Ok. So far I've logged in about 70+ kms in this baby and so far the feeling is great. For stability shoes I'd say this one is particularly light. During my first 10km test run, i felt no pain at all from the knees that had been bugging me for some time. So i suppose the support thing has been really working for me. The fit is quite snug so you don't have to worry about you foot jerking up and about causing your foot horrible blisters.
tallying my runabouts:
1st run 10km - no major pain, no blisters, ran with ease
2nd run 8kms - easy run, no major pain - shoe was very comfortable
3rd run 10kms - had a tiny blister on my right foot (im guessing from the socks), hard run due to sniffles
4th run 13kms - easy run, a bit fatigued after, blister in right foot resurfaced but easily subsided
5th run 10kms - hard run due to lack of sleep
6th run 16kms - right knee hurts a little after the 14th km mark, upper thighs feels sore after the run
7th run 8kms - hard run, knee still hurts a bit, had trouble breathing due to lack of sleep
8th run ??? - today we'll see how it goes.
Next Sunday I'm off to the half marathon. (wish me luck!) So far so good with this shoes, though I'm kinda scared since my knees started hurting after the 16km run (it doesn't hurt now, but we'll see later). Hope it doesn't happen on the race day. I might buy some knee band later just to be sure :)
My New Running Shoes - Brooks Ravenna
Its been a while since my last entry. Things had been crazy at work. Good thing though is that i had been back on my training routines, now more focus than ever. Sadly my Nike Racers wasnt able to take the wear and tear that I have been giving her and decided to bail out on me. My last run with it was in the VeteRUN race - the impact i was getting in my knees from the repeated shock of the ground was unbearable that i had to stop before I get any major injuries. After examining the shoes, i found tear on both of them so this i guess is its way of saying I've had enough.
Now I know this is unthinkable, much to close to the Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon, but i did bought a new pair of shoes that I will most prolly use in the race date. My worry is.. would there be enough time to break in to this new shoes.
The same day, Pao and I went to Runnr to buy me a new pair. After having done the gait test we proceed to choose my new running shoes. Pao wanted me to try Brooks but I of course being a Nike girl insisted on the oh so handsome Nike Eclipse. I decided to listen to him anyway and I tried the Brooks Ravenna, surprisingly the knees that were hurting so bad just earlier that day didnt bother me at all. Second, I put on the Nike Eclipse and then tried running on the thread mill to test the shoes but my knees were far too achy to run properly so i had to put that one aside. After that I tried the Zoot - I forgot the model but it was blue (hehe) and tried running with it as well. With the Zoot, the knees doesn't hurt as much but there was this pinching feeling in my arches that i kept telling the sales person assisting me, "kuya may tumutusok ata sa feet ko.." I was also suppose to try the Newtons like the pink ones BullRunner have but they were only in size 6 and I am size 8 1/2 so i passed. Lastly I asked the sales guy to let me try the Ravenna once more, I thought maybe it was because I was just off from rest thats why the knees doesnt seem to hurt. I gave it another go and boy was it consistent! No hurting feeling. Clearly I've made my choice. I bought the Brooks Ravenna. Hopefully this would help fix my heel striking habit as well. :)
THE BROOKS RAVENNA
Im not a fan of the Sun Orange - but the feeling was amazing and it was the only available color
Along with that I also bought a new CWX compression tights and some senzu beans (sports beans)
Christmas came early for me. :)
Pikermi Wall
I started training for the SG Pikermi somewhere around June and even though my training had been derailed more that a couple of times due to flu, travel, etc, I somehow still managed to struggle through it. Now however that im nearing the last part of my training program, i feel like i've hit the wall... I normally run in the gym due to the restrictions of our working hours but lately going to the gym is becoming a chore. Running is still fun. Everytime im on the threadmill or im on the road, i still fell like im on fire and i could run forever but the actual travel to the gym or running spot is killing me. I dislike it so much to the point that i sometimes would rather miss the workout than wake up, take a shower, dress up and drive for 2 hours to the gym. Oh bummer, 2 hours to and fro, thats 4 hours of my life a day that i could have done something else... like maybe sleep.
I havent trained for 3 days mostly because i havent been getting much sleep lately. Partly because i feel so lazy and tired.
Ohhh inspiration please come to me... :(
===============================================
On a much lighter note:
I've just reserved a spot on Jamie's TBR Dream Marathon Run - This will be on March 20, 2011. (Yey! just after my birthday!) Hopefully the training they would do woul lift up my mood and help me break the wall. Let's hope they pick me to join the chosen few hehehe..
c'est la vie!
I havent trained for 3 days mostly because i havent been getting much sleep lately. Partly because i feel so lazy and tired.
Ohhh inspiration please come to me... :(
===============================================
On a much lighter note:
I've just reserved a spot on Jamie's TBR Dream Marathon Run - This will be on March 20, 2011. (Yey! just after my birthday!) Hopefully the training they would do woul lift up my mood and help me break the wall. Let's hope they pick me to join the chosen few hehehe..
c'est la vie!
Takbo.ph Anniversary Run
Takbo.ph Anniversary Run - The Fort Taguig (5km/10km)
This race was held in celebration of takbo.ph 2nd anniversary and it proved to be another good run for my hunny and I.
We reached the fort an hour early before the race and we were greeted by a cold weather with a little hint that it was about to rain. A small group of runners gather which was always an omen of good vibes for me. (I generally don't like races that are too crowded). The event was inaugurated by the sound of the national anthem sung by the running diva followed by words from Jinoe (the takbo.ph owner) and a warm up session courtesy of Noelle de Guzman aka KikayRunner.
Before we know it gun start was fired for the 10km and the runners were off. We were right behind them like gerbils eager to fit into the small gate and get our bibs marked. It was a 10 min wait before the gun start and because it was a small crowd we didn't even bothered to squeeze our way into the front of the pack. We were right smack at the middle and from there i could very well see the beginning and the end of the piling crowd.
and then we were off... I started the race at a slow pace around 8min/km to allow my body to properly warm up. After all I wasn't really looking for a PR. I was just there to enjoy the race and show off my spanking new customized singlet (which everyone has!!! haha) So i continued the pace for about 5 mins or so before a picked up a bit to 7min/km.
I stopped at every water stations to have a small zip of water. My throat had been hurting due to colds and sore throat so i had to dampen my mouth with water whenever I could. Afterward I'll continue with the run.
I started picking up the pace to 6ish min/km after the 3 km marker. At the 4km marker I saw coach rio followed by a van. Shortly after that, I saw Patrick Conception.
There were no drama. No "Maalala-Mo-Kaya" Like finish. It was particularly hard to to weave through the packets of people walking after the 4km mark so i was not able to sustain a constant speed. Regardless, i think i was still able to finish strong and I reached the finish line just a few sec over 36 mins.
This was a very good race for me. It was very relaxed and enjoyable and as a bonus we also did have a picture taken with coach rio. He was so gracious to do the "superposition" with us. (too bad i wasn't there when they had a picture with running shield Patrick Conception)
Again I would like to say, Congratulations to takbo.ph for a successful event and of course... Happy Anniversary! :)
Pics taken during the event
Coah Rio doing the super position
The Gang
PAOZIE
This race was held in celebration of takbo.ph 2nd anniversary and it proved to be another good run for my hunny and I.
We reached the fort an hour early before the race and we were greeted by a cold weather with a little hint that it was about to rain. A small group of runners gather which was always an omen of good vibes for me. (I generally don't like races that are too crowded). The event was inaugurated by the sound of the national anthem sung by the running diva followed by words from Jinoe (the takbo.ph owner) and a warm up session courtesy of Noelle de Guzman aka KikayRunner.
Before we know it gun start was fired for the 10km and the runners were off. We were right behind them like gerbils eager to fit into the small gate and get our bibs marked. It was a 10 min wait before the gun start and because it was a small crowd we didn't even bothered to squeeze our way into the front of the pack. We were right smack at the middle and from there i could very well see the beginning and the end of the piling crowd.
and then we were off... I started the race at a slow pace around 8min/km to allow my body to properly warm up. After all I wasn't really looking for a PR. I was just there to enjoy the race and show off my spanking new customized singlet (which everyone has!!! haha) So i continued the pace for about 5 mins or so before a picked up a bit to 7min/km.
I stopped at every water stations to have a small zip of water. My throat had been hurting due to colds and sore throat so i had to dampen my mouth with water whenever I could. Afterward I'll continue with the run.
I started picking up the pace to 6ish min/km after the 3 km marker. At the 4km marker I saw coach rio followed by a van. Shortly after that, I saw Patrick Conception.
There were no drama. No "Maalala-Mo-Kaya" Like finish. It was particularly hard to to weave through the packets of people walking after the 4km mark so i was not able to sustain a constant speed. Regardless, i think i was still able to finish strong and I reached the finish line just a few sec over 36 mins.
This was a very good race for me. It was very relaxed and enjoyable and as a bonus we also did have a picture taken with coach rio. He was so gracious to do the "superposition" with us. (too bad i wasn't there when they had a picture with running shield Patrick Conception)
Again I would like to say, Congratulations to takbo.ph for a successful event and of course... Happy Anniversary! :)
Pics taken during the event
Coah Rio doing the super position
The Gang
PAOZIE
Timex Ironman Triathlon Sleek 150
"Whether pushing yourself towards a qualifying time or a new personal best, the new Timex® Ironman® Sleek™ 150-Lap watch allows you to access information without breaking stride, giving you the edge when every second counts.Buy the Timex Ironman Triathlon Sleek 150 Lap TapScreen watches in full and mid sizes:" - Triathlon Magazine.eu
I got this watch couple of months back as a gift from Pao. He had it ordered from amazon since the watch wasn't available locally during those time. It took some time before I could write the review but non the less here it is.
The Sleek 150 comes in a few different colors and styles. My watch is a mid sized violet which appeared to be pink in the catalogs. I found it comfortable to wear as my daily-wear watch and not just as a sports watch. I like the large number display and the Indiglo night light feature.
The watch set up is fairly easy but given the number of features, you might want to read the pocket sized manual first. be sure to keep it handy so you could look at your cheat sheet from time to time.
The touch sensitivity is adjustable so you could specify the amount of force needed to activate the functionality. This eliminates the chance of accidentally ending a lap especially in swimming when your hands are hitting hard into the water.
I've tried using the tap screen feature during my swimming laps and it proved to be much useful in swimming than in running. The fact that you just have to tap and not look at the buttons is so much useful when you are hurrying to catch that PR. Of course nothing still compares to our good old GPS watches but this one is pretty nifty itself.
The target time pacer can help you stay on target when you are training for a consistent speed. You set your desired time per lap, mile/km. Then when you tap the watch at the end of that lap or mile, it will give you a slow beep signal if you are going too slow, a single beep if you are on target, and a quick beep signal if you are going too fast.
The watch also has customizable alerts for when you should drink or snack on longer workouts. You can turn these signals on and adjust the time between signals. This is an excellent feature for those who forget to drink or who don't trust their thirst signal.
Timex Ironman Triathlon Sleek 150 Lap Tap Screen Product Specifications:
To sum it up the watch is pretty cool. Timex Ironman Triathlon Sleek 150 with Tap Screen Technology is as fancy as the name implies. Its casual enough to wear everyday and sporty enough to cater to your basic triathlon needs.
I got this watch couple of months back as a gift from Pao. He had it ordered from amazon since the watch wasn't available locally during those time. It took some time before I could write the review but non the less here it is.
The Sleek 150 comes in a few different colors and styles. My watch is a mid sized violet which appeared to be pink in the catalogs. I found it comfortable to wear as my daily-wear watch and not just as a sports watch. I like the large number display and the Indiglo night light feature.
The watch set up is fairly easy but given the number of features, you might want to read the pocket sized manual first. be sure to keep it handy so you could look at your cheat sheet from time to time.
The touch sensitivity is adjustable so you could specify the amount of force needed to activate the functionality. This eliminates the chance of accidentally ending a lap especially in swimming when your hands are hitting hard into the water.
I've tried using the tap screen feature during my swimming laps and it proved to be much useful in swimming than in running. The fact that you just have to tap and not look at the buttons is so much useful when you are hurrying to catch that PR. Of course nothing still compares to our good old GPS watches but this one is pretty nifty itself.
The target time pacer can help you stay on target when you are training for a consistent speed. You set your desired time per lap, mile/km. Then when you tap the watch at the end of that lap or mile, it will give you a slow beep signal if you are going too slow, a single beep if you are on target, and a quick beep signal if you are going too fast.
The watch also has customizable alerts for when you should drink or snack on longer workouts. You can turn these signals on and adjust the time between signals. This is an excellent feature for those who forget to drink or who don't trust their thirst signal.
Timex Ironman Triathlon Sleek 150 Lap Tap Screen Product Specifications:
- TAP SCREEN TECHNOLOGY Focus on performance, not buttons. Just a simple TAP to operate the CHRONO (start/laps) and TIMERS (start/stop).
- 150 lap memory recall Chronograph up to 199 hours
- TARGET TIME PACER A built-in audible tracker beeps when laps are taken to advise if real pace was SLOW, FAST or ON PACE from your TARGET LAP time.
- DATED TRAINING LOG with best lap, average lap, and total segment time. If the Target time pacer is ON there will be delta time feedback of SLOW, FAST or ON PACE information per lap.
- LAP MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Important times can be LOCKED into memory with a new management system. All workouts are saved and oldest training will be automatic deleted.
- HYDRATION A LARMS With time as your most fierce competitor, it’s easy to loose track of your vital needs. Fuelling Alert timers remind you to re-fuel at regular intervals.
- LABELED INTERVAL TIMERS Complex routines become automatic and effortless with 3 workout sessions withup-to 16 intervals each. Each Interval can be labeled according to pace intensity (I#, WARM, SLOW, MED, FAST and COOL )
- SOUND LEVEL Loudest alarm in an IM watch– increased the level of chimes and alarms by 5 Decibels
- ERGONOMIC SLEEK DESIGN complements the technical innovation and provides increased comfort with the open vents on the strap to minimize skin contact and increase breathability.
- ENHANCED READABILITY Oversized curved face improves readability at a quick glance
- 3 alarms settable for daily/weekday/weekend/weekly with 5 minute back-up alarm
- 2 time zones for travel conveniences
- INDIGLO night-light with NIGHT-MODE
- Water Resistant to 100m
To sum it up the watch is pretty cool. Timex Ironman Triathlon Sleek 150 with Tap Screen Technology is as fancy as the name implies. Its casual enough to wear everyday and sporty enough to cater to your basic triathlon needs.
Pros
- Tap screen for ease of recording of laps.
- Full-featured Ironman sports watch
- Well suited for distance training, marathon and half marathon pacing.
Cons
- Doesn't upload data to your computer
Description
- 150-lap memory and training log
- Tap the screen to record a lap.
- Nine interval timers
- Chronograph
- Target pace timer with audible alerts for slow, fast, and on pace.
- Drink and snack timers.
Getting Ready For My FIRST Half Mary
Having a goal in mind has always been the best motivation, hence to improve my running I made it a goal to run my first half marathon by the end of the year. I thought that this would be a nice way to celebrate my running anniversary, and with that in mind, I registered in the upcoming Standard Chartered Marathon in Singapore. :)
Training of course is essential to every endeavor - and I'd like to show you guys my new training plan.
I made this plan through miCoach ♥
This is a 17-week long training program built to prepare me for the half marathon. This training plan is composed of 4 parts - long run, steady run, speed training and active recovery. Each of them with intervals to allow adequate rest and recovery.
LONG RUN - my long runs are scheduled every Sunday. I scheduled it such so that I could have the luxury of going out of town come time that I need to search for places to do my mileage run. As you can see, my training program starts at an easy 45 min run, incrementing 5 mins every week till it reaches about 2 hours something or so. It is composed of a 5 min warm up and a 5 min cool down - the remaining time of which is a straight green zone run. I try to strictly adhere to my training schedule, fighting the urges to run faster than I should or walk when my legs are hurting.
STEADY RUN - these runs are scheduled every tues. Its a constant 30 min program from the beginning of the plan to the end. It is composed of a 5 min warm up 20 min run and 5 min cooldown.
SPEED TRAINING - done every thurs, so that I'd have enough time to rest since I'm working from home.
This is where I am allowed to pump up my zoom! It is designed to change pace at certain intervals to train my heart to adapt with the changing stress. As of the moment i run 4min/km to reach the yellow zone. Maybe in time that could be faster. :)
ACTIVE RECOVERY - active recovery is the most important of all. Its a 30 min low effort run or fast walk program. This workout is designed to let my body heal while running and prepare me for the Sunday Long Runs. This is scheduled every Saturday. :)
So there you have it - My Half Mary training plan. I also do a lot of strength workouts in between runs. I try to keep it a balanced workout for both the upper and lower body. I alternate my workout to cater every muscle in my body. I especially am very strict with my core and ab workout. :)
In addition, I also use a lot of petroleum jelly during my long runs - the tale of kikay runner's 35km run gave me a scare. and i quote:
"I’ve been using BodyGlide as an anti-chafing balm ever since I experienced painful friction burns under my arms after Condura. However, it seems BodyGlide doesn’t work for me over distances longer than 21 kilometers. During my 35-kilometer run, I got a small burn on my chest area, and blood started oozing out into my shirt (!!!). I’m going to bathe in tubs of petroleum jelly on race day."
- kikay runner
I know I'm not running 35km, but just to be safe, I'm gonna bathe in petroleum jelly as well. lol
I guess that's it for now... ciao!!! :)
Training of course is essential to every endeavor - and I'd like to show you guys my new training plan.
I made this plan through miCoach ♥
This is a 17-week long training program built to prepare me for the half marathon. This training plan is composed of 4 parts - long run, steady run, speed training and active recovery. Each of them with intervals to allow adequate rest and recovery.
LONG RUN - my long runs are scheduled every Sunday. I scheduled it such so that I could have the luxury of going out of town come time that I need to search for places to do my mileage run. As you can see, my training program starts at an easy 45 min run, incrementing 5 mins every week till it reaches about 2 hours something or so. It is composed of a 5 min warm up and a 5 min cool down - the remaining time of which is a straight green zone run. I try to strictly adhere to my training schedule, fighting the urges to run faster than I should or walk when my legs are hurting.
STEADY RUN - these runs are scheduled every tues. Its a constant 30 min program from the beginning of the plan to the end. It is composed of a 5 min warm up 20 min run and 5 min cooldown.
SPEED TRAINING - done every thurs, so that I'd have enough time to rest since I'm working from home.
This is where I am allowed to pump up my zoom! It is designed to change pace at certain intervals to train my heart to adapt with the changing stress. As of the moment i run 4min/km to reach the yellow zone. Maybe in time that could be faster. :)
ACTIVE RECOVERY - active recovery is the most important of all. Its a 30 min low effort run or fast walk program. This workout is designed to let my body heal while running and prepare me for the Sunday Long Runs. This is scheduled every Saturday. :)
So there you have it - My Half Mary training plan. I also do a lot of strength workouts in between runs. I try to keep it a balanced workout for both the upper and lower body. I alternate my workout to cater every muscle in my body. I especially am very strict with my core and ab workout. :)
In addition, I also use a lot of petroleum jelly during my long runs - the tale of kikay runner's 35km run gave me a scare. and i quote:
"I’ve been using BodyGlide as an anti-chafing balm ever since I experienced painful friction burns under my arms after Condura. However, it seems BodyGlide doesn’t work for me over distances longer than 21 kilometers. During my 35-kilometer run, I got a small burn on my chest area, and blood started oozing out into my shirt (!!!). I’m going to bathe in tubs of petroleum jelly on race day."
- kikay runner
I know I'm not running 35km, but just to be safe, I'm gonna bathe in petroleum jelly as well. lol
I guess that's it for now... ciao!!! :)
Up the Hills and Over the Mountains
I wish I am telling the story of how I've overcomed the hike for Mt. APO or the trail of Mt something something, instead I will be sharing the story of my comeback run in AMG Fun Run 2 @ McKinley hills better known to me now as "Bulubundukin ng McKinley".
AMG Fun Run was organized by my office peers in HP. It was a charity fund raising event (as most running events are) for the benefit of PGH patients. My friend Tin was kind enough to pledge the donation for my run and since this was my first run after being rested for some time, I only registered for the 6km category. :)
I feared that it would rain on the race day, It was already raining when we left home, however considering that Mckinley is more than 21km away from my home it was expected that it wasn't raining there yet.
We arrived at the venue a couple of minutes late but since this is a non profit race it is expected of course that we would start late so I was just in time for the stretching.
The bang for the 9km category started a few moments later, followed by the 6km and then the 3km. I, belonging to the 6km mark was with a handful of eager-to-run HP folks. The signal was given and we dashed off... Much to my surprise I was in the front group leading the pack of the 6km runners along with 4 guys i don't know. The first stretch was a steep descend which was immediately followed by a steep climb. :P After about 2km of up and down my knees started hurting and I started walking. My breath was thin and my vision blurred as i walked in a very slow pace up the hills of McKinley. Everyone was passing me now and from the lead I was bumped into the middle of the pack.
I tried to run but after about 2 mins my chest started hurting - I muscled all my energy to run as I threw careless curses into the wind - blaming the hills for my hurting knee. 3KM passed. At some point during the course of the run Loogz caught up with me and we started walking together. I was panting hard having that feeling that I was about to faint - he said he had the same so we decided to just walk the remainder of the race route. The steep climb was harsh even when we were walking, perhaps it was the lack of practice or the cold legs - I just couldn't run anymore. I walked, I walked very slow until we got close to the 5km mark. At this point it already started raining - and presto! I now have a reason to stop running. :P
To sum it up i wasn't able to finish the race - I was too tired too soon. The run was again as excruciating as my first and i suppose the fact that we were running in such high inclination didn't help one bit. :(
Now I'm Back. I'm back to my training plans and Im hoping that the next run takbo.ph anniv run would be better. hopefully a sub 40 or sub 35 :)
here are some pics from the race.
almost flying
sooo tired (yes i've gotten a lot darker from the swimming lessons T_T)
gunstart
lap marker
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