Category: Jogging

Lessons Learned: 2008 The San Francisco Marathon

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Marathon Race, Races, Runners' Training, Running4 Comments

Evaluation of my Running After The 2008 San Francisco Marathon

After I finished the 2008 Pasig River Heritage Marathon last 24 February, barely four months of slowly building my base, I continued my running workouts without any plan of running a full marathon in the future but I saw to it that I have to improve my race times in the 10K to half-marathon race distances which were held almost every weekend in Metro Manila.

With my retirement from the service and plan to visit my family in the US after retirement in May of this year, I thought of running the San Francisco Marathon which was scheduled at least 10 weeks after my retirement. After sending an e-mail to my son of my decision to run the SFO Marathon on the 1st week of May, my training became more focused to experience my 2nd International marathon after my Fort Benning’s First Infantry Marathon in 1984. My registration to the said marathon encouraged my son and daughter to run also with me and they started preparing for the race. Continue reading “Lessons Learned: 2008 The San Francisco Marathon” →

Day #2: P90X (Plyometrics)

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Runners' Training, RunningLeave a comment

Plyometrics are drills designed to connect strength with speed to produce power. It is also known as the “jump training”, this technique emerged in the Eastern Europe in the early 1970s. The word was coined by an American track coach, Fred Wilt, where the word derives from the Latin plyo + metrics, or “measurable increases”. Plyometric training relates to any activity that requires speed and strength, as it improves your ability to run faster, jump higher, and manuever in multidirectional sports. If your game involves a court, field, track, mat, pool, ring, rink, or mountain, Plyometrics can help.

The key to avoiding injury during any plyometric exercise is to ensure proper take-off and landing. This technique can best be achieved by leaping off the toes and landing softly and quietly on the balls of the feet. Wear a good shock absorbing rubber shoes and workout on a surface that provides plenty of cushion. However, if one has a chronic knee problems, this workout is not recommended. Continue reading “Day #2: P90X (Plyometrics)” →

Day # 1: P90X & 10K Run

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Runners' Training, Running9 Comments

Day # 1: P90X—Chest & Back (06 August 2008)

After preparing for the tools (push-up grips; elastic band; 20-lb dumbbells; water; & towel) needed for my first day of exercises, I played the DVD that goes with the program on my laptop and followed the exercises being done by the demonstrators. The first day schedule is devoted to the CHEST AND BACK muscles. I started at 10:00 AM and supposed to finish the exercises in one (1) hour if I strictly follow the tempo of the demonstrators.

After almost 5 minutes of warm-up exercises and stretching of the shoulders, neck, and the arms, the following exercises were followed with the following number of repetitions I performed: Continue reading “Day # 1: P90X & 10K Run” →

Olympic Records In Distance Running

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Races, Running4 Comments

800 Meters

Men’s: Vebjorn Rodal (Norway)—1:42:58 mins (1996)

Women’s: Nadezha Olizarenko (Soviet Union)—1:53:43 mins (1980)

1,500 Meters

Men’s: Noah Ngeny (Kenya)—3:32:07 mins (2000)

Women’s: Paula Ivan (Romania)—3:53:96 mins (1988) Continue reading “Olympic Records In Distance Running” →

Recovery Run & P90X Fitness Test

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Runners' Training, RunningLeave a comment

9:12 AM 05 August 2008

We arrived in Los Angeles at 6:00 PM yesterday after a 6 1/2-hour from San Francisco. Although I slept in most part of the trip, I was still tired once we arrived in the house. After dinner, I had to take a shower and went to bed very early.

At 9:00 AM this morning, I decided to have my recovery run and start again a more challenging training for my first ultra marathon trail run within 19 days. It was supposed to do a “double” today with a 5K run in the morning and an 8K run later in the late afternoon but I felt good and comfortable to increase my pace and distance after running 3 kilometers and so I ended up running 13K in the morning. I did a faster 10K run and the remaining 3K were done in my simulated trail run pace. Continue reading “Recovery Run & P90X Fitness Test” →

Pictures @ The SFM Expo

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Marathon Race, Pictures, Races, Running3 Comments

The following pictures were taken on Saturday when we picked-up our race packets at the SF Marathon Expo:

These were the portalets aligned at the vicinity of the Starting Line and more of these were positioned in almost all water/medical stations along the routes of the Full Marathon and 2 routes of Half-Marathon.

Dean Karnazes, the Ultra Marathon Man, with my daughter, Jovelle before we reached the Marathon Expo.

Well, talking of coincidence? I have another photo-ops with the Dean K. He said to my daughter that I am crazy! Well, I think we are both crazy!!!

This is San Francisco Marathon’s version of their Project “Donate A Shoe”. Wow! The six (6) containers are 200-liter drums filled to the rim with donated used running shoes!

These are my race bib with my name printed in it and a strip (pasted above my name) of the ChronoTrack D-strip timing chip which is disposable; the map of San Francisco with the route of the course (yellow colored route) and a Finisher’s T-shirt.

My recap of the race will posted later today.

The SFM Expo

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Marathon Race, Races, Running6 Comments

We arrived in San Francisco’s Embarcadero where the San Francisco Marathon Exposition was located at 3:30 PM this afternoon after 7 1/2 hours trip (to include lunch & gasoline stops) by car from Los Angeles. Our race packets should be taken from the Expo before it closed at 5:00 PM and after that the issuance of race packets was closed. There is no late registration and issuance of race packets on the day of the race. And this is being strictly followed.

While my daughter and I were on our way to the Expo, we met Dean Karnazes again! We had a brief chat and another photo-ops with him. Dean Karnaze told to my daughter that “I am crazy!” Dean K just finished a speaking engagement at the Expo and he was about to leave the parking lot when we met him.

There was a lot of runners inside three long tents and different stalls offering running apparels, shoes, and gadgets. After browsing some of the stalls, we were able to get our race packets and finisher’s t-shirts without any problem. The volunteers did not ask for our Identification card before they finally gave us our race packets.

From the Expo, we proceeded to the house of my wife’s relatives for a visit and they prepared for a “carbo-loading” dinner for us.

The three of us will be with the 8th wave (the last group) to start at 6:30 AM with an expected low temperature of 52 degrees Fahrenheit and high temperature of 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Ooops, this will be a chilling temperature for me for a marathon race.

We are staying for two days in a hotel which is at least one mile away from the starting line. Jogging towards the starting line will be our warm-up.

Good night..I am going to sleep now!

Last Run Before TSFM

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Runners' Training, Running5 Comments

I did a 12-Kilometer easy run along the moderate hill streets of Los Angeles at 10:30 AM yesterday. This will be my last run before the family travels to San Francisco for the Marathon this Sunday.

I finished the run in 1:15:47 hours with an average pace of 6:09 minutes per kilometer. I told my kids that I will be running an average pace of 9:50 minutes per mile or 6:05 minutes per kilometer during the race. Hopefully, finishing the race in 4:30:00 hours!

So, on this particular run, I tried to run with the 6:05-min pace to include my runs on the hills and I finished a little slower. The heat might had slowed me down on my last 2 kilometers as it was almost midday when I was about to finish the distance.

I hope to do more stretching on the remaining days before the marathon. 

The main goal here is to experience running a Marathon with my kids and show them that I can still finish it at my age. This will be my first Marathon running with them.

Two days ago, we were already talking and planning to run together again for the 2009 Los Angeles Marathon on March.

Nice idea. Why not?

Thai Massage

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Runners' Training, RunningLeave a comment

Last night, my kids brought me to the Pho-Siam Thai Spa to have our body massage in preparation for our participation in The San Francisco Marathon. The place is two blocks away from the house and we just walked in going to the place. However, we made a reservation for our schedule a day before.

It was a “heavy” body massage and it was my first time to experience a Thai Massage. One person costs $40.00 plus the tip to the attendant. I must say that this is the best body massage I have experienced so far. The cost is cheap as compared to other Spas around the LA area where the average cost for such service is $60.00 per person. The body massage had a duration of one hour.

For the the cost of one massage session here in Los Angeles is already equivalent to two massage sessions with my massage attendant in Makati City’s Island Spa. Anyway, the experience with my first Thai Massage was worth it and I will be going back again.

Nike Oregon Project

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Runners' Training, Running1 Comment

The sports company, NIKE, came up also with a distance running project called “NIKE Oregon Project” which was created in 2001 and being coached by Alberto Salazar.

For more information of this project, please click here.

Dathan Ritzenhein, one of the marathon athletes of this project, placed second (2nd) in the US Olympics Marathon Trials last November 2007 with a time of 2:11:07. He is now an US Olympian athlete to run the Marathon in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Talking about Alberto Salazar, he has a video on How To Become A Better Runner and you can check it here.

Happy Running!