Just Another Runner

My latest Magic Mile time - 10:58 It predicts a 2:52 21K and a 6:13 marathon.  Those are PRs if they come true. We'll see in my half this July and marathon this October.

When I got back from a run this evening, I noticed I was wearing an Adidas cap, an Apple Nike watch, a Reebok shirt, New Balance shorts, Saucony socks, and Hoka shoes. Brands were well represented.

When will I start? When I use up all my excuses.

I haven't been running a lot lately because of my business travels overseas.  Then I got sick; then I traveled again; then worst of all, I hurt my back.  I didn't run at all for almost two months. My back is better now, but I don't feel fit at all.  I badly wanted to go back to running but I didn't want to risk injury.  So, I decided to become a beginner again and start at the very beginning - Day 1 Week 1 of the Couch to 5K program .  Today, I did a 5 minute walk, 1 minute run and 1.5 minute walk for 20 minutes, and then a 5 minute walk. I didn't get bored or anything and more importantly my back didn't hurt while I was running.  I was just glad I was outside running again.  I plan on going through the whole 2-month C25K program and am looking forward to joining a 5K soon after.

Tada!

to be continued ...

These are what happened on my second year of running. I finished my first marathon! I did it on Dec. 4, at the Quezon City International Marathon. I also did my first 6K, 16K, 21K and 32K. My goals for this year were to do a 21K and a marathon. DONE! I improved my personal bests on the 5K (0:33) and the 10K (1:16). I did a total of 14 races this year: 1 5K, 1 6K, 4 10Ks, 1 16K, 5 21Ks, 1 32K, and 1 42K I helped my wife finish a half marathon - something she said she would never do. I ended last year at 186 lbs. It didn't change this year. My waistline didn't change too. I thought that after training for and finishing a marathon, I would at least have a normal BMI. Oh well. I still have plantar fasciitis and for the first time I have a dead toenail (on my big toe; from my marathon). About my running gear: I retired my Mizuno Wave Elixir and Nike LunarGlide, and replaced them with the New Balance 870 and Nike LunarGlide 2. I bought 2 new Nike running shorts, 2 New Balance c...

I've read in a lot of running blogs that all runners will get this sooner or later. It's like a badge. When you see this on someone, he or she either runs or drops stuff. Well I never had it until my first marathon. I noticed it only a few days after. Now, I too have the honor of having the badge.

Imagine that. After crossing the finish line of the 3rd Quezon City International Marathon yesterday morning, I am now a marathoner. It truly is a miracle that I was able to finish a marathon, but the bigger miracle is that I got to the starting line in the first place. For a long time, finishing a marathon has been a dream. It was what was on my mind the first time I laced up to go jogging when I was just a lanky teenager back in the early 80's. I eventually fell in love with running. My family got used to the thought that it's something that I do when no one else seems to be doing it. That dream kept me running while other teenagers had "better" things to do. But because of a disappointment in running caused by an injury, and the impatience of youth, I suddenly stopped. The dream faded but not completely. Through the years, I would occasionally literally dream of running. The scene will always be of me running happily and effortlessly on my usual routes. ...

I'm blogging my preparations and strategies so that I don't forget anything. Also because I'm so excited and anxious at the same time. Months of preparations and years of dreaming, and this is it. Only one more week until QCIM! This week ... Eat properly. Don't eat anything that will upset my stomach or make me gain weight. That means no dairy, minimize fatty foods, don't eat too much rice until carbo-loading time. Monday, 45 minute easy run Starting Thursday evening, carbo-load and hydrate with Gatorade. Thursday, 45 minute easy run. This will be my last run before the marathon. Saturday, stay off my feet as much as possible. Watch Spirit of the Marathon again. Re-read final chapters of Galloway's Marathon: You Can Do It and Whitsett's Non-runner's Marathon Trainer. Saturday evening, drink one capsule of Celebrex. Prepare my gear. Sleep by 9pm. Race morning. Wake up by 2am. Eat a banana and granola bar. Drink a glass of Gatorade. These are...

My race report on the Runrio Trilogy Leg 3: Run United 3 held last Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011 at SM Mall of Asia (MOA). I did the 32K distance. The 32K started at MOA, went to Makati via Buendia Ave., turned around just before Makati Ave. to head back to Roxas Blvd. At Roxas Blvd, we headed towards NAIA Road, then turned around to go to Luneta still via Roxas Blvd. From Luneta, another U-turn to go back to MOA for the finish line. This was my first 32K race and I also used this as my last long run before QCIM on Dec. 4. I was scheduled to do a 37K long run so my plan was a 2K warm up, the 32K race and 3K cool down for a total of 37K. Since this is just a long run in preparation for my marathon I tried really hard not to be in "race mode" and to just relax. Which is hard in a big event like this, with all the energy and excitement of the people around you. I also tried a negative split pacing strategy based on the Marco Marathon Calculator to see if it will work for me and t...

Earlier today, I registered for my 1st Marathon - the 3rd QC International Marathon (QCIM). Three weeks to go. Suddenly, I have the jitters.

"If I allowed myself to ... build my identity around my running, what would happen if I started to fade?" "If I measured myself in ... personal records alone, a future of disappointing races was all but assured." - Jen Van Allen, "Don't Ask Me How I Did", Running Times, Oct. 2011

Last weekend I did my scheduled 32K long run. It was very hard but it was a lot better than my previous long run - a scheduled 27K but I was only able to do a little over 25K. My wife even noticed that I looked a lot better than the last time. So, what made the difference? Here's what I think. Nutrition 1. During my scheduled 27K long run, I was also doing Maffetone's Two-week Test, which is basically a no-carb diet for two weeks. Bad idea when doing really long runs. This time, starting two days prior to the long run, I carbo-loaded and hydrated with Gatorade. 2. During my scheduled 27K long run, I started eating only after one and a half hours. This time, I started eating after 45 minutes, and every hour after that. Also, this time, I ate a whole chocolate bar (Choco Mucho Dark Chocolate). Aside from being yummier than Sport Beans or Nutri Bar, it made me happier and it made me look forward to the next meal. I based my nutrition schedule on this Runner's Wor...

I have this routine after a run - whether good or bad, of silently thanking everyone and everything involved in the run. Like for my 32K long run this morning, I thank the following ... First, I thank God for being able to run, for giving me the strength to finish my run, for the very nice weather, and for keeping my wife and me safe and injury free. Next, I thank my running buddy - my wife, for running the first 18K with me, and then waiting patiently for me to finish my run. Do you know of a wife who will wait for 3 hours and not start World War 3? If yes, good for you if she's your wife. I also thank the different parts of my body ... I thank my feet for not getting blisters. I thank my toenails for all being accounted for. I thank my plantar fascia for having no signs of plantar fasciitis (knock on wood). I thank my legs for holding up and not cramping. I also thank my gear ... I thank my shoes for being uncharacteristically dry. You weren't annoyingl...

"Why worry about these small, small things? I don’t stress. You never hear of anyone dying of happiness.” - Fauja Singh, at 100, the world's oldest marathoner

At this final stage of my marathon training, more than ever is my need for motivation and positive thinking. A few weeks back, I did my longest run ever, and my next and last two will all be my longest runs to date (a 32K and a 37K) It was tough and it's going to get tougher, both physically and mentally. I have been training for the past several months for my first marathon - the QC International Marathon this December. To increase my chances of finishing this marathon, mental training is now as important as my physical training. I have to train myself to believe that I can do it. I have to believe that I have what it takes. And I have to have the right attitude to make it happen. Helping me in this mental training is the book, "Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer (Whitsett, Dolgener, Kole)." The book is based on a 'marathon class' that was offered in the University of Northern Iowa. It contains sixteen chapters which covers one week of the sixteen week ...

While I was registering my son and brother-in-law for the Nike 10K race at the Nike store in Greenbelt 3, I saw on display the new LunarGlide+ 3. And it was my size - 13; it is so hard to find running shoes in my size in the Philippines. I remembered what my other brother-in-law told me, that if I find the running shoe that I like in my size - it was destiny. I even had a semi-good reason to buy new ones because I couldn't find my LunarGlide+ 2. I was about to succumb to another moment of weakness, but fortunately (or unfortunately) my wife was with me and she got me to snap out of it and I was able to regain control of my credit card. Oh well, I even loved the colorway - black with a red swoosh, and yellow sole. But, it's not meant to be. YET.

My race report on the AXN Runs Philippines held last Sunday - Sept. 18, 2011. I did the 21K distance. This was a very challenging course. I loved it! When it was first announced and I saw the race map, I thought, "Wow! A new venue!" Then, "Yikes! Three flyovers (out and back, so that's six) and a long uphill at the last kilometer! The race starts at the Ortigas Center, Pasig, goes down Julia Vargas to C-5 then traverses C-5 going to Katipunan Ave in Quezon City near Miriam College, then back to Ortigas Center, in the process, passing thru C-5/Ortigas, C-5/Libis and Katipunan/Aurora flyovers. But then, a week before the race, I found out that they changed the route because they were giving way to the Ateneo College Entrance Test being held that weekend. So instead of three flyovers, it became four! They added the Pasig flyover as a bonus. So, the 21K runners will have to run a total of eight flyovers and an uphill in the last kilometer. They really mean...

The Run-Walk-Run method has been endorsed and popularized by Olympian Jeff Galloway. And Run-Walk-Run is already almost synonymous to the Galloway method. But as I found out, simply taking walk breaks is not necessarily the Galloway method. Galloway’s recommendations are more precise than simply incorporating walk breaks into your long runs and races. He’s actually very detailed and leaves out the guess work in what pace you should run your long runs and races, and what run-walk ratio you should do based on your pace. He has a test called the Magic Mile and a formula and a table to figure all these out. You can get a good idea of these by reading through the training section of his web site - http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/index.html . If you want more details of his method, you need to buy one of his books, especially the later ones or the revised ones like – Marathon: You Can Do It – Revised Edition or the book Training Programs. In these books you’ll be able to get det...