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

Full Swing Training.....

Sunday January 20, 2008

Just before the sun was about to rise, met up with Joms(h@ppyFeet) at the corner of Buendia and Macapagal Ave.

Training for the day......... Long Slow Distance (LSD).
Duration........ 1:30hrs

The route that I had planned was simple. 1 loop along the whole Macapagal Ave(11km) stretch then add another loop at the bayside of SM Mall of Asia(7km++).
We headed out on a relatively easy pace...... Flashes of the Metro Manila Milo Eliminations last year was all that I can remember. I miss the beauty of having a training partner with you on an LSD day. Before we know it 53mins and 10kms had already passed.

The next 30 minutes part was the heavy and faster pace part...... well..... let's skip the details of that part. The important thing is that we finished the whole workout with tons of stories and laughter along the way. We may have skipped Subic Marathon 2008, but hey! We had fun.


Tuesday January 22, 2008

I woke up early today. Had the usual stuff prepared and just before I head out for my usual 30minute bike ride to the track. It RAINED!

Coach arrived as I was doing my first warm-up lap. He uttered "5 laps".

hmmmmmmm.......... I wonder why 5 laps only????? I was getting nervous since it was 2 and a half short of my usual warm-up routine. Drills came and I was still clueless of my workout for the day..........

I couldn't take it any more......
" uhummmmm! "
"coach! ano tayo ngayon??????"

he answered......
"1000m"

By this time, my jaw dropped, my lungs collapsed, and my b@lls shrunk in fear!
"tsk tsk tsk...... Me and my big mouth!"

Ok, don't panic... it's just 10 100's, 5 200's or 2 1/2 400's........ I can do this. Just remember to take the first lap relaxed, whisk through the second lap and just (gulp!) hold on for the last 200. "Right..... Right..... I can do this!"

Then the arithmetic kicked in....... 1:30 1st lap, 1:30 2nd lap, and 0:45 last 200. Since this was my target time for my race pace. I knew that I had to step it up a notch for my workout. But I know that I can't hold on to a 3:30 pace for too long.

Coach Jo:
"Set...."
"Go!"

1st lap:
Arm swing, check!
Stride length, check!
Stride rate, check!

2nd lap:
"When is it going to end????????"

after 200m
"last 400! last 400! last 400!"

Last 200m
(blank)
(blank)

Last 100m
(BLACK) (eyes closed already)


This went on for 5 reps with 600m active recovery jog. While doing this jog I was just looking up the sky and appreciating it's already blue color........... Truth is, I was just trying to avoid looking down and puking. :)

After that workout, I can say 1000's are really hard but it sure is satisfying finishing and hitting your target time. I just hope I can hold on to the pace on race day.

Goodbye! Goodluck! PHILSPADA TEAM!

I have been training in Pasig Ultra Track for almost 3 months now. In those 12 weeks I have known the regular folks there.... Senior Citizens brisk walking while talking about politics, High School track teams doing their workouts along side with the usual UP and JRU track team. And there are the regular folks just wanting to stay fit or loose some weight.

Coincidentally the Philippine Sports Association for the Differently Abled (PHILSPADA) team started their training, for the South East Asian Games in Thailand, the same time as I did. They were my training day classmates. By 5am they are already at the usual hangout corner at the track, some still catching a snooze while others are just chatting while waiting for either Coach Buen or the light of the sky to arrive first. :) By the time I'm already doing my workouts they are just starting their warm-up routine. I'm not really sure how long they train but they do train twice a day. Once you are with them you won't even ask what their disabilities are.... You will only be amazed at their abilities.

Let me show you what our typical morning training looks like.....

note::: If by any chance you are from any other countries in the South East Asian Region (Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia......) ...... BE AFRAID.... BE VERY VERY AFRAID......

- That's Andy, our bet for the High Jump and Long Jump Event -

- New shoes! Care of the Philippine Sports Commision -

- The 3 coach, Trying to check if the thrower's chair can be modified for the athlete on the left -

- "parang building yan kid, di ka makakaabot sa 5th floor hanggat di ka dumaan sa madaming hagdan... easy lang at aabot ka rin sa mga pangarap mo"

- she's no athlete.... but she's there everyday supporting her husband (previous photo, guy on top left)-

-waiting for their turn, time trials-

-our 4x100m relay team, andrew, ryan, pacaldo, delbert-

-stretching before warm-up-

- Coach Joel-

- just another beautiful day, keeping the long jump sand box soft-

Today is their last training day. They will be leaving for Thailand tomorrow morning. Ok I have to admit..... I'm a bit sad that their going. But at the same time happy cause I know for a fact that these guys will be kicking some serious @ss on the track! :) GO TEAM PHILIPPINES!!!!





Oh and did I mention that the JRU team trains there... It just so happens that she's the head coach. :) Madam Elma Muros - the heptathlon queen. I managed to be thick-faced enough today to ask for a picture with her. She laughed at me and even directed the shot to be front lit. hahahahahaha

Clark Marathon 2008

mY 4th FAILED attempt in breaking 20minutes in the 5km event.

The weather was perfect. Training was ok. Rest was also enough.
I guess it's just not my time yet. I guess I'm not ready enough.

Unofficial race time: 21:12.06

"The record will be broken, I just don't know when...." -haile gebraselasie

Will skip Subic on Sunday, and just prepare for the PSE BullRun on the 27th.