Unang Maria

Ang Condura Run ay isa sa mga pinakaaabangang karera dito sa atin.  Naging matagumpay ang huling Condura Run noong 2009 dahil naranasan ng mga mananakbo ang tumakbo sa Skyway sa unang pagkakataon.  Para sa akin naman, matamis ang alaala ng Condura dahil dito ako naka-PR sa half marathon sa oras na 1:45:57 (salamat Jay Nacino, dahil siya talaga ang nagdala ng pace noong araw na iyon).  Ito ang dahilan kung kaya nagpalista agad ko noong nalaman ko na magbubukas sila ng 42K marathon sa Skyway

Sabi nila ang susi sa marathon ay nasa preparasyon.  Marahil nabasa niyo na ang ginawa kong preparasyon para dito.  Yung back-to-back 30K run noong Disyembre kaya sumakit ang tuhod ko.  Tapos huling hirit na 30K sa UP noong Enero.  Sa totoo lang, kinakabahan ako Condura Marathon dahil hindi ko alam kung sapat na ang paghahanda ko  Sabi rin ng iba kung first time marathon, wag magtakda ng oras; bagkus, gawing learning experience ang karera para sa susunod na marathon. Siyempre, dahil pasaway ako, di ko maiwasan magtakda ng ‘goal time’ para sa karerang ito:  sub-4.

Tama ang hula ni Monica, di ako nakatulog noong gabi ng Pebrero 6, kung kaya’t ang aga ko nakarating sa Fort.  2:30 pa lang andun na ako sa aking favorite parking slot sa tabi ng ROX.  Maraming tao na din sa Fort sa mga oras na iyon:  mga lasheng galing Embassy at mga organizers ng Condura.  Di nagtagal, dumating na rin mga lalahok sa marathon.  Napagusapan namin ni Norman mag-pace.  Base sa naging karanasan ko sa Rizal Day Run, kinaya naman noon ang 5:30 pace para sa 30K kaya napagkasunduan namin na subukan ang pace na ito para sa buong marathon.  (Wala ako masabi, mayayabang talaga kami eh)

Bongga ang simula ng marathon.  May maikling programa: mga umiindak sa tunog ng “I Gotta Feeling” at fireworks pa.  At pagpatak ng 4am, sinumulan ko ng tahakin ang landas ng Unang Maria ko.  Tulad ng inaasahan pag kasabay si Stormin Norman, mabilis ang pace namin sa simula.  Umabot pa ata ng 5:10 sa unang 2 kilometro dahil sinusundan namin si Fiona na may Garmin.  Pagkaliko namin sa Bayani Road,  biglang nagdilim na talaga ang paligid.  Nahirapan kami ni Norman hanapin ang tamang pace.  Yung tipong komportable na pang matagalan.  Hindi nakatulong na wala kaming masilayan na kilometer markers kaya talagang literal na nangangapa kami sa dilim.  Nakuha namin ang unang 10k sa loob ng 52 minuto.  Pagbabayaran namin ito sa dulo ng karera

Bagama’t may kabilisan nga ang pace namin, masasabi ko namang komportable siya.  Napakaraming aid station sa kalsada kaya nakuha ko pang lagpasan ang iilan dahil alam kong di magtatagal ay may susulpot na isa na namang aid station.  Nagbaon ako ng 3 GU gel para sa marathon.  Plano ko siyang kainin sa 15K, 25K at 35k bahagi ng karera.   Matapos ang isang oras sa daan, nakarating na rin kami sa Skyway.

Magandang tumakbo sa Skyway: walang building, walang kotse.  Ikaw lang at ang daan.  Sa bahaging ito ng karera, masasabi kong nakuha na namin ni Norman ang ritmo sa takbo.  Kaso nga lang, bandang mga 16K, naramdaman ko na unang kirot sa quads ko.  Hindi ko masabi kung ito ay dahil may mali sa takbo ko dahil dati rati naman nakakatapos ako ng 21k ng matiwasay.  Noong Rizal Day Run, maayos din naman ang pakiramdam ko noon maliban lang sa tuhod.  Pero ito naman ay sa quads.  Hmmmm.  Madilim pa rin ang paligid hanggang nakarating kami sa dulo ng Skyway sa Bicutan.  Pagkalampas ng 21K marker, ang oras namin ay 1:54.  Dito una ng pumasok sa isip ko ang pagdududa kung maabot ko nga ang goal ko na sub-4.  Oo, kailangan lang ng 2:05 para sa 2nd half pero sumasakit na ang quads.  Nakakahiya nga kay Norman dahil unti-unti na akong bumabagal.  Unti-unti na ring sumisikat ang araw na ok din naman dahil nakikita ko na rin ang paligid at ang kagandahan sa Skyway.

Pagkalampas ng toll booth, nakasalubong namin ang mga 21K runners at di nagtagal kinailangan namin humiwalay sa kanila para umahon sa NAIA interchange.  Di ko na nagawang umatake sa ahon dahil nga sa sakit na nararamdaman ko.  Pagpatak ng 30K, 2:43 na oras kaming tumatakbo.  Nagulat ako na mas mabilis pa ako ng 2 minuto sa Rizal Day Run.  Pero hanggang doon na lang talaga.  Sa madali’t salita, yun na ang last hurrah.  Sinabihan ko na si Norman na mauna na lang siya dahil di ko na kakayanin ang pace namin.  Pero dahil mabait si Norman, hindi niya ako iniwan.  Pagkababa namin mula sa Skyway, inalok pa ako ni Julian ng tabletas para ata tanggalin ang pagod.  Pero takot kasi sumubok ng bagong kakanin kaya inalok na lang niya ito kay Norman.  Bilib din ako kay Julian dahil ang sipag niyang sumuporta at kunan ng letrato ang mga kumakarera sa kabila ng kanyang injury sa paa

Pagbalik namin sa Buendia, pinatulan ko na rin ang liniment spray na inaalok nila doon sa Takbo.ph aid station.  Malaking tulong talaga ang aid station ng Takbo dahil bukod sa spray, nakahanda silang mag-cheer sa bawat mananakbo at namigay pa ng saging.  Nakakahiya nga at di man lang ako nagpasalamat.  Pasensya na dahil pero tinitiis ko na lang talaga ang sakit sa mga panahon na iyon.  Nagbigay ginhawa ang spray ng ilang minuto tapos bumalik na naman ang sakit.  Pero ngayon, parang may kutsilyo na sumasaksak sa quads ko.  Sabi ni Brett Sutton, dapat T.U.F.  (technique under fatigue).  Ani niya, sa mga oras na pagod na pagod ka dapat pa ring manatili ang technique.  Hindi puwede ang takbong tamad.  Pero lahat yan at mga turo ni Coach Jomak sa labas ng bintana.  Tapos, andiyan na ang Kalayaan flyover.

Baby steps na lang ako para lang makaahon sa flyover.  Marahil ito na ang sinasabi nilang Wall sa marathon.  Bagama’t sabi ng isip at baga ko na kaya pa, ayaw naman sumunod ng katawan.  Kahit sa ilang bahagi doon sa flyover na may downhill, di man lang ako makakuha ng momentum pababa para umayos-ayos naman ang takbo na tila mas lakad na sa mga oras na iyon.  Pagkababa mula sa flyover, nakita ko si Gerard na sinabayan ako ilang sandali.  Di ko rin nagawang magpasalamat sa kanya dahil gusto ko na talaga matapos ang karera at iyon lang ang nasa isip ko.  Kaso nga lang, iikot pa kami sa International School.  Sa mga sandaling iyon, medyo nauunawaan ko na ang naramdaman ni Hesus sa hardin ng Gethsemane.

Nakita ko ang 40km marker sabay tingin sa relo ko: 3:48.  Kaya pa sana ang sub-4 kung gawin ko muli ang pace namin ni Norman sa simula.  Sa totoo lang, sinubukan ko pa rin talaga tumakbo ng 5:30 pace.  Asa pa….wala na talaga.  Imbis na 5:30 at strong finish, 8:30 na lang ang pace ko sa huling 2 kilometro.  Maigi pa siguro kung naglakad na lang ako.  Pagkaliko sa 5th Avenue, andun si Gerard muling nakaabang para alalayan ako hanggang finish line.  ”300 meters na lang” at ang mga katagang binitawan niya ang nagbigay lakas sa akin na magpanggap na malakas pa rin ako para tumakbo lampas ng finish line

Sa wakas, natapos na rin ang Unang Maria ko sa oras na 4:05:30.  Halong saya at lungkot ang nararamdaman ko ngayon.  (Oo nga pala, sakit din) Saya dahil sa suportang binigay ng mga kaibigan at kakilala sa karerang ito.  Alam niyo na kung sino kayo.  Lungkot hindi lang dahil sa di ko nakamit ang sub-4 pero yung di ko nagawang ayusin ang teknik sa pagtakbo.  Hindi naman sa dapat walang masakit pagkatapos ng marathon pero kung naging maayos ang porma sa takbo, ang sasakit lang dapat ay yung calf muscle di ba? Dahil ito ang ginagamit pang push-off.  Pero ako naman….quads.  Ano ito?  Di naman ako pumadyak.  Parang ginawa kong criterium race ang marathon.  Halos kapareho ito noong una akong sumali ng half-marathon sa Subic noong unang bahagi ng taong 2008.  Naalala ko sabi sa akin ni Coach Jomak noon, kaya masakit ang quads ko dahil nakaupo ako tumakbo.  So para akong nag-squat ng 2 oras kaya masakit.  Ngayon na 2010 na, pakiramdam ko tila walang nagbago sa akin.  Marahil takbong nakaupo pa rin kaya masakit ang quads

Sa kabila ng lahat, mapalad pa rin ako sa pagkakataon na tumakbo at matuto mula sa karera kahapon.  Kung ang Condura 2009 ang nabigay sa akin ng PR sa half-marathon, ang Condura 2010 naman ang nagbigay ng leksyon sa akin na maging mapagkumbaba.  Huwag mangahas ng mga sub-4 na yan na hindi ko pa naayos ang tamang teknik at porma sa pagtakbo.  Pakiramdam ko ngayon ay hindi naiiba sa pakiramdam ko matapos ang Ironman 70.3 sa Camsur – noong may goal time ako na sub 6 pero natapos ako ng 6:11.

Pero kung may Camsur, nakabawi naman kahit papaano sa WRT

Ganun din dito.  Marami pang pagkakataon makabawi sa susunod na mga karera

Kailangan lang maging bukas, masipag at mapagkumbaba.

Tagay naman diyan!!!

Subic NAGT

Isang makulimlim at mahangin na umaga ang bumati sa akin pagkarating ko sa Subic madaling araw ng Linggo.  Bihirang naidadaos ang standard distance triathlon sa atin kaya di ko na pinalampas ang karerang ito (sa katunayan, wala naman talaga akong pinapalampas na karera)  Nakakapanibago din na Enero pa lang ay may karera na.  Nakakatuwang makita ang higit 100 na katao na sumali, ibig sabihin lang ay patok na patok itong isport natin na triathlon  Bagama’t 6am ang takdang oras ng simula, alam kong hindi ito masusunod dahil kapag Enero pasikat pa lang ang araw sa oras na yun.

Langoy – 29:16

Napagitna ako sa magkapatid na Ifurung sa simula.  Nakakatuwa din dahil riot talaga itong si Edward sa kanyang mga hirit.  Sumali din si Matthieu O’Halloran ng TBB.  Walang gustong tumabi sa kanya dahil sa totoo lang, wala naman ang makakakapit sa kanya mula sa grupo  Nauna mga babae sa amin at pagsapit ng bandang 6:45, nagsimula na rin ang pagdurusa naming mga kalalakihan.  Ang tulin talaga ni Matthieu dahil wala pang sampung segundo ay ang layo na niya sa grupo.  Para sa akin naman, langoy lang hanggang sa lumuwag ang paligid at makakuha ng tamang ritmo bawat hagod.  Low tide sa umaga kaya kahit may kalayuan na sa beach ay nakikita ko pa rin ang ilalim.  Malaking tulong ito sa akin na sa kaliwa kung huminga kada stroke.  Hindi ko kasi nakikita ang buoy kaya ang mga corals at halaman sa ilalim ang nagsilbing giya sa akin kung diretso pa ang aking langoy.  Medyo nangangati na rin ako katagalan dahil sa mga tama ng maliliit na jellyfish.  Pero ayos lang, wala dapat iniinda ang tunay na triathlete  Matapos ang unang loop, tumingin ako sa relo na nagsasabing 14:40.   Sa pangalawang loop, may nakasabay akong grupo at sumunod na lang ako sa mga bula nila hanggang sa matapos.  Sinabi sa akin ni Jojo Lontok na kasabayan namin sina Abe, Kirk, Bombee at Meyo na umahon.  Masaya na rin ako dahil kilala kong malalakas pa sa akin sa swim ang grupong ito.  Galing sa bakasyon, siguro easy-easy lang sila kaya nagkasabay kami.  Si Meyo naman, ang LAKI ang naimprove sa swim.  Magandang pangitain ito para sa Langkawi IM niya

T1 – 1:33

Maginaw pagkaahon mula sa swim.  Di pa rin sumisikat ang araw at medyo mahangin.  BRRRR!!!!

Padyak – 1:14:24

Noong simula, sinabi ng mga organizers sa 4 na loop ang gagawin pero binago nila ito sa mga huling sandali at ang gagawin na lamang ay 2 loop na may konting ahon.  Ikinatuwa ko ito para di naman sayang ang pagpunta sa Subic.  Ano ba naman ang karera sa Subic kung walang ahon di ba?  Pagkalabas pa lang ng transition, may maikling ahon na kaagad hanggang sa turnaround pagkalampas ng guard house (yung guard house bago ang mas matitinding ahon papuntang ocean adventure).  Tapos ang susunod na turnaround ay doon sa Petron Station.  Pabalik pa lang sa airport, nilagpasan ako ni August.  Naku po, malaki ang kanyang bubunuing oras para mahabol ang mga lider lalo na standard distance lang ito.  Mahirap talaga ang mahuli.

Maayos naman padyak ko, sinubukan kong manatili sa mga bandang 85-90 rpm.  Hindi ako tumayo kahit sa mga munting ahon. Ayaw ko kasi mauubusan at para may manatiling lakas para sa takbo.  Makulimlim pa rin sa mga oras na ito, hindi mainit.  Pero mahangin.  Nilagpasan ako ni TJ nung 2nd loop pagkaikot mula sa guard house.  Naisin ko man kumapit sa kanya, di ko magawa dahil ang tulin ng patakbo niya.  At siyempre, kailangan ko pa ayusin ang takbo ko, doon talaga ako nag-aalala. Napansin ko din pala na walang grasa ang kadena nung sinakay ko siya kahapon.  Tila nalimutan ata matapos ng bike wash. Kaya pala siya maingay habang sinasakyan ko.  Mga 39.6 ang buong distansya, 31.9 km/hr average speed.

T2 – 0:53

Malaking tulong na di kasing dami ng Subit ang mga kumarera kaya madaling hanapin ang pwesto ko.  Malapit sa sa exit ng transition papuntang takbo.  Maswerte lang talaga

Takbo – 49:48

Totoo ba ito?  Tama ba iyan? Ang pinakaaasam-asam ko na sub-50 off the bike ay nakamit ko na?  Kung tatanungin mo ang TRAP, ang sasabihin nila ay hindi dahil ayon sa opisyal na resulta, 50:36 ang oras ko.  Atin-atin lang ha, tutal wala naman nagbabasa ng blog na ito……sinama kasi nila ang oras sa transition 2 doon sa oras ng takbo  Maayos ang pakiramdam ko matapos ang padyak.  Makulimlim pa rin ang panahon kaya nakatulong ito.  Ang ruta ng takbo ay katulad din ng ruta sa Larrazabal triathlon noong nakaraang taon.  Ang kaibahan lang imbis na mainit, malamig at mahangin ang ruta ngayon.  Kaya dapat samantalahin ang magandang panahon di ba?  3 loops ang takbo, papuntang All Hands Beach tapos pabalik.  Inorasan ko ang unang punta ko sa All Hands, 8:35.  May kabagalan.  Nakatulong na bahagyang mas mabilis ang pabalik sa Dungaree Beach kumpara papuntang All Hands.  Kung tama ang naalala ko, nakuha ko ng 8:05 ang pabalik.  Kaya ganun na rin ang naging ritmo kada loop.  Matapos ang unang loop, nilagpasan ako ni Meyo.  Ang ganda niya tingnan habang tumatakbo.  Sana balang araw, ganun na rin ako tumakbo

Kalagitnaan ng takbo, tiningan ko ang relo: 24:50.  Naku po, mukhang magiging malapit ito.  Mabigat na rin ang bawat hingal ko sa mga oras na ito, pero tulad ng sabi sa akin ni Kots Jojo, yung mabigat at mabilis na hingal na di ka makapagsalita….di na naman magbabago yun.  Ani niya, hanggang doon na lang ang hingal at hindi magiging mas mabigat o mas mabilis.  Ang susi talaga ay sino ang makakatiis ng ganoong hingal ng mas matagal.  Pagdating sa huling loop umabot ako sa All Hands turnaround na pumapalo na ng 42++ minuto sa relo ko.  Sa abot ng aking makakaya, sinubukan ko pang paspasan ang takbo ko.  Mabuti na lang talaga maganda ang panahon at puwede kong laktawan ang ilang water station para magfocus lang sa takbo.  At sa awa ng Diyos, umabot na rin ako sa finish line at pagkapindot ng relo ay laking tuwa ko na natupad na rin ang matagal ko ng pangarap na maka-sub 50 sa 10k “off the bike”.  Gusto ko na magretiro dahil palagay ko di na mauulit ito

Para sa buong karera, ang oras ko ay 2:35:55 sa relo ko.  Masaya ako dahil malaki nabawas sa dati kong oras na 2:49:04 sa parehong distansya.  Pero mulat naman ako na mas madali ang ruta ng bike dito at mas maganda ang panahon.  Ganun pa man, mananatili pa rin ang hamon na pagandahin pa rin ang oras na ito pagdating ng Subit sa Mayo.  Siguro pagdating sa takbo, dapat itarget ko naman ang 48 para lang bigyan ng allowance ang transition 2 para sub-50 ang lalabas sa opisyal na resulta

Maraming Salamat sa TRAP para sa maayos at tagumpay na karera kahapon.  Malaking tulong talaga ang pagsasara ng kalahating kalsada para sa siklista.  Sa panahon na maraming nagrereklamo kung paano idinadaos ang mga karera sa takbuhan, nakakatuwa na makakaasa ka sa TRAP na magiging maayos ang kanilang karera.

Sunod na karera:  Condura Marathon.

Tagay naman diyan!!!

Eh Kasi Pasaway!

Kamusta kapatid?  May mga taong bilib sa mga triathletes.  Daig pa daw nila mga mananakbo gawa ng 3 sport kasi ang kailangan gawin ng triathlete kumpara sa mananakbo.  Ito lang ang masasabi ko diyan…..HINDI YAN TOTOO!!!!  Hindi pa siguro nila nasubukan tumakbo ng matagal at malayo.  Sa madali’t salita, hindi pa siguro nila nasubukan mag-ensayo para sa marathon.

Nung nakaraang linggo, nabanggit ko ang tama sa tuhod ko gawa ng biglaang pagdagdag ng mileage sa Rizal Day Run.  Mula sa research sa internet, mukhang tinamaan ako ng ‘runner’s knee’.  Ok na rin yon, at least may bahagi na ng katawan ko na nabansagang ‘runner’.  :)  Pero seryoso, hindi biro ang magkaroon ng injury.  Nakakainis dahil kailangan ipahinga pero nakakainip dahil di makatakbo at ensayo ng maayos.  Sinubukan kong sumunod sa payo ng karamihan na ipahinga lang ang tuhod ko.  Kaya imbis na tumakbo nung nakaraang Martes at Miyerkules, nag-spinning lang ako at lumangoy sa MASA. Pagdating ng Huwebes, halos wala akong nararamdamang sakit sa kaliwang tuhod.  Apat na araw na rin ang nakalipas mula noong huling takbo ko kaya tumakbo ako ng 10k.  Ayun, mga 2 kilometro pa lang sa takbo, bumalik muli ang kirot.  Pinilit ko pa rin tapusin ang ensayo para lang matapos siya.  Ang maganda lang sa nangyari, hindi siya sumakit tulad noong Rizal Day.  Sa katunayan, bandang hapon din ng araw na iyon, halos wala na rin akong nararamdamang sakit.  Tipong alam ko lang na andiyan siya pero sa ngayon ay hindi nagpapakita.

Pagsapit ng Biyernes, hinamon ko muli ang tuhod ko sa isa na namang ensayo.  Ngayon, takbo naman na may distansyang 15k.   Siyempre, di matatapos ang ensayo ng di sumasakit ang kaliwang tuhod di ba?  Ganun na nga ang nangyari.  Ang natutunan ko mula sa mga nangyari itong nakaraang linggo ay kakaiba pala ang injury sa joints kung ikukumpara ito sa muscle.  Halimbawa, matapos ang isang matindi at mabigat na ensayo, natural lamang ang makaramdam ng sakit sa muscles (i.e. sa quads o kaya sa calf).  Pero ang sakit na ito ay nawawala din naman agad at puwede mo na uling puwersahin sa susunod na ensayo.  Dagdag pa, para sa iba, maganda ang maramdaman ang ganitong sakit kasi ang ibig sabihin ay pinuwersa mo talaga sarili mo sa ensayo at lalakas ka dahil dito.

Pero kung may tama ka sa joints, mas mahaba na pahinga ang kailangan para gumaling.  At kahit magising ka isang araw at hindi mo maramdaman ang sakit, huwag magpaloko, andun pa rin yun.  Kailangan alalayan sa susunod na ensayo at huwag puwersahin agad kasi maaaring magdulot pa ito ng mas nakakalalang injury.

Ganun naman pala pero bakit di ka nagpahinga Levy Boy?  Ito nga….EH KASI PASAWAY.  Ang katuwiran ko nag-bike naman ako nung Sabado.  Ok naman siya.  So ngayon, sumasakit na lamang siya tuwing tumatakbo.  Improvement na rin ito kumpara noong linggo ng Rizal Day Run kung saan may konting kirot sa bike.  Medyo nahuhuli na rin ako sa training para sa Condura kaya hala sige, long run pa kahapon sa UP ng 3 oras.  Oo nga, sumakit si tuhod, pero kung dati ay sa unang 2 kilometro ko siya nararamdaman, kahapon naman ay nagparamdam na lamang siya matapos ang 2 oras na pagtakbo  Ibig sabihin lang nito ay gumagaling na ang tuhod ko di ba?

Ngayong linggo, may karera sa Subic sa 17.  Ano sa tingin mo?  Paaawat pa ba ako?  Kung ikaw ay masugid na tagasunod ng blog na ito, alam mo na wala akong pinapalampas na karera.  Kung di nangangailangan ng eroplano para puntahan, tiyak na andun ako para kumarera!  Bukod sa pasaway, isa rin akong ADIK!!!!!

Tagay naman diyan!!!

2010

Bagong taon.  Panahon din para magbalik-tanaw sa taong nakalipas.  Tulad ng nabanggit ko sa huling post, umikot ang ensayo ko noong taong 2009 para sa paghahanda sa Camsur 70.3 at WRT.  Kakaiba din ang training dahil noon lang ako nakaranas na pumalo ng 3k sa swim training.  Mainipin din akong tao kaya laking tuwa ko din na nakaabot na rin ako ng 100k sa bisikleta.  Pagdating naman sa takbuhan, una ko rin naranasan na tumakbo ng 2 oras kada linggo.  Masarap din pala kumarera o mag-ensayo nang mahabaan dahil nakakapagmuni-muni ako pampalipas oras

Dahil sa nabuong mileage mula sa nagdaang taon, eto ngayon, naglakas-loob ako na mag-register para sa Condura Marathon na gaganapin ngayong February 7.  Sa training pa lang, alam kong di biro ang lintik na distansyang ito.  Sabi ng marami, mahalaga sa paghahanda para sa marathon ang mga “long run” na aabot ng 3 oras mahigit o 30k.  Sa tanang buhay ko, hanggang 25k lang ang pinakamalayong distansya na natakbo ko.  Ito yung New Balance run sa Clark noong 2008.

Noong ika-27 ng Disyembre 2009, unang beses kong tumakbo ng 30k.  Masakit nga siya sa binti. Pero nakarecover naman ako makalipas ng 2 araw, kung kaya’t nangahas akong sumali sa Rizal Day Run ni Bald Runner sa Camp Aguinaldo.  Marahil di na kayo magugulat sa nangyari sa akin sa unang 5k pa lang ng takbo.  Sumakit ang kaliwang tuhod ko.  Pero pinilit ko pa rin tapusin ang karera dahil ang buong akala ko ang sakit ay dahil lamang sa sugat doon din sa kaliwang tuhod.  Dagdag pa, sabi ko sarili ko, konting yelo lang, gagaling din ang tuhod ko.  Pero pagdating ng bagong taon, masakit pa rin siya.

Tulad ng karamihan sa atin, mataas ang pagtingin ko kay Lance Armstrong.  Para kay Pareng Lance, di niya pinapalagpas ang Pasko o Bagong Taon pagdating sa ensayo.  Siyempre, gusto ko siyang tularan di ba?  Kaya, hala sige, kahit masakit pa ang tuhod ko, tinakbo ko pa rin siya ng isa’t kalahating oras noong unang araw ng taon.  Katangahan talaga dahil kahit ang pangit na ng “form” ko, pinilit ko pa rin tapusin ang 15k.  Ano sa tingin niyo, hinihingi ko talaga no?  Kaya ko lang naman siya ginawa dahil nagaalala ako na mawala ang pinaghirapang ‘fitness level’ kuno  Matapos ang 2 30k run, maayos naman pakiramdam ko kung hingal ang pag-uusapan.  Yung sakit lang sa katawan ang kalaban.

Huwag magalala.  Di na ako tumakbo muli mula noong unang araw ng taon.  Itong mga nakaraang araw, langoy at padyak na lang ginagawa ko  Awa ng Diyos, mukhang gumagaling na naman ang tuhod ko.  Bukas, baka itakbo ko na muli siya  Tingin ko, mapalad pa rin ako dahil ngayon lang ako nakaranas ng injury sa kabila ng katangahan ko.  Ang ‘kagandahan’ sa nakadanas ng anumang injury, mas naaappreciate mo ang ang mga araw na nakakaensayo ka ng walang sakit o tama sa katawan.  At yun ang nararamdaman ko ngayon

O, siya, andiyan ka pa ba?  Siguro nagulat ka na sa wikang Pilipino na itong blog ko.  Bakit, ‘kamo?  Wala lang, ayaw ko na kasing magpanggap at pahirapan pa ang sarili ko.  Nagiisip naman ako sa wikang Pilipino, dapat ganun din sa pagsulat di ba?  Tutal marami na namang blog diyan na nasa wikang Inggles.  Di lang naman yun ang pagbabago dito sa blog na ito.  Napansin ko din kasi na tila mga race report na lang ang laman ng mga post ko.  Ngayong bagong taon, susubukan ko din ibahagi naman ang mga ginagawa ko sa ensayo at ang ilang tips/aral na mapupulot ko diyan sa tabi-tabi  Sana makatulong kahit papaano sa mga mambabasa diyan na nais magtampisaw sa mundo ng triathlon.

Hanggang sa uulitin….Cheers!!!

Rizal Day Run

30 December.  30 kilometers.  Done in 2:45:06.   Lechon – gone in 5 minutes.  Beautiful, rolling 4-loop course inside Camp Aguinaldo.  Beer.  Ice Cream.  Back to Basics, No Frills Race done the Bald Runner way.   Jose Rizal would have been proud.

Cheers!!

Going Long

If I can describe this past year in one phrase, it would be the year for “going long”.  Running-wise, it meant joining 21K races on a regular basis.  Triathlon-wise, it meant training that revolved around peaking for Camsur and Whiterock.  Cycling-wise, it meant hitting the century during training rides.  Here’s a recap of the races I joined this past year (although there’s still one race left – Rizal Day Run):

February 7 – MILO Subic 21k – 1:52:53

March 22 – Condura Half- Marathon – 1:45:57

March 28 – MOA Duathlon (7k-30k-4k) – 1:50:59

April 5 – TLBF Standard Distance Triathlon – 2:53:19

April 19 – Greenfield City Run 21k – 1:52:13

May 17 – SUBIT – 2:49:02

May 31 – Microsoft IE8 Run 8 miles – 1:13:27

June 7 – Mizuno Infinity Run 15k – 1:16:27

June 14 – Animo Sprint Triathlon – 1:53:29

June 28 – MOA Duathlon – 1:49:26

July 19 – Globe Run for Home 21k – 1:50:17

August 15 – Kenny Urbanite Run 15K – 1:20:20

August 23 – Ironman 70.3 Camsur – 6:11:51

August 29 – UPLB Costume Tri (400m – 15k – 3k) – 53:53

August 30 – UP Law Invitational Sprint Triathlon – 1:25:07

September 13 – Ecodash 21k – 1:50:14

September 20 – MOA Duathlon – 1:49:07

October 18 – Alabang NAGT – 1:50:48

October 25 – Adidas KOTR 21k – 1:49:57

November 7 – WRT Long-Distance Triathlon (1.5k – 91k – 20k) – 5:24:38

November 15 – Asian Duathlon Championships Standard Distance – 2:25:40

November 29 – New Balance Run 21k – 1:48:16

December 13 – Powerade Standard Distance Duathlon – 2:21:20

December 19 – UPLB NAGT – 1:41:58

December 20 – Philstar Celebrity Run 21k – 2:06:01

December 30 – Rizal Day Run 30k – 2:45:06

Quite a busy year, but I’m not as tired at this point as I was last year  Happy to note incremental improvements in triathlon times but running times leave much to be desired.  Condura time seemed like an aberration really  If 2009 was the year for ‘going long’, I guess 2010 would be one for ‘going longer’.  I will go for the full mary on February 7 at Condura.  Don’t worry, I’ll stop there.  I know I’m not ready to try the full Ironman distance just yet….maybe in 2011 perhaps

Cheers!  See you in 2010.  Subic NAGT on January 17.

UPLB NAGT/Celebrity Run

It really must be December now since I can hardly fit in my trisuit.  Love handles are bulging out at the seams.  Good thing there were races this past weekend to hold the fatness at bay for a few hours at least

The UPLB NAGT which was originally scheduled on October 3 finally pushed through last Saturday with an 8:30am gunstart, instead of the usual 2pm in previous years.  Course was still the same as last year’s version which was good – it’s always nice to see if I can improve on last year’s time.  My wave started at 10:30am.

Swim – 15:44

8 loops, 4 x 25 meter/loop.  Jumping back to the pool after each 100m loop pretty much guarantees that it will be virtual washing machine throughout.  Was ecstatic climbing out after the first loop and seeing Leo Oracion diving for his second one  Twas the last time I saw him during the swim though.  The challenge in ‘multi-loops’ racing is making sure that I do the required number of loops so I won’t get disqualified.  I mean it’s ok to go overboard just like I did at the MOA duathlon last June but to get DQ’d just because I did not do enough loops….I’d rather not think about it.  So, that was all I thought about during the swim: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.  I was happy to see that I improved upon my last year’s time by a minute

Transition 1 – 1:22

Lately, I’ve had my shoes on and just clipping them before I begin my ride because I have a hard time putting my feet inside the shoes during the actual ride itself.  I know it will make for a faster transition time.  Something to ponder and work on for next year.

Bike – 56:10

4 loops of around 8kms per loop.  Did not bother counting loops this time because of the odometer  The course is pretty much flat with gradual and hardly noticeable inclines in certain segments.  The weather was cool although it was probably almost noon at this point.  In fact, it was even drizzling at certain stages.  Encountered headwind each time after the rotonda on the way back.  There were a couple of times when momentum was lost on account of traffic build-up where I had to slow down and bide my time in passing the jeep/tricycle for safety reasons but other than that, I tried to keep a solid pace, spinning the cranks with the right amount of effort that would not build up lactic in the quads.  For the bike leg, I was slower by 6 seconds from last year

Transition 2 – 1:10

Coach Rick shouted that it was, in fact, lunch time.  Good thing the sun was hiding behind the clouds  And it was December, so that helped also.  Made sure to tighten the laces this time around which was probably the reason transition time was over a minute in this race.

Run – 27:30

One thing I’ve learned is that the different distances in triathlon races present different challenges.  Short distances are not easy and longer distances does not necessarily mean harder.  In fact, some would say that sprint distances are the toughest just because one races at threshold pace throughout the supposedly ’short’ distance.  Such was the case for me in this race.  Was already huffing and puffing even as I began my first loop.  Of course, that incline out of transition didn’t help matters.  But the downhill section after that gave me the opportunity to coast and reload until the incline shows up again.  Running at a steady pace and reflecting on the year that has gone by.  Last multisport race of the year has gotten me nostalgic  Soon enough, I got to the finish line and finished at 1:41:58 by my watch.  Run was slower by 9 seconds from last year, but overall result was faster by a minute.  I’ll take that

Celebrity Run

Didn’t plan on running this race when it was originally scheduled sometime in October I think.  But then, in the midst of discussing preparations for the long distance races next year, I forced Javy to include me for this one since he wanted to do a 30K run in his preparation for Langkawi.  Alas, Javy got sick in the wee hours of Sunday morning

Remember when I said that the New Balance Run was the toughest 21K yet?  Well, that title didn’t last long because of this one.  It’s the same New Balance route except that instead of going to the International School area, the first few kms were spent going to the Makati Business District which meant the Kalayaan flyover on the way back.  Also, while McKinley Hill was a constant in the 2 races, the runners for this race had to run all the way to the C5 turnaround point which meant cresting that short but very steep hill on the way back.  A challenging course for sure and it’s just too bad I was in no condition to race this one.  I barely slept Saturday night after watching Avatar in 3D  Thus, for this race the goals were simply to maintain good form throughout, establish consistent cadence and NEVER walk ‘em hills.

I was busy chatting with Hector and Bobby at the barriers when suddenly the race started at around 5:40am.  It was a cool morning and drizzling just as it was at Los Banos the day before.  Took advantage of every water station nonetheless.  One advantage of running at a pace below race effort is that I was able to notice/appreciate the surroundings a bit more – just like that rainbow that appeared when I was inside McKinley Hill  :)

I finished at 2:06:01 by my watch.  From what I’ve gathered in reading the other blogs, it appears that the course was longer than 21K.  The Garmin users who ran the race said that the course measured 22.2k.  Sayang, sub-2 sana

As far as initial goals were concerned, I think I was only able to achieve the third one  There were certain points where I knew my form suffered together with the cadence as a necessary consequence.  But all in all, I was still satisfied with my effort in this race.  After all, it was about putting the mileage in as I am about the begin the running block in my training.

No rest for the weary this holiday season.  Next up: Rizal Day 32K Run.

Cheers!!

Duathlon at Roxas Boulevard

The final leg of the Powerade Duathlon series was a standard distance race held at the Quirino Grandstand.  I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have a multisport race at Roxas Boulevard.  In fact, in a previous post and in an ideal world, I thought it would be perfect to hold an Ironman event at Manila Bay.  But I guess the duathlon yesterday would be the closest thing to such a reality taking place.

The race started late at around 7am because the officials had a hard time closing the south-bound lane of Roxas Boulevard.  I pretty much expected this problem considering it was a Sunday and there’d be a lot of strollers at Baywalk and Luneta.  But I didn’t know the magnitude of the problem until much later during the bike portion.

First Run – 44:41

Javy and I tried to agree on a pace for the first run.  I said, “4:45?” to which Javy countered with, “Bahala na…”  And right then, I knew I was gonna run alone once again  True enough, once we started, I was only able to keep up with Javy for a good 10 meters – and only because we had to negotiate our way past some runners during the initial stages of the race.  Soon, I spotted Belle once again and I knew I’m running with the right amount of effort.  Maybe, I should talk to Belle instead of Javy  Anyway, the first run consisted of 2 loops from Quirino Grandstand to Quirino Avenue and back.  Just maintained a steady rhythm until I reached transition 1 after 44 minutes.

Transition 1 – 1:22

I ran past my bike but not much.  Scampered back and put on the cycling stuff while a cameraman was taking a video of the proceedings.  Wonder where they’re gonna show this, if at all – I must have looked silly

Bike – 1:10:48

Ah, this was the highlight of the race by far.  I guess a flat and fast course would be quite boring so dodging the pedestrians along the way proved to be quite a challenge.  Had to be mentally alert throughout and spot potential risk-takers who’d  dare cross the street and shout “Bike! Bike!” early on to avoid accidents.  It was really dangerous especially when the vehicles along Kalaw Street took matters into their own hands and began crossing the intersection. If not for the spectators who yelled for me to stop, I would have surely crashed for sure  In a flat course such as this one, I can usually spin at an optimum cadence using the 3rd or 2nd to the smallest cog.  But I noticed that I used the middle cogs for pretty much the entire 40K distance in this race. Wonder where the drag came from because it wasn’t windy yesterday.  Hmmmmm…

Transition 2 – 0:52

Fastest transition time for me  In my rush, I didn’t tighten the laces properly.  Had to get by with “loose” shoes for the second run

Second Run – 23:35

Spent the first few minutes getting my bearings and then settled into a good rhythm.  Of course, it certainly helped that I know whatever suffering I felt at that point would soon be over in half an hour.  At this point of the race, I usually try to mark whoever is in front of me as targets – that is, if I can gauge from their pace that they can be caught.  However, for this race, whoever was ahead of me is too far along for me to even contemplate picking up the pace.  I know, what a loser right?  Whatever happened to mustering your best effort in every race regardless of the circumstances?  Crossed the finish at 2:21:18 by my watch.

I was glad to be able to improve on my time at Subic by about 4 minutes  Finally able to manage sub 5 min/km pace for a run off the bike as well  The key now would be to see if I can hold that pace for a longer distance such as 10k.

I don’t know if I should mention this but I’m thinking of a signature pose at the finish  Javy’s got his headstand going.  For this race, I did a genuflect as I put my head to the ground.  (originally wanted to kiss the ground, but body was hurting and only managed to put my head down)  I know, OA to the max  Any better suggestions?

Cheers!!

Last race for the year:  UPLB NAGT

New Balance Racing Hope

Well, that was the toughest 21K yet.

Originally, this New Balance run was supposed to serve as a tune-up race for WRT.  But then, Ondoy visited our country.  Thus, Extribe had to reschedule the race to November 29.  Coming off a good run at the KOTR, I wanted to see if I could maintain a consistent performance at a half-marathon distance.

I positioned myself out in front and before I knew it the bugle horn sounded signaling the start of the race.  My personal best for a 21k was 1:45:57 that was set early this year at Condura.  I guess it must have been a dream of some sort or an aberration because I can’t seem to muster the same effort/success in the succeeding races.  At the outset, I knew it would be difficult to set a new PB in this race considering the hilly terrain.  But then, will never know unless I give it a try, right?

For the initial kilometers into the International School area, I was maintaining a 5 min/km pace.  It was dark when we started and it was pretty cool which certainly helped in maintaining the pace.  The route towards the IS area was a new one and I welcomed the new sights around the Fort. Pretty soon, I found myself pacing with a familiar participant, Belle Grandinetti. During the last duathlon at Subic, we ran pretty much the same pace for the first run.

There were markings for every kilometer that we passed and it helped me gauge my pace throughout the race.  I felt a good rhythm and tried to maintain it through the rolling terrain at Lawton Avenue.  Jumbo and Bombee of Tri Clark passed me right after Essensa as we made our way towards Bayani Road.  In the past, the marshals would have the participants turn left once we hit Bayani Road.  In this race, however, we had to go on straight and make a U-Turn further down Lawton Avenue before coming back and making a right turn at Bayani Road.  The next turnaround point would be just before C-5.  And I guess these little bit of changes in the usual Fort route took its toll on me as I found myself slowing down as I entered McKinley Hill.  It was at this point where the race became a mental challenge for me.

After going down the initial hill, the participants had to turn right and ran on cemented roads.  Didn’t like the pounding it gave me.  In fact, I was really hoping that the marshals would point left going back to the Fort when I made my way back to the main road.  I was already running to a crawl at this point dreading that killer hill at the C-5 turnaround.  It was a good thing though that the turnaround came much earlier than I expected – just before the Korean School.  It was all the push I needed to get me over the last hill back to Lawton Avenue.

By this time, I was probably doing 5:30 min/km pace and I was just hoping that the race be over and done with.  Training buddy Norman came up beside me just before Essensa and I told him to go ahead because I was already spent.  When I saw the 20km marker, I tried my best to muster a sprint finish.  Well, at least to me it felt like a sprint.  But I knew I was just lugging my ass towards the finish.  Finally finished at 1:48:16 by my watch.

Congrats to Extribe for a well-organized race.  Challenging 21k course inside the Fort.  Unique set-up of 2 start/finish banners for better crowd control.  Looking forward to going back to Clark next year to take on the 25k challenge once again.

Cheers!

Next:  Powerade Duathlon Final Leg

Asian Duathlon Championships

It was the week after WRT and while reason dictates that I should be resting this one out, I guess I’m just a sucker for races  But seriously, I consider it real blessing to be able to do this sport and I try to get as many races under my belt for the experience and because one never knows what will happen in the future.  Tomorrow or the week after that, my body might just give up on me and then…..

Kap and I got to Subic Saturday afternoon just in time for the race briefing.  I was amazed with the number of foreigners milling about.  Talk about International Colors of Bennetton  As Coach Rick said in his email, the top duathletes of the world were present and we’re gonna do the same race as them.  How cool is that?  All of us were treated to a dinner buffet and probably the only damper was the news that the bike route was modified the last minute for safety reasons.  Instead of the usual hilly route past the airport, the participants are just going to do 2 20K loops of flat terrain.  Initially, I was disappointed with this development because I’ve always looked forward to climbing the hills at Subic.  But then, a flat and fast course would be an opportunity to set a personal best

Run 1: 46:58 (10K)

The athletes were sent out in waves with the age-groupers sent out last at around 6:15 am.  It felt cool that morning as everybody sprinted out of the starting line.  This first run consisted of 2 loops around the Events Convention Center.  I was able to settle in a good rhythm from the get-go but I was really astonished at the speed of my fellow racers.  I knew I was doing a sub-5/km pace but it felt really slow compared to the others.  People were passing me left and right  Soon enough, I found myself pacing behind Rune Stroem – only because he was out of shape  Later, it was Joyette Jopson who ran past me as another lady runner (Belle Grandinetti) and I took turns setting the pace.  As it turned out, whatever pace we set was enough for me to churn out my first-ever official sub-50 10K time.  Woohoo!  One lesson I’ve learned is always to run your own race.  Don’t mind the others even as they speed up and run past you.  Sometimes, this is easier said than done because ego does get in the way — especially when getting chicked  Check that ego at the door.  Makes for a fun and a more satisfying race

Transition 1: 1:35

I ran past my bike.  Must be the adrenalin of that sub-50.

Bike: 1:09:56 (40K)

The bike route was flat and fast.  As I mentioned earlier, the route consisted of 2 20K loops.  First turnaround was the road just before Subic International Hotel and the 2nd turnaround point was at the Building that used to house FedEX before it moved to China.  I concentrated on maintaining a fast cadence of around 90 rpm.  Did I mention that the route was flat and fast?  Getting a sip from my Gatorade was such a chore and I was only able to drink during the turnarounds.  Otherwise, I tried my best to maintain a tucked aero position throughout.  Averaged around 33km/hr  for the duration of the bike leg.

Transition 2:  1:07

Wasn’t lost this time  Racked the bike, put on the visor, drank Gatorade, then off to run.

Run 2:  26:04

Just tried to maintain the same rhythm during the first run.  Other age groupers were too far ahead I guess because I hardly saw anyone throughout the 2nd run.  In fact, the leaders were probably finished by the time I began my 2nd run  Yeah, I remember them announcing George Vilog’s name as I exited T2.  My run off-the-bike in this race is pretty much consistent with the pace set at previous races.  Somewhere along the 5:05 to 5:10/km range.  Still a work in progress.  But I take solace in that, at least, it’s been consistent.  Eventually finished with a total time of 2:25:40, a personal best for standard-distance duathlon.  Now, I have a benchmark for the duathlon this December at Quirino Grandstand.  Another race which promises to be fast and furious as well.  I just hope I’ll be able to keep up

Just want to congratulate my team for a solid showing at the DU last Sunday.  To Kap for finishing first in our age group; To Tina for finishing first in hers; To Jupiter for finishing first in his age group as well.  To Monica for bouncing back from a disappointing Powerman Malaysia to a 3rd place finish at ADC (2nd among Asians).  Thank you to Gerard for sharing his home at Subic.  Congratulations to TRAP for another memorable race.

Cheers!

Next Stop:  New Balance Power Run.