Training Blues

Seems like everyone coming down with something these days.  Each of my children together with the wifey had their own bouts with the flu.  Even the bloggers I frequent had their own ‘flu’ stories to tell.  I guess it’s just a matter of time that I’ll have my own story to share.  Well, lo and behold, I finally did get sick the other day. It’s nothing major really.  Always prided myself being ‘kalabaw’ (beast of burden which never gets sick). But I did experience diarrhea and the occasional urge to vomit every now and then.  I don’t know what caused it.  I doubt if it’s from something I ate because the family would have suffered the same fate as well. Well, I don’t know maybe I got sick by osmosis.  Being around sick people and reading about sickness in the blogs,  I just had to be sick myself.  Needless to say, it did affect my run yesterday.  Instead of doing the mandated 8 sets, I just did 6 of those dreaded 4 x 200m at 5 seconds slower than my regular pace 😦  Does not augur well for Subic, huh?  But then, I did read in loonyrunner’s blog about ‘Bad Runs’ where there are really no bad or good runs, it’s just our attitude that makes a run/race good or bad.  

I know it’s a big weekend for most of us out there.  To Baldrunner, SFRunner, Johnny and those running in the SF Marathon.  To those participating in the Milo Marathon.  To those doing 03, 01 and the relays in Subic,  I send my biggest and loudest cheers to you all.  I’m sure all of us will harken to loonyrunner’s advice and race a GOOD one this weekend.  

Now, excuse me while I go to the ‘john’ once again…….

37:53

That was the finishing time posted by Francisco Javier Fernandez in a 10,000 meter race walk.  It’s the new world record for such distance as it improved on the previous world record by 5 seconds. 10,000 meters is 10 kilometers right?  So, it appears that Francisco’s walk pace averaged less than 4 minutes per kilometer.  I can’t even run that fast 🙂  Wow.

Double cheers!!!

The Outsiders and Nike

I’m sure by now, you’ve heard about the Nike Human Race that is going to be held simultaneously in 25 cities around the world on 31 August 2008.  While Manila was not selected as an official city, there are plans to organize a run here so that runners in this part of the world can also join and be part of the Human Race. However, in Bullrunner’s blog, I was disappointed to read Coach Rio’s post that only those with Nike Ipod and/or Sportsband can join the run 😦  Hmmmm, is it just me but suddenly, I felt like I was back in grade school where there’s this bunch of kids who had this new toy/shirt and all of them were playing/wearing it and I was left out.  Remember the book “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton?  I felt like I was part of the group called the “Greasers” who didn’t belong 😦 I don’t know…maybe because all this time I thought running was supposed to be about bringing people together who share a common passion.  That anyone can run even sans the latest gear or what have you.  In fact, you don’t even need running shoes as evidenced by those children racing barefoot in some of the races.  It’s just sad because when I first heard about the Human Race, I thought it was such a terrific concept.  But this “you can’t join if you don’t have Nike Ipod/Sportband” thing only unmasks this run as nothing more than a marketing ploy for us to buy more Nike gears/stuff.  Sorry, but I don’t buy that and I won’t buy Nike.  This “greaser” will much rather run Mizuno 1 (without water) and Mizuno 2 (without finishing times) any day over Nike and its so-called Human Race.

No cheers.

Green Triathlon

Ateneo taught me to be a man for others.  Hence, I’d like to do my part and help spread the word that Lasalle is sponsoring a triathlon race this September at Ayala Alabang.  As you will gather from the details below, this race is for everyone (hear that NIKE?  EVERYONE), from kids to adults who wish to try triathlon for the first time.  I joined my first triathlon in Alabang and I think the course is perfect for beginners.  Now, if only I can find a blue tri-suit to wear for the race….. 🙂  

Calling all triathlon enthusiasts!  Even Ateneans can join.

Event Name:

 

TRI GOES GREEN!

The Annual ANIMO Sprint Triathlon

·         For the benefit of the Jaime Hilario Scholarship Fund & One La Salle Scholarship Endowment Fund project of the De La Salle Brothers.

• Organized by La Salle Cares & the Sunkist Tri Hard
• Spearheaded by LSGH Class of ‘81
• In cooperation with the Triathlon Association of the Philippines

 

Date & Time:         September 14, 2008, Sunday

                             6:00 am- 10:00 am

 

 

Venue:                  La Salle Zobel & Narra Park, Ayala Alabang Village

 

Race Distances:

SuperTriKids Aquathlon & Triathlon:

 

Aquathlon
Age	Swim	Run
U6	50m	200m
7-8	100m	200m
9-10	200m	900m
11-12	300m	1.7 k
13-15	350m	1.7 k

Triathlon
Age	Swim	Bike	Run
U6	50m	700m	200m
7-8	50m	1.7k	200m
9-10	100m	1.7k	900m
11-12	200m	3.4k	1.7k
13-15	350m	11k	3.4k

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mini Sprint:           Swim- 350m, Bike- 11km, Run- 3.4km

 

Sprint:                  Swim- 950m, Bike- 30km, Run- 6.5km

Race Rules:

• Body marking (race numbers) must appear on both upper arms and both legs.
• Bikes must be racked at the designated spot of the bike rack in the transition area.
• Bare torso biking or running is not allowed.
• Vehicular traffic will be controlled but not closed.
• Athletes must follow all traffic rules and watch out for his/her own road safety

DRAFTING IS NOT ALLOWED for all participants.

 

Race Course Description:

 

Swim: LSZ Pool

Bike: The OCHO-OCHO Loop- From Narra Park, go down Narra, turn left at Molave, left at University Ave towards Country Club Dr. (CCD).  From CCD, then turn left at Acacia, left at Cuenca, left at Taysan, then left at CCD.  Stay on CCD and turn right at University Ave.

Run: around Narra Park for the shorter distances and Country Club Dr. for the Sprint in a clockwise direction

 

Race Categories:

·         SuperTriKids- U6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-15

·         Adult Mini Sprint- Top 3 Men & Women

·         Top 5 Over-All, Men & Women

·         Men Age Group- U20, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34,35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50 & over

·         Women Age Group- U20, 20-29, 30-39, 40 & over

·         La Salle Division- Sprint

·         Team/Club Competition

–       Each triathlon club may field one or more teams composed of 5 members, with at least of one female.  4-member teams will also be accepted. Each club may field more than one team, but only a maximum of 2 teams in a club are qualified for  the Top 3 podium awards.

–       The aggregate times of the best 4 members, including the time of the female member, will count.

–       Current members of the National Triathlon Team are allowed to join the team competition.

–       A maximum of one former or one current national triathlon team member can join a team.

–       “No Drafting” rule enforced for team members

–       Team members will race as individuals (Sprint) in their respective waves.

–       Team members are still qualified for individual awards.

–       DNF (did not finish) will be assigned a time of 3:00:00, in case less than 4 members and/or no female finisher.

–       Each of the 5 members of the top 3 teams (maximum of 2 teams from the same club) gets a medal.

–       The members must already be registered as individual entries.

–       There are no separate fees for team entries.

 

Awarding:  The Awarding & Turn-Over Ceremonies will be held right after the event at the Narra Park.

 

Awards and Prizes:

 

·         Medals and product prizes

·         T-shirt and brunch for all participants

·         SuperTriKids- Medals for Top 3 in Age Group, Male & Female

•  Sprint- Medals for Top 5 Male & Female, Top 3 for Age Group Winners
•  Mini Sprint- Medals for Top 3 Male & Female
•  La Salle Division (Sprint)- Top 3 Male & Female
•  Team Competition- Individual Medals for 5 members of the Top 3 Teams

 

 

 

Race Day Schedule:

 

  6:00 am           Check-in of ALL participants into transition, Body marking 

  6:30                 Start of Races

                                  Order of Waves

•  
  •  
    •  
      •  
        • STK Aquathlon- youngest to eldest
        • STK Triathlon
        • Mini Sprint
        • Sprint

 

10:00                 Start of Awarding Ceremonies & Brunch

 

Registration: 

 

Submit filled-up entry form with your fee at Registration Center mentioned below.

Participants may also pay through:

BPI (T. Carrasco, C/A No. 0 081-0483-63), or 

 

PNB (TRAP, C/A No. 1002-3310-0013).

Then, fax entry form and deposit slip (clear &/or enlarged copy) with name to Fax #: 809-2713.

 

•  Keep receipt & submit during Registration in Alabang. 
•  All bank charges must be shouldered by the sender. 
•  Registration form can be accomplished in Alabang.

 

Registration Center:

 

TRAP Head Office: Room 202, Building Alpha, Philsports Complex (ULTRA), Pasig City, 
Tel. #: +632-710-8259;

Mobile phone: +63-915-643-0822 (Fabie),

Fax: +632-809-2713, 
e-mail: info@triathlon.org.ph

 

Rick Reyes  email: rreyes_upm@yahoo.com    

Mobile phone: + 63-916-504-6513

 

Fabie David Registration & Secretariat Head   

email: fabiedavid@yahoo.com 
Mobile phone: +63-915-643-0822

 

Registration Fees:

July:                           SuperTriKids- P500              Mini Sprint- P800.               Sprint- P1,000.

August:                  SuperTriKids- P500              Mini Sprint- P1,000.             Sprint- P1,200.

September:              SuperTriKids- P700              Mini Sprint- P1,200.             Sprint- P1,500.

 

The fee which will cover cost of participation, post-race brunch, race packet & finisher’s t-shirt .

 

For sponsorship inquiries please call:

 

Chili Grass and look for Sarita Zafra at:

 

Tel #: 889-6794 

Mobile # 0917-8135027.

Email chiligrass@tri-isys.com or saritazafra@yahoo.com.

Mercury Measurements

The other day, I accompanied my wife to buy vitamins and medicines for the kiddos at the Mercury drugstore.  Inside the store, I chanced upon this machine which can supposedly record one’s weight, height, blood pressure, BMI and body fat percentage – all for five (5) pesos.  I lost the piece of paper where the machine recorded my stats but from what I can recall, the following are my measurements as per the machine:

•  Weight:  164.9 pounds
• Height:  5’10”
• BMI: 23.1 kg/m2
• BP: 121/74
• Heart Rate: 58bpm
• Body Fat Percentage: 18.1%

I don’t put much stock into numbers.  All I know is that I’ve never felt this good physically.  And I have to thank Junie for introducing me to this wonderful, wonderful sport of triathlon 🙂  

Cheers!

Rest? Recovery? Are you talking to me?

If there’s one thing multi-sport enthusiasts are accused of, is that they don’t appreciate the benefits of rest and recovery.  There’s always that nagging feeling that the gains reaped with those long, arduous workouts is easily lost if one were to rest.  Not me 🙂  I look forward to rest.  By now, you must have guessed that it’s recovery week for me.  There’s tons of literature detailing the benefits of rest for multi-sport athletes.  In fact, it can be just as important as a hard workout.  Allowing the body and muscles sufficient time to heal and recuperate is vital, especially for a demanding sport such as triathlon that puts a lot of strain on the joints, etc.  Recovery week is not all bed rest however 🙂  Earlier, I posted a typical week of training for Whiterock, the following is a glimpse of what a typical recovery week for Whiterock looks like:

Monday – Easy Swim/Core Training

Tuesday – Bike 30km; Run 5k moderate

Wednesday – Run 10 minutes medium, 10 minutes moderate, 10 minutes max

Thursday – Bike 60km hills; Easy swim

Friday – Run 12km; Swim speed

Saturday – Bike 30km

Sunday – Brick: 40km Bike 5km run at Zone 3

Aaahhhh, nothing like recovery week to kick back relax and have a good cold one.  

Cheers!  Drinks are on the house 🙂

Run for your life!!!!

This came in last night while I was browsing through my email.  Too bad, I already registered for the Miracle Run on 17 August 2008.  But for those of you who are still planning their races for August, you might want to consider this.  This race is organized once again by Popo and Thumbie Remigio.  

“Run for Your Life: Pass the Picture Based Health Warning Bill”

August 17, 2008 (Sunday), 6:00 AM to 11:00 AM, UP Campus.

 

The run event aims to raise public awareness on the Picture Based Health Warning Bill pending in the Senate and in the Congress, and also aims to generate mass-based support for the bill’s passage into law. The bill should be certified as a priority bill not only because we need to curb the tobacco epidemic, but also because, by September of 2008, the Philippines is bound to comply with its treaty obligation under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the first and only public health treaty in the world.

 

Registration fee: P250.00 inclusive of a race singlet and number.

 

 

DISTANCE AND PRIZES

10K

(MEN)

1^ST-: 10,000 and medal

2^ND: 7,000 and medal

3^RD: 5,000 and medal

4^th:  3,000 and medal

5^th:  2,000 and medal

 

(WOMEN)

1^ST-: 10,000 and medal

2^ND: 7,000 and medal

3^RD: 5,000 and medal

4^th:  3,000 and medal

5^th:  2,000 and medal

 

5K

(MEN)

1^ST-:5,000 and medal

2^ND: 3,000 and medal

3^RD: 2,000 and medal

4^th: 1,000 and medal

5^th:  500   and medal

 

(WOMEN)

1^ST-:5,000 and medal

2^ND: 3,000 and medal

3^RD: 2,000 and medal

4^th:  1,000 and medal

5^th:  500    and medal

 

3K

(BOYS)

1^ST: 3,000 and medal

2^ND: 2,000 and medal

3^RD: 1,000 and medal

4^th:     800 and medal

5^th:     500 and medal

 

(GIRLS)

1^ST: 3,000 and medal

2^ND:2,000 and medal

3^RD:1,000 and medal

4^th:    800 and medal

5^th:    500 and medal

 

 

FOR REGISTRATION AND RACE INQUIRIES PLS. CONTACT:

 

Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Panligal (SALIGAN):

 

Junie Santos: 0917-8288895

juniepot@yahoo.com

 

UP Mountaineers:

 

Bernz Varona: 0917-8344425

Thumbie o. Remigio: 0916-3858322

thumbieremigio@yahoo.com

 

Gearing up for O3

Nope, am not doing the long-distance triathlon for August 2 at Subic 🙂  Signed up to do the standard (the International Olympic Committee discourages the use of the word ‘olympic’ to describe a sport) distance which is 1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run.  Although, I’ve been doing triathlons for a year now, my experience at doing standard distances leave much to be desired.  Both of my attempts at the standard distance were at Subit (Subic International Triathlon) in 2007 and last May 2008.  

In 2007, my time was 3 hours 50 plus minutes.  The bike course then required the participants to do 3 loops up Binictican Hill.  Binictican is a 2km category 2 (don’t know what this means) climb.  Pamatay talaga, especially for a novice biker like me.  What made matters worse was that I had a flat tire when there were still 10kms to go.  I still remember telling myself then not to quit and just finish the race because sayang naman ang registration fee 🙂  So you could just imagine what Binictican was like with a flat tire.  Climbing up was not the hard part this time, instead, it was the descent which was pretty scary.  I had to hold on to the brakes all the time to prevent the bike from descending too fast because my rear wheel was skidding.     

Subit 2008 presented a different challenge.  Although Binictican was no longer part of the course, I was still trying to incorporate the Total Immersion technique in my swim and I wasn’t confident I could maintain my form in open sea for 1.5k.  True enough, sighting became a problem and if not for the kayaks roving around to guide me back to the buoy lines, I would have been swimming into the South China Sea already.  As mentioned earlier there was no Binictican, but 20 plus kms of rolling hills took its toll on me and I bonked on the run portion of the race.   Mostly walked the last 7km of the run.  My time was 3:18.  I consoled myself that it was still an improvement over 2007’s finish.  At least, there was no flat this time.  

As you can see, confidence issues linger in my quest to do a decent standard distance triathlon.  Am in the midst of training to make sure I don’t bonk again in O3 but you never know…  To use an analogy with basketball, where I am now is pretty much where the Lakers was in 1985 versus the Celtics.  Up until then, the Celtics OWNED the Lakers, especially in the 60’s.  Of course, it didn’t help that in Game 1 of the 1985 Finals, the Celtics routed the Lakers 148-114 in what eventually became known as the Memorial Day Massacre at the Boston Garden.  But then, the Lakers eventually did triumph over the Celtics that year (first time that the Lakers beat the Celtics in an NBA finals) and winning at no less than Boston’s homecourt at that, the fabled Boston Garden.  Hoping I too can conquer my own Celtics demons at O3 in August 🙂

Cheers.

Men’s Health Miracle Run

—————————————————————————————————————————————————-  Admit it… you run either to stay fit or to win. Now, it’s time to put your money where your foot is…  This August, make a difference… lace up your running shoes and be counted.  The Men’s Health 10,000km Miracle Run  is a unique event that will gather all sorts of runners—those who run to compete or simply those who want to push their limits. This time, they’re all running for those who can’t.  Be part of this unique running event where finishing first or last doesn’t matter at all.  Be one of more than 1,000 runners who will run a 10km. course (OR a cumulative total distance of 10,000 km.) for the benefit of those who can’t.  Now you won’t just be cheering for the first ones to finish! What’s at stake?  There are no losers in this event. Everyone who signs up is already a winner. For every finisher, Men’s Health will donate P200 to GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc. If all runners finish the course, the event will donate a minimum of P200,000!  Individual and team options  Participants may register as an individual and complete the entire race course or register as a team of two (each to run 5 km.). Teams can be same or mixed gender.  Registration  Summit Media 6/F Robinsons Cybergate 3, Pioneer St., Mandaluyong City  R.O.X. Bonifacio High Street Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City  All-Terra Bike Shop Club 650, Libis, Quezon City DOWNLOAD REGISTRATION FORM  Registration fee: P350 / individual Registration starts July 15, 2008  Claiming of Race kits will begin on August 6, 2008 at: Summit Media 7/F Robinsons Cybergate 3, Pioneer St., Mandaluyong City

Brick by Brick

In lieu of the LaSalle run which was held yesterday at the Fort, I decided to stick to the program which called for a Brick workout.  Brick is a bike-run workout which is intended to help the body adapt to the stresses of an actual race where the transition from bike to run is arguably the most difficult to do in triathlons.  The program called for me to do 40k bike and 5k run at zone 4.  Just like in Fontana, I biked in the rain once again although it did clear up once I began to run.  Here are the stats:

Bike time: 1:20:30

Average Speed: 29.8km/hr.

Transition: 3:45

Run time: 26:58

Total: 1:51:04

In past races, even my wife noticed that I take a long time in transitions.  Being the observant spectator that she is, she noticed that a lot of triathletes don’t bother to wear socks.  Also, cycling shoes were already attached to the pedals even before the race.  Like what any good husband would do, I listened to the wifey and followed her suggestions.  Already ditched the socks in my long run last thursday and began practicing with the ‘clipped-on’ shoes during my bike training on saturday and yesterday’s brick workout.  Let’s see if it’ll make a difference in O3 Subic.  

Cheers!