This morning, I ran 20k in the rain, by now I guess you know how refreshing that feels . Anyway, it has been a two week rest after QCIM –it seems that I have almost recovered from my injuries – this means that I could start increasing my mileage again, (finally)
QCIM
Let's get ready to rumble ....
This is the third edition of the Quezon City International Marathon – I am happy to be a participant in all three events. I think this is the first time when it actually rained on this race. I had doubts at first if I can complete this edition since my left foot is still swollen from the trail run (CM50) which I joined the week before – imagine running the entire 42k with swollen feet. Finished this one in 5:27 – I had to since we were pacing for 5:30
This is the first edition of this trail race ( I joined the shorter 60km edition) , and boy was I glad to have joined it! If you would ask me, there are two races here that you should include in your bucket list : Bataan Death March and this one (in no particular order). I would describe this one as “masarap na masakit”. This is the first time that I injured my hamstring, finished with swollen feet and got lost many times. I reached the finish line way after cut-off. This is also the first time that I have experienced eating gourmet pasta in the middle of the race – ha! Ang sarrrrap! In a nutshell, the best local trail race that I have joined.
I like green.
.. and it never ends
Pristine
More happy thoughts for the return trip.
ASICS
Have you ever had a pair of shoes that you loved so much that you decided to buy another pair of it ?
Have you ever wished that your running shorts had more storage ? Well, maybe raceready shorts are for you . I have tested my pair this morning and it is perfect.
This morning was the 2011 edition of the Adidias King of the Road and I realized that about 2 hours ago. I remember when the registration fee for this 21k event was still reasonable…
For my 30k run this morning, I spent 20 bucks for a 300 ML bottle of Pocari Sweat and 15 bucks for a 500 ML bottle of water.
About three weeks ago, I participated in the CAMSUR Marathon. I have yet to see the results – no PR for this one, just one of the LSDs you need to gain mileage.
The thing is – a lot of runners who participated in last year’s edition said that last year was better. Personally – i wish that they have lighted some of the roads like what they did with Milo. Luckily, i brought with me my other cel which comes with a LED flashlight. No hydration issues on this race.
Work is hectic (as always) – not much on the weekday runs. Yep, I have gained weight (again). I hope to loose it over the next few weeks when I return to my usual mileage. Last Saturday i did 15K, 32k on Sunday and 19k last Thursday. I wasn’t able to run this morning due to the weather – hopefully i’d be able to do a long run tomorrow.
The calm before ...
The damage brought about by the typhoon was tremendous. I have other pictures of it but it is the same ones you see in the news. This one (for me) stood out.
It stood out because it blocked my path, hehehe
Lock Lace
I have always been a lock lace fan. However, due to financial reasons, i was forced to pursue other alternatives : my friend Isko provided me with a high quality shock cord – all that I needed to do was to find a stopper.
The 4 day weekend was contaminated. It was laced with laziness – so no long weekend runs for me, It was just carbo-loading all the way. I was lucky enough tho, to squeeze in a 7 km run last Sunday and a 26km run last Tuesday. This morning i ran around 23km and yes – still lazy; i started my run at 7 am and finished at around 10 am.
Let the pictures speak for the laziness at hand ….
Damage brought about by the storm
Endless bludgeoning ... now the same culprit lay still, timeless and bound
I covered the entire 31km this morning without any sleep due to work. Running with protective eyewear helped a lot – less glare for my tired eyes.
Scorched Earth
Last Sunday, I started late (read:7am) and the sun was already at its mightiest. If you would still like to do your long run at this time, I suggest that you run in loops. Just make sure that there is a public restroom with running water which you can pour on your body to decrease your body temprature and a convinience store for hydration fluids and food in the loop which you choose.
Last week, I joined the Milo Marathon and finished it in 5 hours 14 minutes. Milo Marathon is one of “the” running events in the country. Being able to join it this year is a first for me, since this is my 1st official Milo Marathon. For the past 2 years, i only joined the half-mary event due to injuries.
Although the route is the same as the previous years, this year was a bit different since the starting / finish line was moved from the Quirino Grandstand to the Mall of Asia and the routes for the shorter distances (3/5/10k) were changed - i think this was to prevent the fun runners from consuming all the hydration fluids near the finish line.
This proved to be effective since this is the first time I experienced still being able to hydrate near the finish line. Kudos to Milo and Runrio!
Running in the rain
It is the rainy season again and almost all my running shoes are wet. Drying them is a pain. So here is a little tip to make it a bit easier:
Remove the insole of your shoes
Wash your shoes
Let it drip for a while
Put paper in your shoes (an entire page of your broadsheet would do)
Replace the paper whenever necessary
The logic behind it is to let the paper absorb the water from your shoes. When I do it, it usually takes a day before my shoes dry up.
Oh by the way, i heard that body glide isn’t as effective in the rain. Is this true ? It’s a good thing that i have always used petroleum jelly.
Asics Gel Kayano 15
The thing about new running shoes is that after a month, it isn’t so new anymore.
Rainy Thoughts
Running in the rain is nostalgic. This is the only time when you can find solace during your running workouts.
The only other people you see around are of the same mindset as you – no noisy joggers , no noisy walkers, no unecessary frills.
It is like each drop of rain restores the strength you had just lost, the sea breeze likened to a towel that wipes away the pain.
In my attempt to be consistent with my training schedule, I ran 10k this morning. I had my annual flu shot yesterday and according to the doctor, it should be ok to run today. So here is the result of my run:
Unlike yesterday, it is warm today (or is it just me ?) because when I reached the 3Km mark, I thought that I went for a swim instead of a run due to the amount of sweat flowing from my apparel.
PCP Run
2 Sundays ago, I joined the PCP 10k run because of the discount we got from a corporate sponsor. I was feeling a bit under the weather before the race started so what I thought would be an effort-less run turned out to be the opposite.
Hmm .. what happened to my splits ?
After reaching the finish line, I went to my car and wondered how it is that I feel energized for no apparent reason – could it be the 10 minute walk to the parking area ? the free Gatorade at the finish line ?
Whatever the reason is, I decided not to waste my weekend and run an additional 10k towards the PICC area where another race has just concluded.
If I knew that I would be running after the race I would’ve kept my pace slower so as not to drain what little energy I had stored.
Training Aides
Zensah Compression Leg Sleeves – to avoid further injury
Instead of starting my run at 4:30 this morning, I waited for the rain to stop – but then, it didn’t . So, at around 4:50 I decided to give it a go. It’s a good thing that I decided to push on, since the rain didn’t stop until 7:30 am.
Running in the rain can be an enjoyable experience – it is way better than running under a humid environment.
A lot of things have been said on the dos and don’ts when running in the rain, so please humor me and allow me to add my 2 cents :
Just because you are running in the rain doesn’t mean that your body temperature won’t rise – so it is very important to keep yourself hydrated. I won’t get in to the details as to how much fluids you need to ingest : when you’re thirsty, you are already dehydrated.
Sometimes a drizzle can add to the humidity, making your body temperature rise faster.
I wouldn’t recommend using a rain coat when running in the rain; hell, I wouldn’t even recommend wearing a raincoat when running under the heat of the sun. Wait, wouldn’t that make it a “sun” coat ? – I have seen a lot of runners doing this lately: I don’t know if there is a scientific reason for this but I’m sure that people who do this are at a higher risk of suffering from heat stroke.
Wear technical clothes – need I explain ? Imagine running under the rain wearing a cotton shirt : I’m sure it will weigh twice as heavy.
This is the most important tip : If you have more than a pair of running shoes, use the pair which is due for cleaning
With three more PT sessions left, I decided that it is about time that I started training again, even if it involves running short distances only.
This morning, I was able to do a 5k walk and a 6k run. Instead of running in the MOA complex due to the volume of the participants in today’s GMA Kapuso Fun Run, I ran towards the PICC area and then went home.
Runners (or walkers ?) on their way to the Mall of Asia Compound
More participants along Macapagal Avenue
When I reached home, I felt really good – I haven’t felt like this in weeks
Oh by the way, the lock laces are really good – you can wear and remove your shoes quickly.
. Anyway, it has been a two week rest after QCIM –it seems that I have almost recovered from my injuries – this means that I could start increasing my mileage again, (finally)
