Carbohydrates: a Runner's Bestfriend

I was searching through my files from last December. When I stumbled upon this shot that I did for Gardenia's 10th year anniversary ad.

I won't be a hypocrite and tell you that I only run for the health benefits of it. Well I too am in search of a new kickass body to boot with the new healthy lifestyle. :) The biggest hurdle in getting that lean almost single digit body fat percentage is by actually getting the right amount of calories in for the amount of calories being expend.

With training going 100% back to normal, every hard or long day run makes me want to just turn into a log after munching on tons of carbs. Kanin(rice), bread, sweet potato, crackers, did I mention monggo bread already??? :) Well the monggo bread and rice tops my weakness list. I just got to have my daily dose(huge dose).

But hey! I tried to skimp on it, I just crashed and burned while in training. Now repeat after me..... CARBS ARE OUR BEST FRIEND. Try to repeat that 20,000 times.

UP Rundezvous Feb 10, 2008

This week was a really low mileage, low intensity week for me. No 2 hour training runs, not that much interval training, just a couple of tempo runs at the track and a 1:30 hour LSD. I'm not sure if resting is more beneficial for me this time. But I'm hoping that I'm sticking to coach's plan. Even this week's race was entirely his idea :D

(turn scene pitch black)

The Kenyan runners were there again.

(insert crossfade)

Desamito was also at sight, fearless and almost at rage seeing the imports racing again.

(is this going to be a rematch of last Sunday's race???? I sure do hope so)

(insert crossfade)

I'm holding my stomach while trying to do my warm-up exercises. Hoping for the butterflies to simply go away and just leave me alone. I'm really terrified, Coach signed me up for my first 3km event. I'm not sure which is more terrifying but I'm sure racing 3km and 42km for me is equally scary.

Am I really ready for some speedy stuff???????

I guess there's only one way to find out. :D

The route wasn't as simple as the previous races in UP Diliman but I guess my love and familiarity with the place made me confident about the whole ordeal. I didn't familiarize myself with the route. I just listened to the instructions given at the race start grid "3km: follow the green flags.".

My race strategy is to hold on to my starting pace for as long as possible and just make sure that I leave some left for a good last kick.


PRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!
(so much more for a gun start. :) they used a whistle this time)

It was another downhill start! Everybody was almost flying and just trying to stay alive and avoid being a road kill was though! This continued up until the oblation statue and the start of the rolling hills donned upon every runner on site.

I kept as close as possible and for as long as possible with the lead pack.(HA! I managed 600m with them only!) It was Gary, Coach and another runner up front. By the first kilometer they were already a good 100m away and I was left with 3 other runners close by. Time to change my plan :D haha! As the saying goes.... Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. This is exactly what I intended to do. I won't nudge and give up my spot without a good clean fight to the last meter.

Huff and puff!!! My breathing can be heard by millions of Filipinos. And I don't mean them here in the metro.... I mean even the people from Kuwait can hear me breath. I didn't mind at all. As long as I feel that It's within my rhythm stride I'm cool with it. Reaching the last downhill stretch I tried to apply what I learned from the last race. Keep It light and quick on the downhill section and just make sure to be ready for the next uphill or flat! I managed to sneak 3m pass the UP track player who was beside me all the time. I had my sight on the finish line, it was the last 500m stretch. Suddenly my shoulder tensed, my knees won't lift high and my push felt very light. I was overtaken at the last 300m!

Read with me: Mental toughness! I need to train some more on this.

I finished totally wasted and yes barfing(as Joms would correct me) on the sidestreet.

First 3km race: 11:20 minutes and 8th place


(note to tbr) sorry I dumped the camera again this weekend. Excuse the lack of visuals. :(

UP GIG RUN 2008

Congratulations to all the runners!

and

Congratulations to the organizers (esp RIO) :)

It has been another successful race and a whole lot of improvement over the previous ones. Keep up the good work mate!


I'll let the images do the talking this time.




I had the opportunity(privilege) to see the action up front(best seat in the house!)

Core Workout

video linked from RunnersWorld.com

Just want to share these set of very useful exercises for your core. You do need to strengthen it for a better running form specially when you are getting tired already.

Give it a try!

Another Mileage Week.....

Finally! After getting a good 5km time finish last Sunday, I'm now back in training.


January 29, 2008 Tuesday

After a day of absolutely no running, I was really excited to do some light but longer duration run for the day. My initial plan was to use my previous route which will take me to Buendia Ave all the way to Fort Bonifacio and back using McKinley Ave and Ayala Ave.

5:15am

I did some light stretching outside my apartment and to my surprise..... A couple of Mon's(h@ppyFeet) "Senior" friends Rudy and Jimmy from 101 Runners passed by my place on route for their usual morning run. Rudy gladly invited me to join them. Ey! new friends! and long run? Perfect Combination! I was depending on their pace the whole time and I was really intrigued and at the same time very amused by the choice and creativity of their route. The route took us to a total of 8 uphill ramps, Century Hotel, CCP, Sofitel and the old Manila Theater. :) I really have to hand it to them, training is all about preparation for the worst, and this definitely will train you for the steep inclines of some road races here in the metro.

We headed towards MOA's bayside boundary and took the 6km stretch at still the same pace that we started. By the time we were on our way back home, we went through Vito Cruz and I was pacing them this time. I did up the tempo a bit just enough to give a good stretch in the hams. I was checking if the tandem was doing ok with the new pace and they were stuck at my back with no problem at all. Shesh! this guys may be old but they sure do kick some fast pace @ss! :) Thanks for the company Rudy and Jimmy! I hope to see and run with you soon again!

This will definitely count as a good LSD session.



January 30, 2008 Wednesday

Coach prompted me last Sunday to be rest and be prepared for a new and tougher workout today.

Menu for the day:

a very simple single set 4 repetition interval

2000m
1600m (oh so close to my sub 6min target!)
1000m
800m

It may be 1 set only but I puked by the 3nd interval. And again after the last interval.

This time I was wearing my trainers, No spikie spikes!

Tomorrow's going to be just another Hill Day!

PSE BullRun 2008 - nth attempt

Today it feels like.........

I'm on top of the world!!!!!!!!!

Got up at 350am. Did the usual routine. Everything was set the night before and I even wore my singlet already just to make sure I'll be able to be On Site, On Time! hehehehe Just trying to cover my grounds here.

I sent an SMS to coach when I left at 4:15am. This early bird, got lost! hehehehe I forgot where the usual starting grid was. I ended up getting there by 4:45am already. Time in which most people are just about to leave Embassy.

I skipped the chat session with the h@ppyFeet folks and did my usual warm-up exercises just to make sure that I don't injure myself again. Coach finally arrived and joined me in my exercises. Seems that I got too eager to push again and slightly pulled my left quad muscle. (the curse of the left leg!!!!! argggghhhh!!!!)

I then got back to slowly stretching my legs specially my left quad. Coach prompted me to continue stretching and to keep it warm.

CLANG!!!!! CLANG!!!!!!! CLANG!!!!!!

3km fun runners were sent off at around 6:10am.

Then we assembled at the side of the start line ready for the 5km event start. The usual group started fast but not as fast as when we were in Clark 2 Sundays ago. :) We took the first 500m easy and just maintained our pace. By the next incline we started to push up the pace and soon found a new running mate. Gary ol' Pal! (an elite runner, also a regular in Ultra). He wasn't able to register and so just decided to help Coach push me around what's left of the 5km event.

The strategy was...... there's no strategy! Just run hard on the uphill, and run even harder downhill.

"itapon mo sa harap!" - I think I heard this line 3 thousand times. :)

By the time we got to the turn around point (2.5km mark) I didn't miss checking my time 9:32!
Looks good! All I need to do now is to maintain my pace and try to run harder just to make sure I don't fall prey again to my 2nd half walk syndrome.

I knew the course. I knew how many hills left. I got to the second to the last one and tried to reserve some energy for the last uphill and all the way downhill portion of the course. I managed to squeeze just enough juice for the last uphill and half of the downhill portion. The problem was that I didn't have enough left for the last 150m sprint to the finish. I threw my arms up front, tried to maintain my stride and just hold on to dear life.

Thank you Gary and Jo for the pace! I clocked in unofficially at 19:50.1

It was a really tough race for me. I know I'm still a long way from the pro's but I always utter this line..... "little steps...... little steps......"

Next attempt UP Rundevious. See you all there!

::::::::::::::::::::::::: Visual Aid ::::::::::::::::::::::::::
as requested by: the bull runner (get-well soon)

mark - keep on training mate! we'll both get what we want for the year.

the _champs : Coach JoAr and Coach Rio!

drew with a brand spanking new tatt. :)

nina, wake up early next time :)
joms doing the pose
here's our senior division champs(h@ppyFeet) oKnoy, Eric and John.
oKnoy and John just did the full 26.2 miler Subic Marathon last Sunday.
Congrats again to both you!

smith was early this time. no injury (wink! wink!)

Coach Rio with Sen. Cayetano

another teammate named Mon (mizuno run club)

miss maui after the 10km event. still dashingly pretty!!!! :)

joms with best-bud aljo. again thanks Aljo for taking care of the team in Subic.
miss monica! no more dance shoes! hello NB's!

ok let's play a little game.... spot the not! who do you think does
not belong to the group? well aside from Sen Cayetano. :P

training buddies

Training Load Week

Wednesday January 23, 2008

Coach informed me that today would be a 1:10hr training run. I still can't believe it that I can run more than 60minutes. :) Everytime I would near 60minutes I would always smile and take off really fast fueled just by my sheer excitement of running longer than the usual. I took my usual route before I got injured. Home-Osmeña-Buendia-Macapagal-VitoCruz-Home. I managed to do a bit over 13km and it sure did make me want more.

Thursday January 24, 2009

Surprise! Surprise!


Coach's SMS last night:

Ben, eto workout mo:
400m, 200m active recovery
600m, 400m active recovery
1600m, 600m active recovery
2 sets lang. bat gising ka pa? matulog ka na!

So here's what happened.....

1st set:
1:10.2 400m
2:03 600m
6:25 1600m

2nd set:
6:22 1600m
2:01 600m
1:15 400m

I guess I still need a lot of work on my endurance training so that I can get that 5minute miler.

But one thing I noticed with all this additional training load and longer interval training distance..... Once I am able to do the longer distances 600's, 800's and the recently added 1600'..... The 400's and 300's doesn't scare me anymore. (laughing) But really, it does have a lot of psychological effect once I accomplish the greater feat. hehehe

Tomorrow's going to be just a 45minute very light jog session. My glutes and hamstring still hurt. :) Now I'm off to get some ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz