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.

I'm Off My Meds

Today is the first day I ran without my prescribed muscle relaxant. This is a small milestone for me as I've been taking them to aid in my recovery from ITBS. For now, I think I can now do without it as I did not feel anything irregular with my right knee. I still wear the ITBS strap though. I think it's been the most effective accessory in my recovery. I just thought I should write it down to note down this milestone.

Rainy Sunday Morning Run

The plan was a 30-minute Sunday morning run in UP. But when I learned that the UPCAT was scheduled today, I decided to run around our subdivision. When I left the house, the sun was just coming out. I even notice a sunny spot on our driveway where the sun shown through the clouds.

I started out with an eight minute warm up. My first round was difficult. Our subdivision had a stretch that would have you running on an incline for around 5 minutes. I was still not used to hills. Midway through my second round, it started to rain hard. I decided to change my shoes so I ran into my house and changed to my old New Balance shoes. I immediately noticed the difference from my Brooks Ghost. The NB shoes were stiffer and I could feel the stability. My Brooks were Neutral-Cushion shoes.

The rain was great. I thought it made my run much easier. I saw an uncle and an aunt while running and I thought they'd make a big deal out of seeing me running in the rain. But, I knew I was fine. My body was warm and the rain was cooling it. If I had felt cold, it would have been a different story.

By the last incline of the third round I could feel the strain on my legs. I was pushing it a bit. I finished my run in exactly 31 minutes. I was drenched, but I felt great. My wife keeps telling me what a fanatic I am for running in the rain. I wonder if she knows I sometimes look forward to the rain when I run.

Birthday Run in UP

It's been more than a month ago since I last ran on the UP Academic Oval. Since my injury late last December, all my runs in UP have ended in disappointment as the all too familiar pain on the side of my knee would show itself midway into my first round. Today was different because for the first time in seven months, I left the place happy that I was able to run without any pain.

Thank you Lord for a great birthday gift.

It was just 2 rounds (approximately 4.4 km), but it's a start. The knee still isn't capable of going farther even if my heart and lungs appear to still be strong enough. Although I already noticed it before, I was reminded as to how different it is running on the road compared to running on a treadmill. The road isn't a completely flat surface and definitely requires more effort. Nevertheless, the road is so much more interesting than the treadmill. When I'm in the gym, I usually get impatient after around 20 to 30 minutes. On the road, I can easily entertain myself with the sights and people around me.

I want to run in UP again next week. Just 2 rounds at a time for now so my body can adjust properly. I would want to experience the pain ever again. I have to think long term.

Recovery Attempts from ITBS (Part 2)

It’s been more than 7 months since my last race, which was the 21km race of the New Balance Power Run last November 29, 2009. After one particular long run in December that year, I felt a pain on the side of my right knee so I decided to rest and ice my knee. But then, every time I would try to run again, I would feel the same pain whenever I would reach around 2km into my run. I remember researching my condition, which a check up with a Orthopedic Surgeon confirmed to be Iliotibial Band Syndrome.

Aside from the frustration of not being able to run, one side effect of my injury was a fear that if I were to try and run again, the pain would come back and I would realize that all my treatments were in vain. But that visit to the doctor gave me hope because although at first he was a bit discouraging, he gave me practical advice. And so I began to train again, albeit at a much, much slower pace with the help of a Cho Pat ITB Strap, an LP patella strap, some prescription muscle relaxants, new shoes (neutral cushioning), foam roller massages and a lot of stretching.

I occasionally test my knee sometimes when I go up and down steps to see if I feel anything. So far, the knee seems to be fine. I hope this continues on until I can get back to the 21km race distances that give me so much sense of fulfillment. But for now, it’ll probably be by increments of 5 minutes weekly.

I started out with a 5 minute run three times a week. With no signs of pain, I moved it up to 10 minutes on the second week. On my third week, I moved up again to 15 minutes. This was my plan: to increase my running time by 5 minutes every week. So far, it’s been working. I’ve been able to build my time up to around 35 minutes with no sign of the pain I used to feel.

Robinsons Fit & Fun Wellness Buddy Run 2010

The Robinsons Fit & Fun Wellness Buddy Run 2010 was a fun race. Being a company sponsored race, there were many officemates in the race. It was also different from the other races because it required finishing the race together with your buddy.

While running the race, I noticed runner couples holding hands and some even running with their arms around the back of their buddies. There were some encouraging others to keep running and others who had to walk on account of their partners. Some were patient and others not so.

Being a buddy run, a participant had to pay attention to his or her own body and be sensitive to the needs of his/her buddy. Needless to say, one needs to communicate to the other if the pace they set for themselves was too fast, too slow or just right.

My buddy and I agreed before the race that the goal was just to have fun and finish the race with a good time so our finish time was secondary to the overall experience of running the race. Nevertheless, our competitive nature was what kept us moving. We finished with an official time of 34:36.

On the lighter side of the race, my buddy and I thought of decorating our singlets for the fun of it. As we were Team Waka Waka (from the Pacman game), we thought of putting Pacman designs on the back of our singlets. My buddy took this seriously and took care of the designs. Lo and behold, at the end of the race, we were awarded the Most Dynamic Pair Award entitling us to some freebie products from our group’s business units. I posted some pictures showing off our designs below if you want an idea of what my buddy did.

One last item about the race was that this was my first race for 2010 and my first 5km race since I started running as a sport. I think this race was significant because my performance in this race showed that I can start building up my running distance again.

Recovery Attempts from ITBS

It's been such a long time since I've run more than 2km. The doctor said I have Iliotibial Band Syndrome, a common running injury usually caused by over training and biomechanical problems. At first I thought that since it's so common, it shouldn't be difficult to treat. Boy, was I wrong. After six months, I still feel the distinct dull pain that builds up when I run more than 2km. It has gotten to the point that I have this lurking fear that the pain will reveal itself again whenever I try to run.

I've been told to change my shoes, do some stretches, strengthen my core and legs, and take some muscle relaxants. I was also told to get back into running very slowly. So I enrolled in our company gym and I try to do a walk-run-walk routine. The running part of it is only 5 minutes. Is that slow enough? So far, no pain. For next week, I'm still trying to decide if I can increase the running portion to 10 minutes. What do you think?

My New Fitness Gadgets

I recently bought myself 2 new fitness gadgets to help me get on my way to recovering from my knee injury.

On the way to the Hot Air Balloon Festival at Clark last Feb. 14, I found a Nike Fitness Band being sold in Robinsons Starmills for P400. To be honest, the workout from the the fitness band is quite good. It's low impact, handy and easy to use. This I combine with body weight exercises such as push ups and squats.

Then, just last week, I bought a foam roller for around P1,200 from Second Wind. It was pricey but I thought it would really help with my knee. So I started massaging my legs with it and so far, my leg muscles feel relaxed after using it.

Anyway, with these new gadgets, I'm doing a lot more strength training combined with stretching and massage. I really hope this works so I can start running and building up the miles again. I hope that I feel strong enough to try an easy run soon to see if it works. I really hope this works.

Back to Resting Again

Last Sunday, I woke up at 5AM and it was cool and drizzling ever so slightly. Great weather for running I thought, so I packed up my gear and rushed to UP. I did 4 rounds around UP and as I did, I could feel a very slight pain on the side of my knee build up. After 4 rounds, I decided to stop for my knee's sake. The pain wasn't really bad, but with Condura coming up, I didn't want to risk it.

When I got home, I made myself a big glass of milk and took a shower right after. By the time I was to crash back into bed to rest, I felt it again - the sinister beginnings of an allergic reaction, similar to what I felt last Friday. This is getting bad. My immune system must really be down.

If you guys read my facebook account, I put down on my post "needs to cut down on running for awhile." I just want to get back to fighting form. Last year, I felt invincible all the way up to December. If resting is the fastest way to get back to running, so be it.

Down and Out

I've learned that my immune system is down when I become really sensitive and susceptible to allergic reactions. That was the case last week when I would have reactions almost every other day. Sometimes, I would take antihistamines to control it but only when it would get very bad. By the latter half of the week, my cough had gotten worse and my nose had started running. It got really bad last Saturday so I knew it was about time I paid more attention to my health. It's been more than a week since I last ran so I really want to get better and get back to my training. So here's to lots of rest, liquids, vitamins and medicines. May they do the trick and get me back on the road fast.

January 3, 2010, My First Long Run for the Year

I was quite excited to be well enough to run again last Sunday. I usually set a regular goal and a stretch goal for every run. Last Sunday, I made it my goal to run 6 rounds around the UP Academic Oval (around 13.2K) and a stretch goal of running 7 rounds.

I got up late though and got to UP at 7am. When I got there, I noticed that there were already many people going around the oval. Many of them were familiar faces. I guessed that many of these were trying to burn off the weight they gained during the holiday season. I decided to run with the new water bottle my wife gave me. It was actually quite easy to carry.

By the 3rd round, I felt tired and a bit disappointed. I thought I was supposed to be stronger than that. Anyway, I brushed away thoughts of just doing one more round and held on to my goal of 6 to 7 rounds. On my 6th round, I felt a bit better so I decided to try and speed it up a bit.

I finished 6 rounds with a time of 1:32:19, which translates to a speed of 7 minutes per km. It wasn't very fast but I still do feel it was a good workout. I did, however, feel a pain on the side of my knee about an hour after the run. The pain subsided the day after the run, but then I decided to move my next run to Wednesday, January 6 just to be give my legs it time to rest.

The Last Run for 2009

I just ran what I think will be the last run for 2009 with my wife. I ran 6.6K (3 rounds in UP) in 39:05. Not as fast as I was hoping, but I think it was the best workout I've had in quite a long time. It was a very challenging run because I was able to push both my heart and my legs. And given the circumstances, I think this was a fitting run to end the year.

As I look back at 2009, I can see that I've made a lot of headway in running this year. In 2010, I'll be paying a lot of attention to my weekly distance. I hope to increase it to around 70K by the latter part of the year to prepare myself for a full marathon by the end of the year. To accomplish this, I intend to follow a program so I'm looking around for one that will match my work and family schedules. Let me know if you can help me out with the program. I'd really appreciate it.

Anyway, 2010 looks exciting. I'm looking forward to bigger and better races, new PRs and new running friends. Happy New Year Everybody!

The Christmas Season Cough

Back in grade school, I would usually be absent for a week at the start of the school year (around June) and in December due to asthma. It was explained to me that the changing weather triggered my asthma attacks. 20 years later, after supposedly outgrowing my asthma, I find myself wheezing and coughing again. As the this season is also a time of reunions and some drinking, I've delayed taking any medicine for it to allow myself to indulge and enjoy.

The only thing that got me taking my meds and abstaining from alcohol is my running. That's because I'm just so itching to run again that I'm now willing to do almost anything to go back to waking up early in the morning to run in the dark where one can see a glowing sky and feel the cool wind against the face.

New Balance Power Race 2009

This was one tough race. I should have known that any race passing through McKinley Hill would be really challenging. One thing I did differently in this race is that I brought a bottle of Gatorade with me. Because of this, I was able to run through the first two water stations. But then, in the end, I ended up struggling through McKinley Hill. I had to take it slow on the hilly portions to keep myself from getting cramps and injuring my knees. Anyway, I finished with a time of 2:14:54.

I went to the race with a friend, but we weren't able to take any pictures because I left my camera. We tried to line up for the free race pictures but the line was so long and we weren't able to stand the heat of the then bright sun. In the end, we decided to leave the place to look for breakfast.

Anyway, all I can really say about this race was that it was one really tough one. I think it was my toughest one so far. But then, I finished it and it felt great!