My New Bike

Here's my new training partner: A mountain bike given by my very generous brother. It couldn't have come at a better time cause I've been experiencing some foot pain and I've stayed away from running since Friday last week, November 12 to let my feet rest.

I'm still wobbly and I'm still adjusting to the shoes and how it locks on to the pedals. But I've stayed sane despite my condition because of it.

Thanks so much bro!

5k in 30 Minutes!

I’m not sure if it’s the pent up energy or the stress I’ve been experiencing lately. Today, I got up to run at 5am and found myself really pushing it. I ran my first round around our 1.5km block and did it in 9 minutes 58 seconds. I finished my 5km in 30 minutes, 26 seconds. It may not be that great for some of you who eat 5Ks for breakfast, but for me, it’s been a year since I’ve ran with such a pace. What’s quite surprising about it is that I couldn’t do this before on the treadmill, and I was able to do it around our subdivision, which is quite hilly. I’ve posted some pictures just so you can see how it looks when I start running and when I stop.

Adidas KOTR 2010

I believe I already mentioned before that I consider the Adidas King Of The Road as my anniversary race since it was the first ever race I joined in 2008. So despite the exorbitant race fee of P850.00, I just had to register for my third KOTR. At my current state I figured that I had no choice but to limit my distance to 10K even if I did the 21K last year.

I was expecting a lot of participants since there were reports early on that the 21K category had closed shortly after registration opened. When we got to the venue, I was amazed at the sheer number of participants.

When the marketing head of Adidas Philippines announced that for 10K alone, there were more than 4,000 participants, I knew it would be a slow start as it would take a while for the crowd to spread out.

One thing I wish other runners would observe is proper running etiquette as there were many who would just walk in the middle of the road and in the path of runners behind them. Others would suddenly stop to walk without moving to the side. Still other groups of runners would walk side by side blocking most of the road.

At the finish line, I noticed the 21K finishers with their finisher medals. They wore them with pride and went around showing them off to anyone who would look. Deep inside, I wish I could run the 21K again and show off a medal too. Anyway, it would probably take me more than a month to be fit enough again for the half marathon. Anyway, when I think about it, I will get there eventually. I just have to be patient.

All in all, in was a good race with ample supply of water and Powerade Sports Drink. It was just amazing that compared to last year, there were probably more than twice as many runners this year.

All Saints' Day Weekend Run

One thing I always look forward to during weekends is my long run. However, I decided to stay away from running last week because I needed to recover from a bad cough. With the long All Saints’ Day weekend, a friend suggested running on Saturday, October 30 and Monday, November 1.

With my wife planning a trip to Divisoria with our household helpers on Sunday October 31, I figured that my friend’s suggestion would be the best way to go.

I ran 5 kilometers last Saturday in 34:50 minutes just around our subdivision and 11 kilometers last Monday in 1 hour, 19 minutes at the UP Academic Oval! What an experience! Now my legs hurt, but as they say, it’s a good kind of hurt.

Me, Myself and I

In running, I often hear or read about people defying their limits. When I think about the concept of defying my limits, I am reminded of my philosophy back in college. Back then we discussed how a person is not just a body, but also a mind and a spirit.

But what does that have to do with running?

There are some times when I am quite conscious that my being separates into different personas within me. When I run, there is the persona of “me - the runner”, and “me - the running coach”. Sometimes, there is another “me” who is a lazy runner who tells me I can’t do it. I frequently talk to myself when I run, and when I do, it’s as if the runner and the coach (and even the lazy runner) are three different people when there is only one me.

When I am in good shape and running well, these personas seem to split up and tell me different things. Sometimes, I tell myself to keep on going, or to maintain my pace until I reach the next hump on the road. And then as if in response, I either decide to follow, to compromise or to defy what I say to myself and just stop running.

This happens also when I wake up early to run. It’s like the running coach and the lazy runner take turns to tell me why I should and shouldn’t get up to run. So far, the runner in me has been listening more often to the running coach. Hence, I have been fairly consistent and faithful to my thrice a week runs.

It’s mind over matter. My whole body says no and yet I can make myself move and run if I really want to. At times like these, I can say that I am more than just my physical body.

The situation is totally different when I am sick. The personas seem to disappear. All of a sudden, I am trapped in my body, which becomes my reality. When I am sick, I am limited by what I feel. I try to separate myself and say I can, but when my body says I can’t, I really can’t. There’s no way I can get around a fever, the flu, a cold or a bad cough. It’s quite similar with an injury as well. The reality of the pain of an injury pervades and tells me I cannot run.

When I am sick or injured, mind over matter doesn’t work. At these times, I am my body.

Sun Fun Run 2010

Last Saturday, October 2, I joined the Sun Cellular sports fest closing ceremony fun run. I chose to run 10k as I felt that I needed to start building up a bit of mileage since I’ve been running 5k at least thrice a week for more than a month now. It was a good opportunity to make the 10k race my long run for the week.

At first, I wasn’t very confident as had developed a slight pain in my Achilles tendon area after a run in U.P. two weeks ago. While the pain is gone, I felt that I didn’t want to injure myself all over again a few weeks before the TBR Dream Marathon training was about to begin.

Anyway, I ran 5k the Wednesday and Thursday right before the race and left Friday as my rest day.

I ran the 10k with a time of 1:18:35 on my watch and was quite surprised at how difficult the run was. This was my slowest 10k race ever and I believe it was due to the following:

1. Lacking warm up. I forgot that in my present condition, warming up was essential to a good running experience. Around 15 minutes into my run, I could feel a burn in my legs which told me my legs were still adjusting to the pace.
2. Lacking hill training. Last year, I would often run around our subdivision to get myself prepared with the ups and downs of a race course. This year, most of my runs have been on the treadmill at a flat setting. I wasn’t ready even for the slight inclines of the road, much less for the Kalayaan-Buendia flyover.
3. Over estimated capability. I really did think I could as I used to run, at an aggressive pace. Anyone who ran right beside me would have noticed my heavy breathing as early as 25 minutes into the run.

In the end, when I look at why I ran as such, I figure it was generally a lack in discipline to run at my slower pace and be satisfied with my current fitness level. I’ve mentioned this to a number of friends that it can be quite frustrating after an injury when people you used to outrun easily pass you by. In these times of recovery, I need to find the right balance of when to push myself to make up for lost fitness and when to rest and allow my body to recover.

Well, for now I can say I learned a lot about myself in this last race. I am still set on improving my time and hopefully going back to a sub 1-hour 10k. But I believe patience is the key. I shouldn’t rush things. I can’t jump to that fitness level overnight. I need to work on it slowly and safely with a long term outlook.

My next race so far is the Adidas King of the Road 10k on October 24. With a few weeks to go, I can only expect to try and shave off a few minutes. I just need to work on a few things and be patient with myself.

Road Races Anyone?

As enthusiastic as I was last year to join at least one road race each month, I have been the exact opposite this year. It is mainly due to two things: 1) A thigh or knee injury called ITBS, which I think I have recovered from; and 2) A more fastidious outlook on races especially given how many seem to be more fund raising-centered. (Maybe I'm just a cheapskate.)

Between the two reasons, I think the first reason carries more weight. I haven't been joining races because I don't think I'm as fit as I was before. And so, I'm a bit concerned about the finish times I might get at this time. It can be quite frustrating that I cannot immediately get back to my old running pace and endurance.

But rather than letting it get me down, I believe this frustration keeps me more determined to push harder. Now, I think I need someone to tell me to balance that determination with the need to take care of my body.