Longest run for 2013

Our marathon training program calls for 3:15 hr run this week. Actually, it should be done on the week before this, but knowing me, the forever procrastinator, I planned doing it on a Sunday before the new year.

Since a friend from out of town invited me over, I postponed my previous plan then planned to run on a Monday afternoon. Since I sucked at waking up early and I don't have visors to protect my eyes from the sun, I went around UP Oval at around 4pm. 

I was able to run well for the first 2kms, then I realized that I had to pee, and then when I peed, it felt a little off. It felt like I did not have sufficient water to fuel the whole 3hr run. I tried compensating by drinking another 500ml of Gatorade, but no sir, it did not work. So, I called the whole practice off and went off. Bladder won over me.

Learning from my previous experience, I planned to make a comeback on the next day, Tuesday, Dec 31. The store owner where I leave my things will be there before 1pm. Because of this, I have to make my run in the morning. I bought visors after my defeat and then drank lots and tons of water. 

I came with my cousin, Janjan, and I think I was armed and ready for the three hr and fifteen minutes run. I was scared though, I came in at almost 8am in the morning. Meaning, I will finish around 11am, under the scorching heat. Yes, I was afraid of the heat. But since I had no available time and I wanted to end the year with a blast, I went on.

Good thing, my cousin also have a strong mental stamina. We were able to cover 15kms together at almost 2hrs. Good time, considering he's not into long distance running. 

I went alone after 15kms, and plotted to run on my chill pace (around 8km/hr) on the day of the marathon. The day was perfect for running, it was not too hot (contrary to what I thought it will be), the cold December wind was helping me to push on. I did not even sweat as much. I even ate pancit canton on one of my breaks (Heavy I know! Haha). 

The whole run felt great. I was able to cover 22.4 kms, the longest I've ran so far. This is my way of ending 2013. The whole year wasn't great for me, it offered me different kinds of hardships that were new to me. I admit, as of now, I am not thankful. But I am hoping this 2014, all the lessons will be something I will be smiling about. 

My marathon will be on Feb, and I know things will change this year. I am hopeful everything will be for the best. Cheers everyone! 

Me sporting my skimpy shirt for this run, note that the sun is already up but it wasn't that hot

My cousin, Janjan, who ran with me until the 15th! Strong kid!

Throwback Saturday

I'm sorry I'm not sorry for using the term "Throwback Saturday" for this. I know it's a Saturday and I could've used the term "Flashback Saturday" but I think the first term is cooler so yeah guys, you have to bear with the title. 

What's up with this anyway? I wanted to show you guys where I am coming from. The picture on the left, is me at 76 kgs last 2011. My heaviest would probably be last Dec 2010. See below. 

Yes. Me at 80 kgs (I think) on a friend's wedding. This is me with my effed up weight, self esteem (still is), ovaries, uterus, cholesterol and uric acid count, and many more. Good thing on this though, I was not depressed. I was perfectly content, maybe one of the reasons why I did not bother losing the weight. 

What happened? After my check up, I was advised by the doctor to lose the weight and also I fell in love. 

Falling in love really could mean a lot of things. This inspired me to be more conscious about myself. But getting out of it fueled me to run more. 

I started running with some office friends (see above) then eventually I was already running alone. I ran when I was sad and I needed to clear my head. And then, after days of running, i eventually got over it after my first 21k.

Well after getting over that feat, I thought I did not have anything to run for. Then, I got depressed. Everything in my life failed, if not failing, it is falling apart. I was no longer running and I was afraid to be alone. This is when I decided to run a marathon.

As Emil Zatopek have quoted, "If you want to run, run a mile. If you want a different life, run a marathon". When TBRDream opened it's doors for aspiring marathoners, I signed up right away having this quote in mind. They gave us the training plan and I am depressed, I don't know if I can really finish it or not.

There were days where I am already stressed from work, whete it's already late at night, where I am hungry, where I am feeling the downs, where I am not in the mood but I am pushing on. Mind you, I am not religiously following the training program they gave us. But I am pushing on. I wanted to know at the end of this training, whether what it is like to finish running all 42kms.

At this point of the training, we were required to run more. And I guess, this is the hardest stage, but I have seen some progress. See below, that was taken from  my Nike + Running app. I am in a way, successful in pushing myself. 

This is hard. As I have mentioned there were those days that I am not fueled to run, I am not hopeful about my life. But I know little by little the training has given my soul some hope that someday, everything will be soo much better. And now that I am seeing myself in the mirror, I know there has been an improvement - a thinner me, more dynamic, more accepting, struggling to be stronger and better day by day.  

It's far better than before, and worthy for a Throwback Saturday. So guys, as of now, this is me (see below) at 60 kgs and training for a marathon. 

Credits to Eric de Guzman and John Mateos Ong for some of the photos. 

Running with my Pure Cadence

I bought a pair of shoes last July hoping it will be my TBR marathon shoes, but it felt wrong when I ran. Then decided, I should do practice runs on it and get a new pair.

When I decided to get a new one, I thought of getting an expert's advice and have my gait analysis taken. So, as soon as I got my extra money, I went to Runnr at BGC high street and took my chance on getting my new shoes.

I've already set my eyes on getting a Brooks pair. I have been looking into the Pure project series and saw reviews that it is a good pair. So, after my gait analysis, it was seen that my arch is for Neutral but when I ran, they saw that I needed Stability shoes. 

This is entirely different from what I bought from Singapore, my fuschia pink Adidas. It is for Neutral runners. And it was as advised by our gym instructor. Not that he's wrong, I thought it is the right shoes too. He explained it to me right. When I used my Fuschias it is good on the feet and friendly on my knees. (remember that I've had knee injuries before and I would like to be more careful in my shoe choices)

So, I took this guy's advise and looked at the stability shoe choices. Of course, almost everything is expensive and it was sad spending money on it. But, I was willing to take my chance, this is a marathon after all, and I think I need to really spend in order for me to finish it well. Good thing, Brooks Pure Cadence was on the rack and took it for a spin on their treadmill. 

It feels snuggly and my toes, especially the left one, feels iffy. I might have problems running on it since it's fit is tight on the side. But when I checked, the socks are folded and when I ran again it felt a bit better. I guess it just needs, a little breaking in, in order for me to get used to it.

I bought the shoes and went home. I then thought of using my new shoes in my long run on the next day. I went to UP on a sunday afternoon then road tested Cyan. 

It felt different, I was running without my mp3 to make me feel it more. Since the shoes are for stability running, it felt it was promoting a different run. My legs felt heavy and every step of my feet felt like a big stomp. It feels like it's activating the pain on my ITB (Ilotilial Band). I walked a few times on my first 6kms.

On the 6th, I decided to get my mp3 player so that I can focus on running and drank my gatorade with the GU gel for energy. I was able to run properly, and i did not feel any pain from there on. I was able to focus on running straight, but my feet are still not used to it, and I am still not running I am supposed to with it. 

I was able to finish at around 13.2kms at 1hr and 49 mins. Not a bad run, I think. I was planning to run at an average of 8:00 mins/kms. I guess I just need to get used to it, or I will use Fuschia in my marathon.

Decisions, decisions, decisions. Geez. 

PS: if I spelled Fuschia wrong, forgive me. Heehee

First look at my Pure Cadence

Fuschia Pinkie Adidas on its first run

Running the Nike We Run Manila 2013 10k race

This is my first 10k of the year. Yes, you've read that right, I am running 10k again. I have not ran any short distance race lately, since my office friends asked if I can join, I gave in. 

Mind you, Nike We Run Manila is not one of the races I am looking forward to yearly. First, it only hosts 10k races and second, it has too many runners, makes running properly (meaning PR possible runs) impossible. This is based on past experience and feedback from friends who have ran the race. 

So with this, why join? Well, I am giving myself a chance to run another 10k again. And, knowing the freebies from Nike, I know it will be all worth it. With this, I joined my friends in registering the race. 

One thing that made me think twice though, the race will be held at Marikina City. Marikina, with its small and congested roads, all my running woes will probably come true. As one friend have mentioned, it was a cheap place to hold a race in. But, I thought, I am giving Marikina a chance, since I have been running on their Sports Plaza for months now, why not give it a try.

After registering and gathering the kits, I think I am good to go. Good thing, the race organizer already expected the number of participants in this race and sent a message to everyone to be early at the race venue. (This is as i said, the roads are small) Me and my office mates already set to meet at one of my office mate's house, where we leave our things there. 

As I commute, the fx (public transpo that I was in) from Commonwealth Market, did not go through the San Mateo route, maybe due to the expected traffic, it went around Katipunan Ave then Marcos Hi-way. My office mate directed me to go through another way to prevent the people and the traffic, which was effective, I was able to get to the destination on time. 

At the starting line, it was filled with people. What can you expect? It was expected to have 14,000 runners. I already started at wave 2. So I guess there were more people at the back when we started. 

Panorama version of how it looked like at my place at the starting line

It was people congested at the start, it was hard to run properly. I have to zigzag all the way from people who were walking. I like to shout at them to remind that "THIS IS A RUN RACE PEOPLE NOT A WALK IN THE PARK". This is the part that I did not like, I wish they were reminded to walk on the one side so we can all run on the other. As soon as the roads got wider, I was already exhausted. I felt the heat, and the lack of oxygen due to the volume of people also gasping for air during the run. I am disappointed with myself at this point but, when I looked at my performance, it was okay. I was at my good comfortably hard pace.

I liked the part where the people around were cheering and the kids were asking for high fives. It was something I can smile at during the race. I did not look for photographers at this point since it is impossible to look for yourself in a crowd of 14000 people.

I must say, the finish line on this race is my favorite so far. The whole sports plaza was lighted and the track felt like the red carpet. I did not make my photo finish finish, but I slowed down and clamored the moment. It was amazing. I ran there a couple of times, but I did not expect the whole stadium to be that beautiful. Amazing. 

The finish line chaos

Overall, the race was okay for me. The influx of people and roads and the racers themselves did disappoint but the people cheering, the finish line view and the freebies were enough to make me like this race. I guess I can look forward to this race next year. Good job Nike. :) 

Me and my friends before gunstart

 

Running Pink Run 2013

Last time I ran a race was last June 2013, and I skipped Milo Manila Eliminations due to lack of training. So, when I saw this, and encouraged a friend of mine to join this race with me, I ran a race again.

Good thing this race was staged at UP Diliman, which was near our home. And it's still inexpensive! Despite the fact the it's for cancer, I also needed to run a long run - for the marathon training. 

One thing races never fail at is starting early and on time. This was no exception, and I did not consider I don't have my bib with me (because my good friend, Ate MJ, registered the race for me) and I came 5mins late. So we both started out late.

Before coming in the starting line, we are both planning to do a 6mins run and one min walk, just to try the run-walk interval. So, after everything has been plastered on me, the bib, the shoe thingy and my own belt, we took off.

The 16k route will take you 7.5 rounds at UP academic oval, so on our first round, it went okay. But on the fifth round, I felt my previous injury reeling in, I've had a badminton injury last tournament where in my upper right leg feels iffy. I could not keep up and the one minute stops make me feel it more. So I let Ms Mj run and then I walked for about 500 m. Then, I returned to my own way of running, put my headphones on, then ran all the way to the finish line.

Finished at 2:16, lame time I know, but it was okay. I did not practice, just got well from a flu and I guess I wasn't in the mood. But it's okay. The whole race was okay, there were a lot of photographers, there were few racers, hydration was verrry sufficient.

This is the first race I've used my Fushia pink shoes on and I think I'm not going to use it on the marathon. But I am going to weigh it in first, do some more running just to check. 

Me and Running buddy Ate MJ during this race

All smiles

Earphone Crazy Pop

I left my iPod with the earphones connected on my bed one day, take note that I am just leaving to get to the loo. Then, when I came back, I was surprised to see the dog munching my pink candy colored headset and made it look like this..

Much to my dismay, to myself, to the dog and to the whole situation, the earphones, obviously, can no longer be used. 

Probably, this is my 3rd earphone for the year. I started the year with the Panasonic (which was about a thousand bucks) then mellowed with a Pioneer, for about 700 Php. Then, this one, the Audiophile one with the same color as my new running shoes. The first and third one were destroyed care of my doggie, Odin, then the other was defective. Stupid me, I did not keep the receipt so I just bought a new one.

So come payday, I decided to get one, again. Of course, I plan to splurge again, on earphones, since, I am a fan of high quality sounds care of my uncle who' I grew up with. I would love to hear an extra bass and good noise cancellation on it. Since, I use it for work and for my runs, sometimes in commute as well, since I am not the type who would like to disappear in the crowd and my iPod would do that for me. Anyway, I kept that explanation for too long, so, I searched at running shops and all of them are selling the expensive Yurbuds. The sales talk really would make me lean towards buying it, but, instead, I've kept my money inside my pocket or wallet. It is advantageous to get it, but not at this time, I guess. But, come February, I might get one, if and only if this new one is not yet broken. 

I came across the Coloud Pop Headphones. I saw this first when I came to ROX (Recreational Outdoor Exchange at Bonifacio High Street) along with the Yurbuds. It looks cute and pop-y, I did not want to get it the first time i saw it because it was way out of my budget (which was around 300-500php, this costs 895Php and it is already on Sale mind you). Also, one of the reasons I did not want to get it was the microphone. It has a built in mic that I thought I was never going to use, since I will only be using it for running.

But, when I came to the mall and made some serious earphone searching. I reconsidered getting it. Why? Because, first and foremost, it looks cute, sound quality is between better to best (my criteria for getting earphones really was cuteness AND sound quality. I don't compromise, I should get both) and the mic was okay to use too (for my SoundCloud account - yea, lol I sing too, now you know). I can also use it as a headset to my phone, so it will be convenient. 

I may have a lot of reasons why I am splurging on this one but based on the review I've read (and it's only one LOL - you may read it here in this link ) it is quite good and practical given its price and design. So I say yay for this purchase! I just hope I don't just leave it anywhere for the dog to mangle on. 

Stop Log

I joined PEx Running club for the reason that I really wanna be inspired to run more. They have this kilometer run log thread where in we may log in our mileage for the day then add up to the total mileage done by the group. This is for fun though, so I joined this thread and I religiously log in my miles BEFORE.

Yeah, BEFORE. What the fudge happened to me? I checked my Nike and found out that I only ran thrice for July (add one for my 4km SG run) and then 2 runs for August. Depression really got me out of running.

I came back to the site again when the president tagged me on Facebook saying that I was one of the top mileage posters.  I thought, I have to fight the slot. As per checking, I was the second one, next to the president. And as I posted earlier my previous (from April to present) and recent runs, I think I already surpassrd him. 

I can't make depression get this part of me, I love running and I signed up for a marathon to make meself run more and of course I wanna be in shape. 

Okay so, since Sept is already here, I promise myself to log more miles to PEx, Daily Mile and Nike. I will be starting the training this month so I am darn excited. 

Target for Sept, at least 80kms. Let's see. Cheerio! 

Note

Just in case you weren't informed, I had a bout with depression last July to early August. It made me make stupid decisions that I don't really feel sorry doing but it was stupid and it just took my sanity downtown. I have found out, thru the internet and not yet confirmed, that I may have cyclothymia. I will be seeking help soon. 

Thinspiration

This is Jeon Ji Hyun, she is known as the My Sassy Girl. I used her photo as an avatar at a forum site I have been lurking at for years. And I used her avatar for a year or so, this is after I have watched My Sassy Girl for the nth time.

I have thought of this now, since I have been uninspired lately, I need to have a benchmark as to whom do I wanna be after all of the hardwork I have been doing. And, I so came to Ms. Jeon Ji Hyun's photos.

She is currently modelling for Reebok and man, I really really wanna have her body - flat abs and small waist, firm arms and legs. I know, I am waaaay far from her as of now, but I need to inspire myself. So to inspire myself, I am posting these ad pictures from Reebok that I took from the internet (credits to the owners of all pictures).

Now, I wanna get some Reebok stuff to inspire me more. LOL. I have to have this body before I do the marathon! :D

First step to 42

Yes. I have decided to do the inevitable 42km run or what we call THE MARATHON. I have been following Miss Bullrunner or Jaymie Pizzaro (site: www.thebullrunner.com) for some time now and I have been inspired with her blogs and stories and her marathon event the TBR Dream Marathon.

The Bull Runner Dream Marathon caters to first and second time marathoners, I have been skeptic in joining this before because it's waaayy too expensive. (Normal marathon runs would fare about 500 - 1000php but this one is around 3200php) Most runners would save the money for another run, but as I followed Ms Bullrunner site regarding this event, it seems that the experience was worth the pay. I think it was more than what most of them paid for.

Registration started last Friday, Aug 9, 2013 and I made sure I was in front of the pc at around noon because only the first 800 (now 900) people who registers only gets the slot on this. So, I made sure I have a slot, I patiently waited at the office even if it was a holiday. (Ha-ha) 

So, come 12nn, I registered myself and a friend for a slot(whom I thought I could not register but I successfully did) The waiting time killed the sanity out of me, it was like waiting for the board exam results, but thankfully come Monday night, I saw my name on the list of successful registrants I was ecstatic and scared.

Ecstatic or excited because this was something to look forward to. Amidst everything that's happening in my life, this is the only thing that will make me go running again. As I said, distance inspires me, and to conquer 42kms is a challenge, and it's exciting to train again. I am now fidgeting on the day they will be giving me the training plan. I'm just too excited to start.

Scared because the distance is something new to me, and it's normal to be scared (I think). But being scared only fuels me to go forth and conquer it. I love it, I love imagining myself on the finish line kissing the TBR Dream Marathon medal. I love the feeling it gives me. 

Training starts on Sept 2013, and run will commence on Feb 16, 2013. I will try to chronicle everything new and everything effective. I hope this helps you too. 

The email that confirms it all, I should start training already. :)

Running Run United 2 2013

I just ran the Run United 2 for 2013 earlier. Of course, I took on the 21k distance and I ran slower than my average but I've never felt better.

Well, I was expecting to come back on my normal average time of 2:40 but I did not push for it. I just came back from injury and I did not really train for this. In short, I wasn't prepared. 

I think I ran my normal 6-8 km/hr pace until the 14th. It was a hot and humid day. And, I kept staying on the hydration stations to drink and splash myself with water. My tummy felt funny at 12th, I didn't wanna finish my Gatorade at that time but still I did, so that I won't have anything on my hands. 

I walked at 14th then ran my lazy girl pace (which is now 9:00 km/hr.. Yeah, I know it is slower). Then walked again somewhere between 17th and 18th. Then, hydrated myself some more, then walked on the 20 to 20.5 then ran up to the end.

What I realized on this race is that I can still come back to running even after I've walked. I was afraid I might experience what I've felt on the Nat Geo Run. Wherein, I was not able to come back to running after drinking too much water at the 12th km hydration station. Also, I came back to the feeling of drag (wherein you count the kms you pass by as you run... Dreadful, dreary and awful feeling really), I thought I was okay last week but it seems that I wasn't. 

So this only means one thing, I have to come back to training again. I just had my go signal from the doctor yesterday. I can run again, with precautions (if possible, she advised me to wear knee supports particularly the one with patella support). I will continue whatever I have been doing with additional miles/kms per week. And do what I am planning to do on the next days. 

I think I'm being too hard on myself when I think that what I've been doing is not enough. I know I can still push it further but I forgave myself today because I know this isn't the day to do it. I will be gunning to beat my PR on the Milo Manila Elims on July so this is the start of my training. I hope all goes well. 

Me and my running buddies. Tired but smiling. Credit to Ms Mj for this photo.

Bouncing back

Earlier, I just came from clinic to make a follow up on my knee condition. I was happy leaving the place because the doctor advised me that I am already okay, I just have to take extra care of my knees.

So, what have I been doing lately before this day? 

1. I have mentioned that I am still running, but not as often as before (I can log 30kms a week) but now gradually I am coming back and I noticed a bit faster than before. This is because I've added something to my workouts.

2. Made weekly target exercises to tone parts of my body. I don't know if it works but it feels good. And I know, I have to strengthen my legs and core muscles in order for me to lessen the injury.

3. Stretches, as recommended by the book, Run Less, Run Faster from Runner's World. It feels good too so, I am doing it.

4. Studied Chi Running. I read in a blog, that this running style/form helped him endure his knee injury. But I admit I am still in the process of studying it. I think it helped in making me run a bit faster.. I think. I wish I am doing it right. 

5. Swimming. But not regularly, I will try to make it my weekly habit including biking (I will be getting the bike hopefully by June 2013). 

I think I will be adding some modality exercise I've made during therapy and also as I've mentioned in number five, I will also add biking as my cross training thingy. I guess weekends will be as busy as ever, this injury just opened a lot of possibilities for me and I am just beginning to grab every opportunity that goes along with it. 

Tomorrow, I will be running my second Run United for the year. I will be going for the 21km distance and I hope I don't disappoint myself. I won't go to beat my personal record but I will try running it in less than 2:40. 

I wish. Let's see. Cheers to me bouncing back! ^_^

Walkathon at Nat Geo Earth Day Run 2013

The doctor said I have ITBS and knee sprain, the verdict was to rest for two weeks then try running for about 30mins if it does not hurt, keep running (or something like that.. hehe.. ) if it hurts, try the 10min run and 5min walk. I learned the run exercise a day before the Nat Geo Earth Day Run 2013.

Yes, it wasn't a go sign from the doctor to run this race. I ran because I am losing this fight with my knee injury and I don't wanna baby it anymore.

my legs before going home to our province. It was all tapered up

As usual, I came early for this race. One of the not-so-okay was the long line for the baggage counter, I almost wished I didn't bring any bag. It was for our good though, since there were bomb sniffing dogs to check whether we are carrying explosives or not. This got me scared, one dog smelled my bag for too long, he even tried getting his nose inside. Erggg.. There were no bombs, and no food either, just my change of clothes.

So, I came to the starting line feeling scared because I might not run the same way again. I ran at a pace of almost 7 mins per km on the first three kms then 8 mins per km up to the 8th km. Then, it was the Buendia overpass so I slowed down then maintained 8 up to the 12th. After drinking my hydration on the 12th, my knee injury was starting to make it's presence known. I tried doing the Chi Running but I think I still lack the know how on successfully executing it. That was when I started walking.

Can't run, so we go walk walk walk walk

I thought I was going to walk for a while then run again but the knee pain was still there when I tried. Add also the fact that my momentum was already destroyed, I resigned to the fact that I could not run again. The sun was already out and it was really hot. I wanted to go to the finish line already. My motivation was to just finish the race and get the finisher's shirt, so I went on.

I was able to finish the race after 3hrs and 18 mins, my slowest ever. I did not even bother checking it, until now. It was a lame time. It's one of those things I did not dream of having, my target before was not to have a 3hr run on my belt but here it is. Oh well, it's either this will be the start of all my lame races or the momentum for the best times to come. Let's see. 

My run analysis from Strider.ph

Obviously, it was sad that I have to walk. It was defeat on my point of view, but I thought, if I keep running I might not run my first marathon, my first triathlon, and Run United 2. I will let defeat win this time, I really have to get better. 

I am still on therapy and I will be practicing how to do the Chi Running to lessen whatever injury I may be having. I hope I can fully run on the Run United 2 Event, if not there, I will be setting my PR on the Milo Manila Eliminations. 

As for the race, the organizer, Event king did a so-so performance, they gave the runners a killer challenging route, hydration was sufficient, but I did not see any energy drinks though. I love the singlet and the finisher's shirt.I hate the organization on the baggage counter though, I think it could be improved. 

I think I am lacking enthusiasm. I wish I can win it back. Oh well.  

Running at Subic

We recently held our annual Team building for our teeny weeny team of 15 (good job and kudos to Dennis Imperial, by far this is the best and the most fun we've had for the last 5 years) and since it is days before the Nat Geo run, one of our colleagues suggested that we run at the place where the Team Building will be held.

This year, it was decided to be held at Kamana Sanctuary at Subic, Zambales. I did not know of this place until I looked at the map. Me and my father first went here without the resort, this was a public beach called the Nabasan Beach and now owners of Kamana already bought the whole area. It was good that my colleague, Mike chose this place because it was secluded and it had a pool (I am doing this weekly swimming thingy so this is an advantage).

Kamana Beach Front, with Jelly Fish signs

The resort, enticing much no? 

As I drove the hilux to our destination, the road and the view gave me the inspiration to run the next day. It was nature, and the roads were made of asphalt. I am definitely excited! Scenic landscapes really get me going on running.

When we arrived, we swam and did volleyball and then the next day, as agreed, I woke up early, to brave the road from Nabasan beach to the highway. Good thing, two of my colleagues kept their word and ran with me. They paced me and I was the gps girl, we planned to run 10k that day. I am the key that will
lead them to the 5th km mark. (Haha reason not to leave me! hahaha)

At 545am we rolled, I was able to keep up with them on the first km, but as soon as I heard my breathing (which was from my understanding gasping already for air, panicky, out of rhythm) I wore my headset to focus more. I tried not to talk but these are my colleagues and they don't have any headset on them so I tried keeping up.

What I call pahirap path, everything is uphill up to the 

Before the fourth km, I walked, this is because I can feel my knee sprain/pain/injury already. It was uphill, super, uphill and I couldn't keep up so I let the other two run at it. I walked at their backs. As soon as we reach the intersection, we all decided to go south. Then we ran altogether with me at the middle. The final 2km stretch was the killer, it was a 70 degree uphill(I think), I could no longer keep up. I let them go and run it, and then I walked for a couple of mins. As soon as the downhill was at sight, I ran to keep up with them.

After the 5th km mark, which was near Morong gate already, I was able to keep up with them until the end. Good thing, my knees were slight undamaged but my right shin and calf had this irritating pain that kept me soothing it the whole day so that I can run the next day.

My Subic Running buddies, and I thought I was not going to make it with them haha

The next day, I ran alone, I tried running the path we all did the other day, but, there was a monkey who blocked my way. I am afraid it might bite or do something with me, so, I did not push thru. I just ran at the nearby empty lot area, which was about 600m in length, not bad so I ran. Bad thing though, my knee injury is starting to make its presence known during the whole run. So I only ran 5kms that day then made up by swimming.

The little dot at the middle was the monkey, I wanna come closer but it may do harm and we don't want any harm don't we?

                     

My alternative running area - the open field, I just ran around

After this experience, I remembered I liked running on different places. I think being on foot on certain places makes you explore the place more and it is the same here. And it is the first time I ran with buddies who actually ran with me. I really liked this experience. Every once and a while it is good to have some buddies to run in a beautiful place. 

All-in-all the team building was a big break for our group and for myself too. I get to realize some things about my colleagues that made me appreciate them more. Sometimes, it is necessary for some people to have breaks in their life to check what's missing and what needs to be done in order for us to fill in whatever gap that exists. 

First Long Run

All of my runner friends are already doing it by that time, I was hesitant. I don't want to push it. So last year, 2011, after my normal 45minute run, I decided, I'll run an hour the next day. The next day, I was able to do it. And this became my favorite memory.

When I returned back this year, even with an injury. I still decided to run. I could not miss these scenery for this injury. I love running in the morning, the smell of the sea, kopras, nature etc. I love it. I took some pictures while on the way, and I hope you fall in love with it too.

Basak means rice fields, one of the first barangays out of the poblacion is Basak, you'll see lots of this when you get there.

My 5th km U turn view, at Sua, San Juan, So. Leyte

Shadow, I know, the sun is already high!

at the end of the run, you get to eat this yummy Bam-i

Rekindling First Love

I remember when we were young, my parents bought a bike with sidecar for us. Our househelp would usually take us to and from the school via sidecar. I still remember that it was colored blue and the seat was quite long and after some years we removed the sidecar.

We were already at this village when the sidecar was removed. That was when I instinctively hopped and studied how to bike myself, which I successfully did. I think before my 6th or 7th birthday I already know how to ride the bike.

Of course, that bike got defunct and my uncle, who lived with us at that time, bought one for himself and I would usually use it to go around the village/area. I enjoyed biking, I wasn't an ordinary biker, my aunt scolded me for being fast at the wrong places. Eversince my uncle/s (because almost every uncle that lived with us bought his own bike) took their equipment back to their hometow, obviously, I stopped. My parents weren't keen on buying bikes since my siblings were always out of the house and it may contribute to the time consumed of them being more out of the house than in it. (Err.. I think you're getting what I am saying, I'll just assume you do..:D)

I think, since I've been doing it for a long time, your muscle remembers how strong it should be when I get to any bike. So, on my yearly vacay to our province, I tried biking. Just to check whether I still have it and if I can really do it.

Last year, I also did biking but it wasn't this serious. I just did it to go places to take pictures, but I think I've covered 8kms a day on it. This is without any body sore or pain or whatever on the next day. (Probably contributing factor was that I am also running every morning so, I think it somehow strengthen my body). So, to make my point, I challenged myself to go the distance on a bike.

And yes, I did the challenge. On Tuesday afternoon, I was already bored with my book, and I was a bit irritated so I went out and checked whether I could give biking a try. I asked my aunt if I can borrow her bike, she agreed then I took off I went to the next town, Anahawan.

Or should I say, it should be Anahawan, because when I reached San Juan's last town, it was already dark (Stupid stimpy me started at 530pm, yeah last minute decision I tell you!). So, I did not push it and returned back. All-in-all this ride covered distance of about 14kms.

Brgy Bobon marker, it is 7kms away from San Juan(SJ) and 1077kms away from Manila

After this ride, I realized I can bike longer. This is because I did not feel any body sore or pain. Annd! I already biked all the way to Bobon with slight maximum effort (yes, this is because I prefer biking like a madwoman, pushing the pedal to the limit. Now you know, where those logs errrr legs
are coming from :D). After assessing and realized how I felt, I challenged myself to go a bit further the next day. Sadly though, I was not able to go the next day because the bike was still in use by my aunt, and went home in the evening so, I did it on the next day. Just to make sure dthe sun is still up when I get back, I did it in the morning.

I started at around 6am, then while biking I decided to cover twice the distance I've covered last time. I know it was crazy to decide to ride 30kms in a leisure bike, at a unknown town and alone. But, I took the risk.

Took a picture of the Bike using the rule of thirds (Lol :D)

So I went on, making my kilometer markers as my guide as to how far I am and I am also using my new found app for biking named Strava. (Coool app! I used it for two days and it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!) I used the app to track how fast I am going and how many estimated calories I have lost.

view of the strava app.. i reaaly find itcool, just like the Nike+Running app

Back to biking, my plan was to make it to Anahawan then return back, ensure that I have covered 15kms before I return. It was dandy fine when I was biking on my way to the 15th. I stopped on some places because I was taking pictures along the way.

When I reached the first barangay of Anahawan, I got scared. It was an unfamiliar territory. I think I went there before with my aunt(I have so many aunts mind you) because the town contained the nearest district hospital. Seeing the coconut trees, the empty road the sign that says "Welcome to Anahawan", everything is just too new. But I should not let it stop me, so, I went on.

First sight of Anahawan from our town, this is the Guinakot Bridge

The Town of Anahawan is about 12kms (accdg to the kilometer marks) from San Juan, so I need to cover at least 3kms more to reach my goal. This goal had reached me to Brgy Mahalo, Anahawan. Upon reaching my 15th km, I stopped, took pictures again and turned back. As I looked at the road back to San Juan, I thought, "How am I supposed to return back?".

Anahawan Town Proper and it is an accident prone area with its sharp curves, better be careful

Mahalo Bridge

Road of no return

Seriously, I did not have any idea whether I can return safely. I am already 15kms away from comfort, it is scary. But, of course, I put myself into this, there will be no turning back. So I prayed that I can return safely and then went on.

Good thing the sun was already at my back. I don't know how to wear shades and I did not bother bringing one, I just let my eyes be fried with the sun's rays on my way to Anahawan. So having the sun on my back was a good thing, at least I did not have to worry about the sun. What I was most worried about was my hydration. When I went back, I tried to overtake one guy who was riding leisurely and in front of me. I eventually did but he gained speed. That got me pissed! So on my next km I tried overtaking the guy but then I realized the heat was already overtaking me, I need a drink.

Stupid stupid mistake that I've made was that I let myself go that far without water/drinks. I was already at a barangay where there were less people and I just kept looking on the next sari-sari store. Bad thing was the only store I saw did not have anything my stomach would want to have, it only has Sting.

What the hell is Sting? It's an energy drink from Coca-cola Phils, I guess that's supposed to act lile Gatorade. Due to desperation, I bought one and drank it. It tasted like cough syrup. Ergg.. The taste of no choice drink was more distasteful than any other drink. I drank some more, did not finish it, I'll hate the aftertaste, put the plastic with the drink in the trash can and went on.

Little did I know that I shouldn't be buying anything outside town, this is because of some urban legends that people will put poison on your drink/food. Good thing the barangay I bought my drinks to was not one of the barangay in the urban legend so my tummy is happy safe.

To summarize, I was able to return safely, I was in awe when I returned. I covered 30kms of biking and it did not gave me a single sweat (Admittedly, this is true with the exception of having sweat of fear and uncertainty). Even though it was scary, I love the feeling after! I think I can do and cover longer distances. I feel my body is made for this. But of course, first, I have to buy myself a bike. I hope I can do this by May 2013.

Can't you just tell how I am excited while writing this long entry? ^_^ I am planning to bike from here to UP and back when I get that baby with me.

Again, excitttedd! Forgive me. :)

Officially Biker Chick with big logs err legs. :D

Dragging errr.. Walking the dog

If you have read my last entry, you may have known about my knee injury. I already had it checked and the doctor told me that it was a knee sprain (or strain or whatever, I wasn't keen on listening but it was something like that). And, it also has the possibility of ITBS, so she told me to have 2 weeks of rest then undergo 6 sessions of therapy.

When I heard that I had to rest, I was a bit sad. I have another race to run in about three weeks and I needed to prepare but, I know I can't run with my faulty knee so I have to follow. Usually, I look forward to Sat runs but since it's not allowed for me to do that, I decided to walk the dog.

When I decided to do this earlier, I thought it could at least help me in maintaining my fitness and a bit of my endurance. Walking MY dog is never easy since he is big and he is too excited to go places. I woke up to an empty doggie food bin earlier, and then decided to walk from our home to the vet's clinic (which is around saay 1.5kms).

Also I took this decision because I woke up to a very hyper dog. Yes, he is very energetic. He really needs to have his walks or runs every single day. Or else he'll destroy the whole house without you noticing. So, I told the dog that we'll walk and then his tail started wagging and then off we went.

Our first kilometer was a struggle, he isn't used to the route so we kept dragging each other. He always looks around and I scold him when he drags me too much. I tried calming him down by letting him sit and then, let him observe the surrounding. Of course, this didn't calm him a bit. But when we reached the vet and bought what I needed and then went back, he started giving in.

He started not dragging his leash, at least for a while. That little moment was so precious to me at that time because I was already carrying 3 kgs of dog food and I will not be able to keep up if he keeps dragging.

I ate toasted siopao along the way and then went straight home. That was almost 3 kms of doggie walk and doggie dragging.

As what I have observed, most of the people are still judgmental when it comes to dogs. My dog, Odin is a boxer and he has this mean look, almost pitbull-like, in his face, but once you get to know him, he's the most friendly dog. I am not afraid to walk him because if ever one dog comes near he always knew what to do. He's calmer than me.

I love that I did this even though it left my arms sore (exercise, I know! :-)) and now I can have this as a new weekend activity that I can add to my list. This could be a good bonding time for me and my dog and maybe in the future, when we already have perfected these walks, I could also train him to join me in one of my races. Who knows? :)

He's already tired here I made him sit so that I can take this photo. :)

Taken in one of the streets inside our village

Too cute not to post, he wants to stop me from taking pictures and walk straight home. :D

Injury Week

This should be my glory week of more training but turns out I am not an injury free person. Well, you see I've got two injuries this week. One minor, one probably major but let's see what we can do with it.

Well, to tell you good news, I was able to run and swim. I ran earlier and swam yesterday. And yes, I was able to visit La Mesa Ecopark and the place was jampacked with people. To my disappointment, I was not able to lap well due to the number of people in the pool. But nevertheless, I enjoyed swimming. My good friend, Mavic, taught me how to do the freestyle. The day was supposed to get even better when my pinky finger was almost cut in half. This is the "minor" injury I was talkin about.

My hand after being cut :(

The good ol' lifeguard from the Pool area helped me since it was bleeding nonstop. We were supposed to go for 500 m but since this happened, well we have to stop and prolly continue next week. (Hopefully, there are less people by that time)

There's my minor injury, my other injury is hopefully not a major one but it really needs to be treated. This started last RU1, thanks to my new shoelaces, where the left side of my knee hurts when I run. I thought this was the dreaded runner's knee but the symptoms lead me to believe that I have ITB Syndrome or the Ilotibial Band Syndrome.

Anatomy of ITB credits to the owner of this illustration

I would like to see the doctor to see if I am correct. But for the mean time, I have researched some probable remedies for this.

1. No icing and stretching - it is said that the Iliotibial band hurts due to muscular imbalance of the glutes, hamstrings, etc., improper footwear, anaerobic exercises, even stress and doing these things only makes this worse as it does not heal the muscle. What we want is to heal it by making sure the muscles are intact. (You may wanna check out the Sock Doc's site for more info - http://sock-doc.com/2011/03/itb-friction)

2. Given that, I think I may have to rest. (And I am writing this with a sigh), I will still run though, but I will have to decrease intensity and probably the mileage. I know there will be times where I can't help myself but run (yes, like earlier, but my knee got really really hurt after I will still run tomorrow though - 100km per week goal - yes, I am a hard-headed stubborn gal)

3. I've read that increasing glute and core strength may help in decreasing the friction in the band, so I am thinking of doing regular Strength and Core exercises. My Core is badly weak, I am thinking that it may have a large contribution to this. I already started earlier so, I hope I can continue.

I don't want to stop running. This injury will not stop me, I love running, I get cranky if I don't do it in a week. I hope I get well soon. Cross fingers!