3rd Place in the McHappy Day fun run 2011

Didn't expect to win really. My brother just decided to sign me up for this race since he wanted to join as well. We both signed up for 5K. I convinced him to start running a few months back since he'd gained weight from eating a lot of hotel food and whatnot while he was still employed at Resorts World Manila.

I think all that bone-breaking, breath-stealing muay thai training paid off. To say that the McKinley Hill race course is rolling would be an understatement. It was a killer. Just a few more degrees and we'd be climbing a perpendicular wall. Okay maybe I'm exaggerating, but yeah it was pretty tough. But I think I handled it pretty well. I didn't see those stars you see when you're almost out of oxygen. Usually happens to me in a race, but this time it didn't. I loved the weather, cool not cold. The air felt a crisp and slightly dewy. I warmed up alone along Campus Drive, where it was quiet. I studied Enderun College and its castle like structure. I was in a dreamy state (slightly because of the fact that my excited brother woke me up at 3:30am when I'd set my alarm for 5am pa) O_O

Anyway fast-forward to the race. It was organized really well. Route was blocked properly for the safety of the runners. Clear signages. Ample drinking stations (not that you need many of those for the distance I joined). Luckily, both my brother and I made it through. He was boasting about how he didn't even get tired and didn't need to walk throughout the race. Looks like those daily runs worked.

Oh, and I even went home with a 3rd place medal. Not bad, eh?

My Medal...a big shoe, hmmm

Lots of freebies. Gotta love em!

I wish they'd post the photos already so I can post them here as well. :)

Muay Thai-ing

I took up Muay Thai as my PE for a semester while I was in college. Back then I found it intriguing. I really wanted to learn more, but I didn't know where and how. Back then, I had just quit the track team due to financial constraints and didn't want to try out another sport until I was more stable. I mean, what was the use of starting something I couldn't pursue? Luckily, now that I have a relatively stable job and my own income, I now have to opportunity to enroll and learn Muay Thai.

I did some research and found out that it's an ancient martial art, the "Art of Eight Limbs". It was meant to train soldiers to use their feet, knees, elbows and fists (and head) as weapons in the event that they were caught unarmed during a battle or encounter. I'm really excited.

It's just been 4 sessions at this place called Balboa Gym, but I'm thinking this is something I can and should pursue. Being a runner, I guess I've built up a good base of stamina and leg strength. I still remember the basics I learned back then during PE class and have been able to apply them so far. What's giving me trouble are the combinations though hehe. But I do believe this will do wonders for my, erm, semi-existent hand-eye coordination. I'm still surprised at how I was able to play badminton for so many years given that I get confused easily with movements involving rhythm. Will see how it goes, got myself a pair of boxing gloves today as I didn't want to borrow those random gym gloves anymore (they kinda smelled funny). :D

RUNRIO Trilogy Leg 2: RUN UNITED 2

This was really an unplanned race. Lately, I'd been sleeping late and missing lots of training days to catch up on sleep. But I signed up for the 10K distance anyway. I was thinking I could walk if I couldn't take it anymore. I could take it easy. Didn't have to be in competitive mode. Although knowing how I am, I kind of foresaw that I would still go all out.

And I did (kinda) go all out this morning. Or at least I tried. I didn't feel like I was in tip top form, but the energy of the 4,000 other 10K races gathered at the starting line seeped into me. I got psyched up by default. The gun start for 10K had to be cut up in three waves due to the overwhelming number of runners who joined. Start was slow. We just marched along until we reached the big Start arc. Had to do a lot of weaving left and right to avoid bumping into someone. I was so thirsty just five minutes after crossing the starting line due to the heat of being in the crowd earlier.

My watch acted weird so I have no idea what my finish time is. I think I pressed some wrong buttons, sheesh. I may have crossed the finish line at around 57 mins. (Asa!!!). Bonifacio High Street really has a way of making you hate its numerous uphill climbs. I bonked 1K away from the finish line, but I didn't walk. I was too near the end to stop.

After the race, I didn't stay behind anymore to check out all the sponsor booths because I knew there'd be really long lines, given that a total of 16,000 runners joined. I just got the basic Unilab goody bag and a copy of Women's Health mag. Official results aren't out yet. Let's see how RunRio's new reusable time chip fares.

Look at all those goodies! I got 1 Unilab water bottle, 1 Women's Health mag, 1 The Bull Runner mag, 1 box Athena milk, 1 Viva water, 1 Powerade (not there drank it up already), 1 Tuna Meatloaf, 1 Allerta tablet, 1 Allerta syrup, 1 Medicol, 1 Alaxan FR, 1 pH Care, 1 box CarbTrim, 1 box, Enervon Prime, Equal samples, 1 Kaspersky visor, Chubby the Bear isn't a freebie I just thought it'll look cute in the pic :)

Takbo.ph Runfest 2011 on July 24

Planning to join this race after a month-long lay off. Prices for fun runs sure have spiked in the last 5 years. Php 550 for 5K? If I didn't love this sport so much I'd just forget about it (from takbo.ph):

Reg Fee	Inclusion
5K = Php 550	Finishers' Medal, Singlet, RFID timing tag, personalized race bib (for early registrants)
10K = Php 550	Finishers' Medal, Singlet, RFID timing tag, personalized race bib (for early registrants)
16K = Php 650	Finishers' Medal, Singlet, RFID timing tag, personalized race bib (for early registrants)

Early reg is over. Still waiting for regular registration to start. I contacted the email add they provided and received this reply:

Hi Anne,

Thank you for your interest to join the Takbo.ph Runfest.
The regular registration will resume next week. We are targeting to start wednesday [July 13, 2011] next week once the materials arrive to us.
We are still waiting for the singlets to be complete before we start the regular registration.
About 500 slots will be open. If necessary, we will increase to another 500 slots.

See you at Runfest.

- Jinoe

Hopefully they update soon. :)

Cute Puppies....NOT!

I was doing my usual morning run, when from afar I saw a pair of cute puppies. They were so chubby and fluffy! Until they both started barking and growling at me. Before I knew it, my relaxed run became a scared sprint as the terrible two started chasing me across the street. I am never going to pass by that street again. Darned pups.

New Training Cycle for 2011 :)

The Natgeo Earth Day Run last Sunday was...how do I say this, really fun. I believe this must be one of the the biggest races I ever joined, with over 10,000 participants. I was awed by the sheer number of people. I didn't know how great the running community's been doing these past few days. Looks like the trend has really taken off! And well, lots of companies are able to make money out of this by charging us a hell lot more than they did five years ago, when I could register for a race and get a singlet for as low as Php200.

In any case, the run was for our planet, and I guess the Php900++ I paid for the 10K distance is nothing compared to what we've done to harm nature. I've never raced in Bonifacio High Street before, and it was the first time I experienced the "high" part of the street. The route had about four uphill climbs, with the last one being the longest. It was good I came prepared, as I'd integrated hill work in my just-finished training program. I didn't get my goal time of 57 mins. I clocked in at about 59+, which is still okay given that I was still had a cough. It was sort of embarrassing coughing while running, almost as if I might have an asthma attack at any moment. At about kilometer 8, I DID feel like I might have an attack (which hasn't happened to me in years), but I still finished strong. Too bad there were too many people heading for the finish line so I wasn't able to sprint my all. At the end of the race, I felt like I still had something to give.

I was so hungry after finishing! And there weren't many freebies save for the 1,000 pizza slices from Greenwich. I was bumped out of the line so I wasn't able to get a piece. Darn, I wish they'd gotten some food brands for sponsors! :S

Met my officemate, Des, at the race. She ran the 5K. And we took some pics while at the activity area:

Aww, how round naman my cheeks haha :b

Des and I (too bad I changed my shirt already, the singlet was pretty cool)

I'll be taking a break for the rest of April. I think I might have developed an overuse injury on my left foot. There's been this throbbing pain on my forefoot that comes back every time I run. I hope by May it's gone as I'll be starting a new program by then. I hope I can make 24 mins for my next 5K race, and 56 for the 10K!

Natgeo Run

This will be my last race for this training cycle. I joined the 10K distance for the NATGEO Earth Day Run on April 10, 2011. I've had colds and cough since last week, so I'm having doubts about how I'll do tomorrow. In any case, I'm excited. I've heard there will be lots of international participants. I bet I'll see lots of runners who'll further inspire me in the sport.

I've been musing these days about being "sporty." "Sporty" and "girly" doesn't seem to be a very usual combination in the Philippines. When I see these types of girls in magazines, they're featured as one-of-a-kind creatures, and maybe they are since for the longest time, girls and muscles don't really mix well, unless the muscles belong to a guy. I don't appreciate constantly being called "macho" because for me it's sexist. Can't a girl love her sport and have the body for it, without being called boyish? I don't even have half the muscles of a female Olympic athlete, and the people around me already find it unusual that I have such an athletic bod. It's getting really annoying, this preoccupation with BODY. I just try to block it out of my system, but in times when I'm in a rotten mood, I really won't let it pass. Some might say I should be proud of how I am. But who said I wasn't proud in the first place? I'm not the one who had a problem with being sporty, I don't get surprised I have a body like this. It's no joke what we go through to train almost everyday just to do well in our goal competition, so I'd appreciate it to stop with the "you're a guy" jokes already, because no, I AM A GIRL, accept it.

I so want to curse right now.

Running, Racing

Last year, I got it into my head to get back into running. Not that I left it behind somewhere along the way; it was just that I'd treated it more as a recreational activity than an avenue for competition. It's been years since my last big competition, and I was still with the team then. I've always done mid-distance sprints, but last year I thought "why don't a try a full 42K marathon?"

After graduating, I had loads of time for myself. When I wasn't writing, I didn't know what to do with the extra time I had, so I thought, what the heck? Why don't I try? I had a running buddy who was very much into the longer distances anyway, so I was pretty confident that I could do it (till I found out there are really what they call 'endurance monsters' out there).

I started by making a running program for myself. I was like a crazy chef, taking Googled ingredients from here and there. Got hold of the basics first: Intervals, Tempo runs, Easy runs, and of course, the dreaded Long run.

While I was working my way up to doing 3-hour long runs (that was around 4 months into my 5-month long program), I burned out. I was like, "I'm not made for long distance running." I don't know how my running buddy did Camsur in 5 hours, because I felt that it would be impossible for me to even finish that full 42K stretch. Because I didn't have the confidence to join the Quezon City International Marathon's 42K, I settled for half that distance, the 21K. Sadly, I trained for that event, only to be let down by my work, which kept me hanging about in Pasay until 2am for consecutive days prior to the race. I was in no condition to compete, so I just settled for the Grand Fiesta Run's 10K.

This year, I'm not sure if I'll just concentrate on the 5K and 10K distances, which are easier for me to stomach given my busy work sched and the fact that I'm still not used to long-distance running. I usually run really early in the morning. I'm putting my makeshift plan below (not that I always follow it, but at least I kinda have to stick to it since I made it). I excluded a month's worth of running since I already finished those to prepare for the Edsa Run this week.

All this is time-based since I don't have time to go to a track and measure the distances I run. I'll be crossing out/adjusting the workouts as I go along, depending on how I do, and my mood.
Got the races from takbo.ph.

Program
Week	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Feb 21: Rest	Tempo: 10-10-5	45 min easy	4min x 5	45 min easy	Rest	5K Race: Edsa Run
2	Feb 28: Rest ran 35 mins	Tempo: 15-10-10 Rest	55 min. general aerobic run	5min x 5	45 min easy	Rest	Long Run: 1 hr 45 min
3	Mar 7: Rest XT	45 min 35 min. easy	Tempo: 15-15-10 became 10-10-10, reduced rest to 3 mins per set instead of 5mins	3min hills x 7	45 min easy	Rest	Long Run: 2 hrs
4	Mar 14: Rest	Tempo: 15-15-15	45 min easy	6min x 4	30 min easy	"5K Race? Try Athena Run: March 19, 2011, Sat SM MOA Grounds (Register at Planet Sports, Trinoma)"	45 min easy
5	Feb 28: Rest	Tempo: 15-10-10	45 min easy	5min x 5	45 min easy	Rest	Long Run: 2 hrs 10 min
6	Mar 21: Rest	2min x 12	45 min easy	40 min. Fartlek	1 hr. easy	Rest	Tempo: 20-15-15
7	Mar 28: Rest	5 (hard)-5 (slower tempo)-10 (normal tempo)-5(slower)-5(hard)	30 min easy	4min x 5	30 min easy	Rest	"10K Race: April 3, AACE'S The G.O.O.D Run Bonifacio Global City (Register at Planet Sports, Trinoma)"

SiIliman Workshop Day 9

Time sure flies. Hopefully I haven't gained too much weight, what with all the chocolate cake and coffee and vodka/gin (The Bar) and pulutan... so much for my healthy lifestyle, which has now turned into a DISTANT memory. haha :D

Been doin' some running, though, despite the crazy terrain of this mountain. The paths are inclined at quite an unhealthy angle. I'm trying to maintain my running fitness, which I'd previously honed for a marathon, but with Dumaguete, I'm having too much fun karaoke-ing and eating to worry as much as I used to about my body!

Well, I guess it's somehow a relief. A change. It ain't good to be obsessed about anything. Including writing.

Today I picked out a few things that caught my eye. Funny, cuz it was a fly on a plate, an image that caught my mind's eye's attention during our morning critique session.

I noted down the first words/phrases that I can, probably, later turn into a poem or some interesting insight that can be good content for a story. As Mom Edith Tiempo said, "Content is content!"

Here are the words/phrases that first came to mind:

The fly, vultures swooping, circling, mound of rice, spoon on one side with a leftover grain, fork facing the spoon, plate with the ragged edges lined with silver, oil pooled in globules at the edge