2 more nights till my next h@lf...

Geeeeez..... 2 more sleepless nights. and to top it all, I haven't had a good training since I got the flu due to some personal things that i had to attend to. So here I am, wanting to set a PR for my 21k yet really disappointed at myself for slacking on my training. Oh and my mom(a sprinter in her younger years) isn't going to be able to make it on Sunday to see me run. :(

My only source of inspiration right now is the kimbia documentary series. :D Yup! Im still watching it! And even trying out their running form. :) I just hope i turn 5shades darker and about 30lbs lighter before KOTR.

See you all on Sunday! and watch out for my new blog entry next week! :)

a Video Blog!

During our run last Sunday, Smith mentioned a cool video journal to me again. And I was only able to check it out today. Let me introduce you to

www.chasingkimbia.com

Its a video journal done by Matt Taylor, with the participation of the Kimbia Athletes and New Balance as their sponsor. Its a documentary about the Kimbia athletes' training life.

The videos are really cool! And of course the athletes are pure animals when it comes to race day. I haven't been able to finish the whole series so check it out also! and let's drool and be envy at these running gods!

back on my H@ppyFeet!

After an almost 1 week of of hiatus, I'm really glad that I was able to do a light run today!

6am, 0km marker in Luneta.

I came on time for this training day, well for someone itching to run even under the influence of the phenyl drug I was really eager to train. :)

Thanks to Smith and Zaldy, they made the run feel like a real short one. In short we chatted all the way to the finish. The sun was out and the heat was a real bummer! Good thing i brought in my new toy! I hope the bull runner reads my blog today! hehehehe Miss jaymie, i got my hydration pack!


Amphipod.

Thanks to RC and his cousin who brought it all the way from Melrose Ave! The long wait finally paid off. RC dropped it off at my apartment last friday at about 15mins past midnight. I was still sick and high on those d@mn meds and boy did that blue bag made me jump for joy! hehehe Saturday passed and i was still feeling quezzy. I dozed off almost the whole day hoping to recuperate faster.

I woke up at 430am, started sending SMS to every h@ppyFeet on my list. I got only 2 confirmed runners going for the training run. Smith our resident white guy and Zaldy our youngest member.

The pace was constant, the chat was also constant. Smith and I were just hoping that the new guy (zaldy) wasn't cursing us for our slow, very slow pace. hehehehe After 2 hours of running.... and by smith's calculations, we did nearly 20km.

siCk

I have a question????

How do you deal with the NEED to rest and forgo training????? Yes, i did catch a flu this week. I thought it would just go away and I'd have another good week of training. But it didn't go away..... I feel worse today than yesterday. I nearly got into an accident this afternoon driving in EDSA. I hate that phenyl stuff in that cold medicine! It just makes me feel really really sleepy.... and to top it all I had location shoots for the past 2 days already. Let me set the record straight, I'm not complaining about work. I just hate it when i'm sick and i WANT and NEED to deliver a good job. arrrrghhhhhH!!!!!!!! As for training... i'm feeling anxious the past couple of days missing training. I really want to go out and try some of the new stuff I learned from last Sunday's race.

I just wish this would go away before the weekend. I don't want to miss our group's long run training. :(

hAlf of mY StoRy....

Waking up at 3am just to make some noodles and hydrate isn't really an easy task for me. The only thing making me do all these stuff is the sheer excitement that of doing the half and knowing my real time for it.

I always set high marks for my self and usually end up really disappointed when i don't reach it. So going for last Sunday's race was a bitter-sweet feeling for me.

I met up with doc Brent at the usual pick-up point. This time i was there on time and well ahead of him. I wasn't late, yippeee! We headed back to my office to fetch Ron, but it turns out he wasn't really feeling good. We arrived at the race start before 5am giving me enough time to warm-up, hydrate again, and check out the competition.... nah.... hehehehe

Some of the things running through my mind at the starting box...

1. I hope I don't rush it for the first half of the course.
2. Will they have enough water stations?????
3. Change of route? sh@t!!!!!
4. Did i pick the right shoes?????
5. Do i look good on my skimpy shorts!?!?! hmmmmmmm......


Well, first sign of a good race is if it starts on time..... Well for Run for Peace! Yeps, they surely did start on time. Well, i think this is the first race I've attended that started on time!

First 2.5km(guesstimate)
I did pace with RC and kept it really easy. I was really surprised when my predicted time of walks did match the water stations. :) I did keep my 30 second walk . And proceeded with the course. I just hate uphill! After a good walk i had to manage a steep incline!

After 2km
I saw a triathlon team pacing with their female member. And i guessed, who would pace better, a triathlete right?! I hitched a ride with them for about 45mins. Lots of pictures taken by one of their members. hehehe and I was in all of them. hahaha This is the time when i really wish i had a camera with me too!

1hour mark....
When we were at the return side of C5 I did pick up my pace a bit and left the relaxed pace of the team. Reaching the next water station i hydrated and gel up for my push to the finish.

the next 45 mins....
I'm still doing my regular walks through the water stations, then picking up my pace again after.

the last 10mins....
Now this ordeal is a different story.... Guys, let me tell you this. You have to know the route in order to prepare yourself for proper pacing. I didn't! so guess what happened.....

When i was nearing the grand stand entrance i picked up my pace again for the final stride. Only to my surprise that I still need to do one loop inside the stadium grounds.... about another 500m!!!!!!!! sh@t! i knew i was in trouble..... I have to thank Joms for pushing me (literally) to the final 200 meters. I clocked in at 1:56:5 2

Now going back to the questions before the race.

1. Thanks to the tri team! I didn't rush in.
2. Down to the dot! They did have enough water, water stations, and volunteer's handing out the water!
3. This is my only gripe. I just hope next time, They wouldn't change the route last minute.
4. I didn't pick the right shoes! I'm glad i didn't have to attend another wake for my toes!
5. I always do! :D hahahahaha

Now I'm off to training again. Next Stop, KOTR Half!

That will give the nExt h@lf of mY StoRy.....

Mapping it out!

Im so used to running time-based. This is why i am so wanting to get my hands on that Garmin Forerunner 305! Now, thanks to Doc Brent, i think i might be able to on hold to my moolah a bit longer. Doc Brent suggested that i try this new site

www.run.com

The site helps you out on plotting your running route and gives you the equivalent distance either in miles or km. I tried mapping out our group's usual running route in makati. Oh my god! I thought that we were already doing at least a 5km loop. To my surprise it wasn't even close to 4km! hehehehe It only means that we need to revise our route in order to cover at least 5km in a single loop. :) That my friends is now at the works. I will be plotting usual routes in the metro and will be saving and publishing it here. I just hope that no crazy thief is reading my blog!

Here's the link for our initial running route in makati

http://www.run.com/showroute.asp?map=63534


here's a good 5km route.

http://www.run.com/showroute.asp?map=64034

UP Sisig Training Run

For the past month I have only ran in UP twice. First was with joms, a 15km training run for the succeding week's 15km race. The trees, no diesel fumes, lush greens scenery, and long tarmac stretch makes UP an ideal place to train. Though i liked the place, i didn't like my last race time for the 15km Runnex Run. :( Well at least my love for the place didn't diminish along with my sucky race time.

Early last week one h@ppyFeet suggested that we should head up to UP again for a saturday afternoon training run. Oh! and did i mention sisig feast after????? Came yesterday, only 4 showed up.

Pao (the early riser)
Brent (chick magnet doc)
Joms (official h@ppy Pacer)

Pao and I met up quite early since i was hoping that RC would be trailing along with his bike. It should have been fun doing fast pace running there. Little did i know that I was surely heading for one! (c/o joms). We were able to do about 10k around UP plus another 7km from our early round. But the last 2.5km loop around sunken garden was the best! Thanx to the sugar that i ate before heading for the last 5km! :)

While doing the laps we were thinking about doing a last lap in race pace! well.... Joms did gave us a good race pace! I was holding on to my lunch cause I know that I was surely going to p@ke my guts out after that lap! Good thing I was able to hold on till the starting point! Again thanks joms for that super asteeg finish!

As nelly would say.... after the party there's the after party! Jimmy's place is where we were heading! We actually got lost about 2 or 3 times! But I tell you people..... It was all worth it! 4 super hungy guys with an appetite of Mali(manila zoo's elephant) we were really chowing down real fast! Forget about pacing! The food was gone in a zip! :D The sisig was great! and so was the other 4 dishes! hahaha! you read it right! 5 dish in total! Lots of free rice and a 2 liter coke! Yummy!

Now, why didn't I thought of getting some pictures taken?????? I guess i was thinking too much about the sisig! Next time nalang ang pictures guys! Basta if you are heading towards UP or even katipunan, forget about the other places to eat. Go straight to Mang Jimmy's place! Super sulit! Super sarap! (people: this is not a paid advertisment :D)

Sana UP Sisig run na ulit! :)