Happy Christmas!

Its quite a bore coming to work after Christmas.  It seems like it just too soon.  The best Holiday of they year just spent for a day, just like say a Sunday but merrier?!  Well, I’m here in the office… early… quiet… will be sleepy in a while… with tired legs… Zzzz…

Anyway, yes, tired legs – have been running this week, after a zero run the previous week.  So far I managed to wake up this morning (though late) with the thought that I will run.  So the runner in me is focused on getting back on track.  This December might have affected my fitness level seriously than I thought:

• Having some foot pains now – (from a 5k-10k-5k run at 6min pace)
• Felt my body’s a bit heavier on runs

Now I have mentioned in the previous blog that December really was a toxic month.  It took away the rest, the food and made me dehydrated at times.  Those contributed to the current level I’m now at.

Realization

Good health is a continuous process.  We can’t just say that I’ve been good this month so I’ll take this week off.  Well, you can probably have 1 cheat day, but really not a long time.

The good thing is that I have come to realize that while still early.  And I started to go back on track this week.  Plus, there will be quite a long holiday after the 27^th.  So there’ll be more time to run, yey!

Speaking of long holiday, 2013 will be over soon.  Might have to do the year-end blog to get a good look at what I accomplished, to cap things off and to create a new running goal for 2014.  Let’s do this!

Happy Holidays!  More miles this 2014!

A lot to make up for and a mid-life - transition?

Ok, so I haven’t been blogging enough for about 3 months now, and this month have been laying low in mileage as well.  But that doesn’t mean that I’m about to give up running!

The “ber” months are the crucial times for retail, which in my case have been the most important months since I started working.  It is the time of the year where plans are executed and there really are a lot of those plans in place.  We even opened around 11 stores from November until December, 8 of those within 3 weeks of December.

Although I have managed to receive a free trip to Spain last October 20 to 29 with the boss, and even though Spain is not really on my choice of places to visit, it turned out just fine.  I have managed to run the cold and windy beach of San Sebastian, and got to circle around Retiro Park.  I also got to experience my first – first run on a treadmill!

There is a blog about the Spain trip, I’m surely gonna finish it before Christmas! I sure had a lot of good and not-so-good experiences there that I would like to document. Hehe!

Now this blog mentions about Mid Life… Transition.  Suddenly came out upon noticing that I have been missing on some “things” that I used to enjoy – basically socializing.  I came to realize that I have been prioritizing heavily on 3 things – family, running and work; all others come very far from these 3.  Cases in point:

1. Due time from work to commute on the way home with the wife to get some playtime with my daughter
2. Can’t afford to go late night for a group drinking session as I will run in the morning
3. Make sure to free up the weekend for the following activities:
1. Morning long runs
2. House chores
3. Playtime
4. Trip to the mall
4. Being (unreasonably) uptight in work area to meet deadlines

Have been a bit depressed for 2 days from this, yes just 2 days and I’m now fine that quickly.  Realization – avoid being an @$$ in work, and there’s always time to run and to interact.  Well, family time is still the same, I won’t sacrifice that.

So does this mean I’m gonna take time off running?  Nope!  Just time management; I don’t have to train hard, but instead train smart (whatever this means, I’ll have to find out) well I guess I really don’t have to rush into being fast and running far.

So does this also mean that I’ll be softer at work?  A bit, yes – realized that I have to be human every once in a while.

So its really a transition, not a crisis.  This was an eye-opener, to change for the better.  Cheers to a new Runner In Me! 

Sante Barley Domination Run 2013

Another successful running event to end my 2013 race season (yeah, I do have a race season so I won’t burn out) thanks to Sante Barley.

This caps of my 3-21k (including a 25k NB Run) for the year.  And what a very fitting end as I got a PB of 2 hours!  Okay, let’s summarize:

RACE	Distance/Chip-time	Distance/Soleus-time
Milo HM	21k/2:09:31 (9.76km/h)	21.62k/2:09:38 (10.0km/h)
New Balance – 25k	25k/2:36:11 (9.61km/h)	25.77k/2:36:12 (9.9km/h)
Sante Barley HM	21k/1:59:40 (10.61km/h)	21.35k/1:59:43 (10.7km/h)

Coming from a 2:10 HM to a 2:00 HM is a huge improvement.  Thinking about it I have come to a couple of theories:

1. Milo HM probably was a case of the jitters plus blisters
2. NB 25k adjusted the shoes but the Buendia overpass was too much for me
3. Sante Barley’s route was relatively flat with very few turns; plus the 2 previous experiences helped

For now I’m just happy with the result.  As I think aside from the reasons above, my trainings really did it for me.

Going back to the race, was a bit irritated even before the race began as (1) traffic at Pier area due to trucks and this was 3am!  Almost didn’t make it here; (2) 30 minutes late gun start, although I made it just in time, plus the wait due to the delay.

The route was mostly flat with a few minor inclines.  I felt it on the 7^th or 8^th kilometer mark as we approach the end of coastal hi-way on the way to Cavitex.  After that it was a straight, relatively flat Cavitex road, then back.

There’s nothing much to say about the race though as I made an even pace all through out.  Except that I think after the first 8k I began taking water at almost every stop.  I don’t do that on practice runs but for this race I felt the need to.  It didn’t affect my time that much though.

I knew I was doing great after the 10k where my time was around 57-ish minutes.  It was there that I focused on my pace and form and not to get too excited.  Although I felt the need to slow down coming in to the 20km, but upon seeing the clock at 2:00:xx gave me my second wind.  I got a strong finish (along with a strong facial expression)

As for the way the race was organized, my comments below:

1. Late gun start – this is a big negative for me. 
2. Dark portion on some part of the route
3. No energy drinks on station – although there was plenty water
4. Late-finishers complained about dried-up water stations (wouldn’t know)
5. Heavy investment on photographers – plus plus points!
6. New addition – late result posting!  Its been more than a week now! (update – released after 8 days!)

What a way to end my running season!  I’m really happy with my performance. 

So what’s next for me?  I’ll take running easy now (or at least I plan to).  Not much pressure in running xx distance at xx time – just to enjoy running.  Unfortunately, last weekend run was a 1:33:xx 10-miler – still a competitive time for me.  Oh well, I guess I’ll just run it as I feel it.

If the next few weeks I’m still up to running “competitively”, I might just move on to the longer 32k.  Hmm, still having some “boring” issues during long runs, might need to work on that first.

New Balance Run 2013

Got there a bit early

So I did manage to join the New Balance Run 2013 (November 10, 2013 - birthday run!) even with all the rants about how the organizer decided to make a lot of profits out of it (by not doing any efforts to consider runners who do not have the time to pickup the race kits at the designated date and time).  Thanks to DEVANT, I got a free 25k race kit, just by posing with my DEVANT TV.  Thank you very much, and more power to you!  As for the organizer, good luck to you.

Going back, it was a good 2 months of endurance training for the HM.  Even got a good run when I was in Madrid (hmm, got to finish my blog about that) so more or less I don’t have any excuses not to perform in the best that I could.  Well, prior to the race I did have some days where I was a bit dehydrated, but it really wasn’t a major concern.

Good, consistent runs going into race week

So Devant did this online contest where you have to pose with your Devant TV and send it to them, luckily I was the first to win.  It was supposed to be for a 10k kit, but since Devant’s team was sooo accommodating, I managed to get a 25k kit!  Good thing I was race-ready for the weekend so a I just did a little taper on race week.

Winning facebook entry

Race prep was cereal, bread and banana.  I could have prepared a better pre-race meal.  I got my kit on race day.  Well the singlet given was Large, so I just wore my 2012 singlet (easy way to identify myself for the race pictures).

Race Report

I enjoyed the route

Race started exactly 4:30am, I got to the line some time 4:32-ish as I was at the middle of the 2,000 25k runners; a bit of a dodge in the first kilometer and opened a bit in closing the 2^nd kilometer.

Hydration stations were plenty, lots of Gatorade and water.  I managed to stop and hydrate on the 4^th and 8^th kilometer to cut off some time, without compromise.

Going to the 10k mark, I was at the 58-ish time – good enough and felt just fine.

The Buendia fly-over proved to be a challenge on my legs, and I got past the uphill with a lot of effort, and a very controlled downhill to manage.

Yep, getting tired

At the 20k mark, I was at 1:58-ish time and I felt tired from running back up the Buendia fly-over.  Got to walk a steep uphill to catch my breath, obviously I was not prepared for such a long uphill/downhill stretch. I was hungry after the 20k and I don’t have any gel left (should’ve taken the banana on the 18k station).

I was at my target pace of 6:00/km up to the 25^th kilometer based on my Soleus. The last 5k ate up the time I saved in the first 20k.  But I knew that I did the 2:30:25k mark that I’m aiming. 

There’s a 770-meter extension according to my Soleus, and by that time, it was only reaching the finish line that was keeping me running.  My Soleus gave me a 6:03/km pace for that race, and its acceptable for me considering my 1^st 25k run.

Post-race

Sore legs and a bit nauseated, definitely exhausted.  It’s a welcome feeling as I knew that I gave it all that I had.  5 minutes of recovery and I’m fine, although my legs were really sore, even after I shook it off.  I finished the Gatorade and bottled water that was with the loot bag (not a very attractive loot, with discount coupons and a plastic water bottle, with no signs of New Balance inside - could’ve been better)

I just stayed a while in the Devant booth but my friend Jeff isn’t there.  I dropped my raffle coupon but didn’t stay long as the sun was up so high and I don’t want to risk migraine attack (this weather considering the Yolanda typhoon was up just the day before).

Overall

• I wouldn’t sign up given the race registration mechanics, too costly
• It was a good race experience for me.  This is my first time to run the Buendia flyover and it really was a challenge. 
• Good hydration stations but the only station with the sponges was not ready when I got there.
• Big medal but deadly with the pointed lightning (although you really wouldn’t wear a medal while running).  There were issues of runners not receiving medals and loot bags– it’s just wrong.
• Post-race wasn’t exciting and the staging area is so small.  Nothing much happening as well.

Assessing my performance, it was acceptable and I gave it my all.  But I still find running long

distance race redundant and boring.  Although this is only the 2^nd long distance race I ran, I’m hoping that I can get over this on the next one this November 24 for the Sante Barley Domination run.  I'm going to break the 2:10 HM here.  See you there!

Running with the Virrata

NEW SHOES ALERT!

For the longest time I have been trying to find it – and so I did.  I finally got the Saucony Virrata shoes!  So long, Minimus (I won't be running in your run this year as well but its because registration's a hassle!)

This was an early birthday present for me, thanks to the wife.  It is timely though, as my next run would be on November 24 for the Sante Barley Domination run.  And if I would buy it on my birthday, might not have enough time to get used to it.

 

I’m fixed on getting the Virrata, but there was one thing that kept me thinking for at least 5 minutes – whether to get the black or the green one.  I knew myself that I want the green one, as it fits my running in the early, darker mornings.  Its highly visible with the neon color.  But thinking about the terrain that I’m running in most of the time it’s a bit wet and dusty, so having a light-colored shoe will require frequent cleaning (I do wash my shoes but not that frequent, and the make of the shoe might not handle frequent washing that well).

So I got the black one.  Yes I wished it could’ve been much noticeable on low-light runs.  The reflectors don’t seem to be enough (then again it might just not reflect too much on me wearing it).  So I bought this red blinking hazard light and installed it to my belt.  Problem solved!

Running in it was a big difference with the Minimus.  Having ran at least 1 speed and 1 long-run (update – upon posting this I already made at least 5 runs), no blisters or hotspots.  Feet were not as sore as with the other shoe.  I’m happy with the cushioned ride.  I have been getting quite faster results with the shoe.  It seems that with the Minimus, I tend to take it a bit easier.  Anyway, I really can’t assess the difference (it could be the shoe or it could be the new found excitement I found with it), but I’ve done a pretty good set of runs with the Virrata, that’s for sure.