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

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!

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!

Din: 1,000 Mile Shoes

Ever since I reached my 40km+ / week mileage, one of the things that I started to worry about is my shoes. Based on what I have read so far, running shoes need to be replaced once they reach the 600 to 800km marker.

Unfortunately, I am just your average runner who spends for his shoes. Once I reach my planned 50 to 60km+ / week mileage in preparation for my first marathon, this means that I need to replace my shoes every 4 months! This is an expensive proposition considering that a good pair of running shoes costs at least Php 5,000 (around US$ 110).

What is the solution then to this predicament? Well, last week, I just read that there is such a thing as a 1,000 miles shoe. I told myself, if this is indeed true, I think this is the immediate solution to my problem. Imagine, that's 1,600 kilometers!  With a mileage of 60 km per week, this pair of shoes will last at least 7 months!

I have listed below some of the highlights about this pair of shoes.

• 8 years in development in collaboration with the Army Physical Training Corps. 
• Awarded with the rights to bear the British Army's famous crossed swords insignia.
• Costs around 95 pounds which is roughly 6,600 pesos.
• Click here for more information.

I find it a very appealing pair of shoes because of its style and dark colors. Now, my biggest problem is, how can I get one?

Din: TBR Dream Marathon 2011

When The Bull Runner announced last August the date for the TBR Dream Marathon 2011, I started asking myself, am I ready? Can I already make that leap of faith?

Frankly, doubts started to creep in my mind and I thought, perhaps it was not yet time. I'll enjoy first half-mary races next year and then start preparing for a full mary around 3rd or 4th quarter.

And then I saw another update from The Bull Runner last September 9. I again asked the same 2 questions, am I ready? Can I already make that leap of faith? After thinking about it again for a day, I still came with the same conclusion, perhaps it was not yet time and left the questions behind.

Last Friday morning, September 17, I was checking my Facebook account when I saw Jaymie's wall post that the TBR Dream Marathon reservation was open. Suddenly the 2 questions came rushing back like a flash flood in my mind. I read through The Bull Runner's announcement and the 15 reasons why I should join the TBR Dream Marathon not just once but 3 times.

I think I can do this! This started as a small voice in my head which slowly but surely started to get louder and louder until I cannot take it no more. I clicked the Reserve For TBR Dream Marathon 2011 link, filled up the form as fast as I can and clicked submit. I immediately whipped out my mobile phone and sent an SMS to Carrie and told her, "I made the leap. I registered in the TBR Dream Marathon!"

The next 24 hours were mostly focused on one thing, clicking the refresh button in my browser waiting for the latest update from The Bull Runner!

Saturday, September 18, in the middle of lunch at the Alabang Town Center, I whipped out my mobile phone, opened Opera Mobile and checked thebullrunner.com (ah, the wonders of mobile technology). I immediately told Carrie, there was a new post and it was about the reserved runner list, what I had been waiting for for the past 24 hours. The next 5 minutes were pure agony due to the horrendous speed of my mobile connection (GPRS-like speed in an EDGE connection!). Voila, the PDF file opened! Immediately realizing that the list was alphabetically arranged, I immediately scrolled to C to check if I was included.

The rest I should say was history and I gave a high five to Carrie!

I understand that this is just half of the process. I still need to go to the official registration. But boy, this is just the reservation process and I already experienced this kind of excitement! What more during the training and the race itself on March 20, 2011!

To my future TBR Dream Marathon 2011 co-participants, here's to us for making that leap of faith, for being unafraid in going out of our comfort zones and for dreaming and believing in ourselves that we can do this! To Jaymie, many thanks for giving us this huge opportunity and privilege! Kudos to you and your team.

Now time to put on that running shoes and start training! =)