only saw it after I downloaded the picture.)
I was on cloud nine because I considered this as a big achievement resulting from my training. Here came the start of the setback though. A few days after the race, I felt spent and wasted. I didn't have the energy or even the will to continue with my training. I was clueless on what was the cause of these challenges. As a result, for about a month, I was not able to rake in the necessary mileage indicated in my training program. Sadly though, I still had the bravado of thinking that I would post a much faster time in the Condura half-marathon event which was my next scheduled race after Cebu.
Condura Half-Marathon (This was near the 16km marker where I hit the proverbial "wall" and beca a walking mess afterwards.)
This was when I experienced the rude awakening. I ran Condura non-stop, just like Cebu, but I ran it fast from the start. Since I lacked the necessary training and mileage between Cebu and Condura, the outcome was already obvious. When I reached the 16km marker, I was already running out of steam. By the time I reached the 18km marker, I was running on fumes.
It was my first race that I felt very bad, physically and psychologically; that I just want it to be finished so that I could go home already. I felt really bad not because of the race (it was a great race) but because of my bad decisions.
A day of recovery did wonders to my spirit. I immediately set out to understand what happened to me.
After reading several articles, I thought I found the culprit. I peaked too soon! I was at my peak when I ran the Cebu Half-Marathon which resulted to my excellent performance.
This was potentially the result of running longer distances too early too soon. Looking back, I ran two 32K races one and a half months earlier that what was suggested in my training schedule. A big lessons learned indeed. I took heart though for this was a great lesson. It actually even energized me since I understood the cause of the challenges I encountered. It was a natural part of the cycle of peaking.
The Comeback
With these newly acquired knowledge, I set out to jumpstart my training to make the most out of the remaining 30 days in my training schedule before the big day. I was inspired and this could be seen from the mileage I racked.
The Race
A picture is worth a thousand words. What more if you have several pictures and a video to boot! As a result, I would let the pictures speak for the emotions and eventually the euphoria that I (and my batchmates) experienced before, during, at the finish line and after the race.
My lucky bib number which made me win a New Balance backpack bag in the TBR Dream Marathon send-off party raffle.
We were already at Nuvali around 12:30am. This showed how jittery and excited I was.
Less than 1 kilometer to go before the finish line. If you have noticed I used the Vibram FiveFingers Bikila as my shoes for my first marathon. I was not crazy. =D I will explain why when I review my FiveFingers shoes in a separate post.
Fist pump! All the pain you endured and struggled with especially at the last 10 kilometers of the race would surely disappear once you are 10 meters away from the finish line!
I read somewhere that only an idiot can finish a marathon. I proudly exclaim i am one now!
Another shot of the momentous moment.
With my #1 fan and the best support crew!
This summed it all!
There were plenty of "surprises" along the "killer" route.
This was the message at the back of our finisher's shirt and look at that kick-ass race medal!
This was the TBR Dream Marathon 2011 official video. Please check out the 12:13 section of the video. =) Enjoy!
1/26/2012 - I decided to complete this post rather than have it in 2 parts.
More than three months after running the TBR Dream Marathon 2011 (my first marathon!), when the euphoria has died down and the hustles and bustles of daily routine and work has taken over again, it is now the best time to look back and reflect on what led me to finish this great endeavor. Looking back will give me the insights (hopefully) to look forward and plan the next phase of my running activities.
The Decision
It was September last year that I made the big leap and decided to sign-up for the TBR Dream Marathon 2011. I was able to document what I felt back then here and here in making this decision. It was quite nerve-wracking since I felt I was not yet ready to take the plunge and run a marathon. In fact, my longest race back then was just a 16K!
What drove me though was the rising passion on running and the thought, "It is better to aim at the sun and hit the moon rather than aim at the moon and hit the rocks." Looking back, I thought, sometimes, there was indeed a thin line separating bravery and stupidity! =)
The Preparation
I learned that fear and uncertainty were great motivators. So much so that I took everything to the extremes especially my marathon training. I immediately worked on running half-marathon races. As a result, I ran two half-marathon races in two consecutive Sundays, the October Running Festival followed by the Adidas King of the Road.
You might be wondering, what were I thinking? Yeah, fear and uncertainty really makes you do stupid things. Great thing was I held back in these races meaning I did not race them until I "redline." I just considered them as "training runs." Most probably this was the reason why I did not incur any injuries.
Foolishly boosted by the "successes" in these two half-marathon races, I ran 3 more "challenging" (well from my standards) races in the two months after the Adidas King of the Road Race. These were:
Run United 2 32K
Corregidor Half-Marathon
Rizal Day Run 32K
All the while I thought I was doing something right when I successfully finished these races. I was even proud that I was ending 2010 with lots of confidence that I would be ready for the TBR Dream Marathon or even "I am now ready." Little did I know that I was setting myself up for disaster.
The Setback
I started 2011 with a bang by joining the Cebu half-marathon event. I was feeling great in the race that I decided to forego my run-walk strategy for the first time and ran the whole course non-stop!
Cebu Half-Marathon (I didn't noticed that the runner besides me was cramping. I only saw it after I downloaded the picture.)
I was on cloud nine because I considered this as a big achievement resulting from my training. Here came the start of the setback though. A few days after the race, I felt spent and wasted. I didn't have the energy or even the will to continue with my training. I was clueless on what was the cause of these challenges. As a result, for about a month, I was not able to rake in the necessary mileage indicated in my training program. Sadly though, I still had the bravado of thinking that I would post a much faster time in the Condura half-marathon event which was my next scheduled race after Cebu.
Condura Half-Marathon (This was near the 16km marker where I hit the proverbial "wall" and beca a walking mess afterwards.)
This was when I experienced the rude awakening. I ran Condura non-stop, just like Cebu, but I ran it fast from the start. Since I lacked the necessary training and mileage between Cebu and Condura, the outcome was already obvious. When I reached the 16km marker, I was already running out of steam. By the time I reached the 18km marker, I was running on fumes.
It was my first race that I felt very bad, physically and psychologically; that I just want it to be finished so that I could go home already. I felt really bad not because of the race (it was a great race) but because of my bad decisions.
A day of recovery did wonders to my spirit. I immediately set out to understand what happened to me.
After reading several articles, I thought I found the culprit. I peaked too soon! I was at my peak when I ran the Cebu Half-Marathon which resulted to my excellent performance.
This was potentially the result of running longer distances too early too soon. Looking back, I ran two 32K races one and a half months earlier that what was suggested in my training schedule. A big lessons learned indeed. I took heart though for this was a great lesson. It actually even energized me since I understood the cause of the challenges I encountered. It was a natural part of the cycle of peaking.
The Comeback
With these newly acquired knowledge, I set out to jumpstart my training to make the most out of the remaining 30 days in my training schedule before the big day. I was inspired and this could be seen from the mileage I racked.
The Race
A picture is worth a thousand words. What more if you have several pictures and a video to boot! As a result, I would let the pictures speak for the emotions and eventually the euphoria that I (and my batchmates) experienced before, during, at the finish line and after the race.
My lucky bib number which made me win a New Balance backpack bag in the TBR Dream Marathon send-off party raffle.
We were already at Nuvali around 12:30am. This showed how jittery and excited I was.
Less than 1 kilometer to go before the finish line. If you have noticed I used the Vibram FiveFingers Bikila as my shoes for my first marathon. I was not crazy. =D I will explain why when I review my FiveFingers shoes in a separate post.
Fist pump! All the pain you endured and struggled with especially at the last 10 kilometers of the race would surely disappear once you are 10 meters away from the finish line!
I read somewhere that only an idiot can finish a marathon. I proudly exclaim i am one now!
Another shot of the momentous moment.
With my #1 fan and the best support crew!
This summed it all!
There were plenty of "surprises" along the "killer" route.
This was the message at the back of our finisher's shirt and look at that kick-ass race medal!
This was the TBR Dream Marathon 2011 official video. Please check out the 12:13 section of the video. =) Enjoy!
Mar 22, 2011
Din: I Dreamt Big. I Ran Strong.
I read somewhere that only an idiot can finish a marathon. I proudly exclaim I am one now!
I'll be sharing the details that led me to become a marathoner in the next few days. I'll relish for now the remaining feelings of euphoria and hopefully be able to learn to walk properly again.
Mar 18, 2011
Din: This Is It!
Barely less than 48 hours to go and I will be running my first marathon via the TBR Dream Marathon at Nuvali. After going through more than 16 weeks of training, I am experiencing mixed emotions right now from excitement, to fear, to jitteriness and the intermittent doubts and then back to excitement again. It's an emotional roller coaster to say the least.
I am guessing (correctly I hope) that all marathon first-timers go through this stage. To calm my nerves, I just repeat, silently and sometimes out loud (when I'm alone of course!) that I can do this! I can do this! You already have a plan. Stick to the plan! Finish this and you can now proudly say, "I am now an idiot!"
Feb 18, 2011
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.
Feb 12, 2011
Din: The Runner's Creed
This is my run
There are many others like it
But this one is mine
My run is my haven
It is my life
I must master it as I must master my life
Without me, my run is nothing
Without my run, I am nothing
I must run this road's true
I must run faster than the stress of the world that's working to drag me down
I must outrun stress before it overruns me
I will
I swear this creed
My run and I are defenders of my sanity.
We are the master of my body
We are the saviors of my life
So be it
Until victory is mine, and nothing remains
But peace.
Jan 4, 2011
Din: Looking back at 2010
Reading through my first blog post last March 2010, I could not help but assess the progress I made within 10 months after I decided to change my lifestyle. I could not imagine that I was able to transform myself from a couch potato to a runner! I felt that this was the best accomplishment I made in 2010.
I have listed below the results of this accomplishment which I hope will serve as a constant reminder to myself to never let go and lose focus again of this great lifetime endeavor. I also hope that it will serve as an inspiration to the readers of this blog that with the right attitude and right reasons, it is indeed possible to transform yourself from a couch potato to whatever you want to be.
Health Results:
Running Results:
I have listed below the results of this accomplishment which I hope will serve as a constant reminder to myself to never let go and lose focus again of this great lifetime endeavor. I also hope that it will serve as an inspiration to the readers of this blog that with the right attitude and right reasons, it is indeed possible to transform yourself from a couch potato to whatever you want to be.
Health Results:
- I lost more than 25 pounds. When I started running last February, my weight was almost 180 pounds, making me about 20 pounds overweight. I now weigh 154 pounds which is already within my ideal weight zone.
- With the weight loss naturally came the reduction in my waistline. I am proud to say that at least 5 inches were "sliced off" from my tummy. The only downside was I needed to change my pants since they kept on falling off already.
- Gone were the dizzy spells I intermittently experience due to my high triglyceride level. Because of running, I was able to normalize my triglyceride levels.
Running Results:
- Seven 5Ks, Seven 10Ks, One 15K, One 16K, Three 21Ks, Two 32Ks and currently training for my first marathon this coming March, The TBR Dream Marathon 2.
- In the book, Runner's World Complete Guide to Running, one article immediately resonated to me and I thought the advice it provided really made sense. The article, in page 21, entitled It's Good to Walk, discussed the advantages of incorporating the Galloway Method in running. As a result, I immediately incorporated this method in my training as I progressed from 5K up to my current training program for a marathon. This method made my training more enjoyable and from my experience, more effective. It was one of the primary reasons why I became a stronger runner and only experienced a minimal number of running-related injuries.
- I learned to listen to and respect the limitations of my body. Actually I learned this the hard way by experiencing my first and, so far, only running related-injury last June 2010. This was caused by running to fast, to far, to soon. Quite a lethal combination unfortunately. It was a humbling experience since I was unable to train for 2 weeks and was very disappointed since I had to postpone my plan of joining a half marathon race.
- I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the following Filipino runners and triathlete for the stories and running tips they unselfishly shared. These provided me and Carrie with best practices and lessons learned that we were able to apply in our training. It is my hope that they will continue sharing their experiences and love for the sport. Rest assured that in return, we will pay this forward by sharing our own experiences to all those who are starting in the sport.
- Bald Runner
- Life is a Highway
- Running Pinoy
- Running Shield
- The Bull Runner
- The Runvocate
- The Scientist Runner
- The Sweat Addict
- Lastly, I would like to share my latest running summary from Endomondo. I know that my personal bests could be considered by seasoned runners as "average" but looking at where I came from, I look at these times with pride and exclaim, I did good.
Jan 2, 2011
Din: Good Sign
I had my first run for 2011 this morning and I was extremely happy with the result. I was able to beat my Adidas KOTR Half Mary PR by more than 5 minutes considering that this was just a training run.
I deemed this to be a good sign of what is in store for me this year. This made me very excited for the upcoming Cebu International Marathon this Sunday, January 9, where I would be running the Half Marathon. I have a target pace in mind based on the results of my long run today and I am already giddy with excitement to check if I can achieve this target.
Bring it on 2011! =)
Dec 31, 2010
Din: Happy New Year!
For the past month, I have been experiencing what I call the "blogging block." I find it difficult to even complete a single paragraph in my planned posts. As a result, I have these numerous drafts queued in Blogger. On the other hand, even with this "block" still hanging heavily in my head, I write this short note to everybody.
A Happy New Year To All!
May this be a year of more health, prosperity, success, happiness and most especially running events that we will join! (Talk about priorities! hahaha) Oh, and more blog posts too! Cheers!
Nov 26, 2010
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!
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 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!
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