Category: Pictures

Something Was Wrong!

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Places to Run, Runners' Training, Running, Trail Running, TravelLeave a comment

WC 200: First Attempt

As you all know, I stopped this run after covering the distance of 40 kilometers after being bitten by an astray dog at the Poblacion of San Narciso, Zambales at around 7:40 PM of September 14, 2011, Wednesday. However, I would like to relate what transpired, in detail, from the time before I started the run up to the time when I reached the Poblacion of San Narciso.

The day before I started this first attempt, I was having some problem with my stomach as I’ve been having a LBM for the past days and I was taking Loperamide tablets on a daily basis but to no avail, my condition did not improve. I was wondering if I had a stomach virus that was keeping me from being cured from such predicament. The solution that I could think of was to take a Loperamide tablet every time I have to eat and drink something few hours before I took off. Such move relieved me somehow.

Not Smiling While It Was Raining

However, my aggressive drive was not there when I started for my “photo-ops” inside the Remy Field’s Oval Track at the Subic Freeport. You can’t see a smile on my face and for the first time in my adventure runs, I was nervous of the uncertainty of the challenge I was going to face. I guess, my biorythm was not synchronized with what was in my mind. But it suddenly rained while I was about to finish one lap on the oval track and my mood changed a little with the fact that this could be a “blessing” from heaven that it was a “GO” for me to continue this run. I finally started my run at 9:50 AM which is barely 10 minutes earlier from the usual 10:00 AM Elite runner’s realease for the Badwater Ultramarathon. (Note: If ever this will be an official running event, the race will start at exactly 10:00 AM)

I purposely walked while I was leaving the oval track and making my way to the Kalaklan Gate which is located on the northern end of the former US Navy Base of Subic. As I passed the Gate, I waved to the Security Police that was guarding the gate, he responded with a smile and I was out of the base. As I passed the bridge and turned left towards the Olongapo-Bugallon Highway, I was still walking and I was on the ascending portion that goes to the Gate of the Olongapo City Public Cemetery. I came to realize that the whole portion of the hill occupies the

Once I reached the peak, I started my slow run in the descending portion. I was always on the left side of the road making sure that I can see what is infront of me. The road to Olongapo City was a busy one and I was very careful of the incoming traffic because the road was wet due to the brief rain in the area.

Busy Road On The Stretch of Olongapo To Subic

My support vehicle was prepositioned in front of me in every 3 kilometers and I had to stop and cross the road to the other side in a careful matter in order to refill my handy Nathan “Sprint” Bottle and eat some solid foods. I was fortunate enough that the sun was covered with clouds for the first hour of my run. The first 4-5 kilometers was a “roller-coaster” where I strictly followed walking on the ascending portions and then running the descending ones. However, I have to regularly check on my Heart Rate Monitor Watch to be able to maintain a certain range of beats per minute. I made 135 bpm as my upper limit on my first 10 kilometers of the run.

Along the stretch from Olongapo City to the town of Subic (actually I was surprised that there is a town named after the former US Naval Base/Facility) which is a distance of about 10 kilometers, I could see only two things along the road—entrance to the beach resorts and bold & colored names of night clubs/bars. There are also commercial establishments and cafes where you can see “senior white” guys drinking their coffee and smoking their cigar (not cigarettes!). A typical “Cool”-look of retired US servicemen who knew their way around in the country and in Subic/Olongapo area. They are good contributors to the economy of the place. You could just imagine how they could spend their monthly retirement pay with a business to manage, a young wife/partner, a nice house with maids, a nice car, and a beach/sea where they could relax. Such kind of life way back to their country of origin would be a fortune and luxury only for the rich and famous!

Waving To A "White" Guy Who Was Hiking On The Other Side Of The Road

It is along this stretch where I made my first status on Facebook, telling something about being “horny” while running on the hot and humid stretch of the Olongapo-Bugallon Highway and I received a lot of comments immediately after I posted it. Actually my feeling during the run was the complete opposite of what I’ve posted. I was trying to entertain myself and taking some positive vibes as the sun was already hot and it was noon time already. My hydration and nutrition strategy was strictly followed in order to last for the distance and I was feeling fine and strong.

No Need To Explain..I Was Simply Tired Due To The Heat

I have to rest in waiting sheds along the road and most of them are located on my right. After eating and hydrating myself, I have to open my laptop computer to find out if my Internet connection is strong. I was glad I was able to post a brief summary and some pictures about my run where the signal is strong. It took me at least 30-35 minutes for these “pit stops” and had only a few remaining minutes to complete my targetted number of kilometers in every hour of my run. At least, I would be able to run or cover a distance of 5-6 kilometers per hour to include my rests/”pit stops”. For the next hours, this ritual had been repeated all the way as I covered more towns of Zambales. But I did not meet the required targetted mileage as hours passed by.

Resting Outside A Cemetery!!!!

After Subic, the next place to go was the town of Castillejos, the birthplace of the Former President Ramon Magsaysay. The place is clean and it has paved sidewalks. I did not bother to pay attention that the preserved old house of the former President was on my side which I learned later on my next attempt. The next town would be San Marcelino, a big towm which serves as the meeting point/junction for the towns of San Antonio and San Narciso. If you turn left from the junction of the town near its Municipal Hall and Public Market, you would go along the Old Route that goes to the town of San Antonio but if you go straight, it will lead you to the new highway which is a “shortcut” to the town of San Narciso. This stretch of the Highway is wide, flat and with lesser traffic but the view of the ricefields on both sides of the road was very refreshing. On the east you would see the Zambales-Tarlac Mountains and the west would be endless sight of ricefields and some hills.

The Entrance To Castillejos, Zambales
Favorite Picture Of The Day

After my hourly “pit stops”, I was already on the boundary of San Narciso but I need at least 6 kilometers more to reach the Poblacion and it was starting to get dark. I had to use my Eddie Bauer Headlamp and hand-held flashlight to illuminate the ground about 2 meters ahead of me and I was comfortable with my run. As I slowly reached the Poblacion of San Narciso, I told my support crew that we need to have a decent and “hot” dinner along the first eatery (carinderia) that we could reach. That would be my first complete meal for the day. I decided to pass on the first one because there was a loud Karaoke with an out-of-tune and out-of-beat singer/performer. The place is crowded, too! So, I have to stop on the next eatery where there is no customer.

Scenery Refreshing To The Eyes
Time To Update My Blog & Post Status On Facebook
Getting Dark Approaching San Narciso

The owner of the carinderia was generous and kind that she allowed us to charge my laptop and heat up our electric thermos. For meals that cost us P 120.00 (rice and pork sinigang) and free use of their electricity for about an hour, it was something to cherish when you are in the province. I took some time to update my blog in this carinderia while talking to the owner and to the waitresses who happen to be the nieces of the owner. From our conversation, they were informed that I was running from Subic all the way to their place and hopefully end up in Iba, Zambales. (I did not tell them that I’ll be running further north from their province and end up in Alaminos, Pangasinan!).

Inside The Roadside Carinderia

Fresh from a decent meal and after changing my wet ARC shirt to a dry one, I was ready to continue my run. After almost one kilometer from this carinderia, I was attacked and bitten by an stray dog along a dark portion of the highway, barely 500 meters from the Municipal Hall and Public Plaza of San Narciso. “Houston, we have a problem!”

My first instinct was to stop on a lighted part of the road and see the wound clearly with my hand-held flashlight. I asked for some wet wipes from my support crew and immediately cleaned the wound as there was no blood coming out from the wound. One thing that I failed to prepare and bring was my basic first aid kit. This could be one of the reasons why there was something wrong in me! We had to rely on the services of an open drug store where we bought Betadine, Cotton and Bandage. After buying such medical needs, I walked to the Public Plaza where the park lights are stronger. I just sit on the steps that lead to the park while treating and cleaning my wounds.

My Souvenir On My 1st Attempt

It was time to call the doctors whom I know. Not only one but three of them and they gave me identical recommendations and procedures to follow. After I dropped my phone, I immediately decided to stop the run and go back immediately to Manila for my immediate treatment. In less than 18 hours, I had my anti-tetanus shots first and then my first anti-rabies shots, not after going in 3 different branches of Mercury Drug Store. The anti-rabies shot is not being carried by all Mercury Drug Stores and they are very expensive! For a 1/2 cc of injectable drug that costs P 1,630.00, the company that manufactures it would be making a lot of profit.

As of this writing, I was able to complete the required number of shots within 14 days after the 1st injection and the scars of the dog’s bite leave as a memory/souvenir of my first attempt to run the WC 200.

Stupid as it may seem, I put the blame on me for deciding to use the Ipod Shuffle during this run. For years, I’ve stopped using any wires on my runs but I brough it back last June of this year. (Reading Phil Maffetone’s training influenced me to go back to hearing music during my runs). As I said in previous post, using some kind of music on one’s ears disrupts ones depth of perception on his/her surroundings and it brought me to be complacent on the threat of the barking dogs. Thanks to the late Steve Jobs for inventing the Ipod as I owned a lot in the past and gave them as “gifts” to those who would like to have one when it came to the point that I finally decided to stop having wires during my runs. (It’s amazing that this post ends up to the visionary Steve Jobs! May he rest in peace.)

To be continued.

“Good Samaritan”

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Runners' Training, Running, Travel, Ultramarathon2 Comments

I never met this guy, Andre Blumberg from Hongkong,  in person but we are “friends” on Facebook and I’ve seen him joined in this year’s TNF 100K in Bicol through pictures of other runners posted at Facebook. He had been travelling to other countries just to participate in TNF’s and other Ultra Races and he also finished the TNF 100 in Australia last June of this year. We were supposed to meet at this year’s MIWOK 100 last May at the Marin Headlands in San Francisco, California as he got a lottery slot for the race. But it never happened as he can not make it to the United States due to work commitments.

Last September 6, he sent me a message on Facebook which I’ll repost in this blog and it is self-explanatory:

Dear Sir Jovie,
 As you may we aware we will have the second Vibram HK100 event here in Hong Kong, along the famous MacLehose trail. 100km distance, around 4.5k vertical. It will take place on 18/19 Feb. Last year Lizzy Hawker joined, and no doubt next year there will be some good international presence as well. I am not directly involved with the event but know the RDs well and would like to support the race since it is the only 100km solo event currently in HK (we have many other events including a very tough 156km one, but they are all team events with at least 2 members to a team).
 I am very proud about the work you do for the ultra community in the Philippines. Whilst I did not have a chance yet to join any of your events (hopefully BDM160 next year), I cherish the Pinoy ultra community, largely because the people I met are all very friendly. I’ve worked in Manila for 6 months in the late 1990ies (but didn’t run at the time), so always keen to go back.
Anyhow, purpose of my note is the following: I would like to consider sponsoring one or two athletes in your team to join the HK100 event in order to give them international exposure. I have no specific arrangement in mind yet, but I could help out with sponsoring the entrance fee and/or hotel and/or flight, or parts thereof. I know there are many talented and very hard working runners and that many of them may not be able to afford traveling overseas for a race, hence I would like to support perhaps one male and one female athlete to join this event, ideally this would be runners that have good potential and who would “grow” by participating internationally. The HK100 is a qualifying event for UTMB, Comrades and Western States, so it could be a stepping stone for one of the truly big events. Would be interested in your thoughts on the above.

Thanks,
Andre.

I immediately sent this reply to him.

Dear Andre,

Wow! I am amazed with your gesture to help/support one/two of our pinoy ultrarunners. I could not imagine a foreigner offering such support. All along my blog and status at Facebook had been sending the message to my readers to support our elite athletes to international exposure and I am really surprised that you understood the predicament we have here.

Your offer is very timely as I am in a venture to send at least one/two elite runners to WS100 in 3 years time. I’ve talked already to two of my athletes and they have started training for the said goal. They wll be competing in the IAU Asian 100K Championship in Jeju on the last Saturday of March 2012 (1st weekend of April).

However, I have another 2 elite ultra runners whom I have to talk about your offer. I will update you on this matter in the coming days.

I will be sending an e-mail soon for us to discuss the details.

Thanks! God bless!

Sir Jovie

Why am I posting these exchange of messages in my blog? Because for the past THREE YEARS that I’ve been promoting ultrarunning races on the Philippines, nobody cared to have the INITIATIVE to offer any kind of support to our elite athletes for INTERNATIONAL exposure. Except for those “usual suspects” in ultrarunning whom I’ve been asking for support, I was able to bring two (2) of our elite long distance runners to the IAU Asian 100K Championship in Jeju, South Kore last year. Alquin Bolivar of the Philippine Army was able to set a National Record of 9:06+ hours for the said event where he placed #6 beating other countries.

I don’t want to mention the names of corporations and private institutions/Race Organizers who had been engaged in promoting their products and corporate names through running, and who should/must be at the forefront of having the initiative to help our elite athletes in international exposure. I am sorry to say that our ultrarunning as a sports could not be supported by the government as the different Sports Federations in the country are competing with each other for the funds coming from the Philippine Sports Commission. As I said before, the VISION of our Sports Federations only goes up having a Podium Finish at the SOUTHEAST ASIAN GAMES! And the government ONLY recognizes an athlete or a team if he/she/it wins a World’s or International Event.

Have you noticed that Race Organizers in our Marathon Races could not even send their (Pinoy) Winners to some of the prestigious Wold’s Championship in Marathon like Boston, New York, Chicago, Berlin or London? I don’t know the reason why, BUT they could send an AVERAGE competetive runner to these Marathon Races through sponsorship! It boggles my mind as I am not envious with this kind of arrangement. It is simply a waste of resources sending such runners instead of sending our top elite runners who can really compete with the world’s best runners! It is the truth and I am sorry that, reality bites!

I had experienced “begging” to the government (to include politicians) and to some of the known private corporations in the past, most specifically when I planned to launch the 1st BDM 102 and most of them did not offer any support and as a result, I made a promise to myself that I will never attempt to do it again. I am satisfied and contended that I have “friends” who can understand my message in this blog and willing to support in my endeavors for the simple reason of promoting the sports of Ultra Running.

To Andre and to the “usual suspects” in ultra running, thank you for your INITIATIVE to support our Sports and to our elite athletes! God bless!

Andre Blumberg In Action (Taken From Andre's Facebook Wall)

So, if you are awaken to what I am driving at in this post, then I will be glad to accept voluntary offers to support our elite athletes in order to bring them to international exposure, whether in Asia, Europe or in the United States. You can send a message on Facebook or send me a note to my e-mail address at jovie75@hotmail.com. It’s about time we have to hear from you. Don’t wait for a foreigner to be more generous to us than from a full-blooded Pinoy. Let us help one another!

WC 200K: The Beginning (Part 2)

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Places to Run, Runners' Training, Running, Travel, Ultramarathon2 Comments

Facebook Discussion

Days after my trip from Bolinao, Pangasinan to coordinate in the conduct of the PAU’s COCOS To Sual 65K Run on the second week of July, there was “discussion” among my friends at Facebook about coming up with our First Pinoy to join the Badwater Ultra Marathon in California, USA. The discussion consisted of Joe Matias of ARC Los Angeles/Manila; Benjamin Gaetos; Tess Geddes; Rick Gaston, and myself. Joe Matias had just witnessed the conduct of the Badwater Ultra Marathon a few days after where he supported one of the runners in the name of his store in Los Angeles and he had an idea of suggesting Ben Gaetos or Rick Gaston to be the 1st Pinoy to join the said prestigious race.

It was a very interesting idea to ponder and discuss among Pinoy Ultra Friends at Facebook with Ben Gaetos as the most likely candidate for the said race. I even volunteered as one of the support crew of the team just in case Ben Gaetos is amenable with the idea. However, Ben gave his word that he could not make it due to financial reasons. And the the very interesting discussion just ended from there.

Idea Was Born

That discussion gave me the idea of coming up with a possibility of a “one stage” road race which is longer than the Badwater Ultra Marathon (135 miles) to even up the lack of elevation in the Philippines but the heat and humidity could be worse than the real event if done during the summer months of April or May.

Why go to Badwater, California when I (or anybody) can create a “Badwater Route” in the Philippines which is more scenic and refreshing to the eyes of the runners? And there is no need to pay for at least $ 1,000.00 for the registration fee and that is excluding expenses to be incurred for travel, accommodation, rent of support vehicles, and logistics for the runner and the members of the support crew. Yes, it takes a lot of fortune and resources to join the said event aside from the fact that you should have completed some of the well-known 100-mile endurance races!

The plan was the route from Bolinao, Pangasinan to Subic Freeport’s Remy Field Oval Track along the Olangapo-Bugallon Highway which is approximately 240 kilometers. Since I had the experience of running the Bolinao-Alaminos route during my “West To East” Adventure Run, I planned to try to run the distance of 200 kilometers from the Subic’s Remy Field Oval Track to Alaminos, Pangasinan.

However, if things will materialize in the planning of this race that will replicate the Badwater Ultra Marathon, the route will cover a distance of 240 Kilometers from the Subic Freeport’s Remy Field Oval Track to Bolinao, Pangasinan. Or the other possible option is to have the finish line at the Provincial Oval Track/Stadium at the vicinity of the Lingayen Gulf in Lingayen, Pangasinan. The significance of this option is that a runner starts from a former US Navy Seaport Facility, passing along the Birthplace/Province of the Former President Ramon Magsaysay (dubbed as the “President of the Masses”), a view of the lahar formations brought about by the eruption of Mt Pinatubo in Botolan, Zambalaes, a view of the Masinloc Coal Plant, a glimpse of Potipot Island, seeing the salt beds in Dasol, Pangasinan on both sides of the road, and finishing at the very exact location where the Battle of Lingayen Gulf happened in World War II when the US Forces returned to the Philippines to liberate us from the Japanese occupation. At least, there is history and tourism explanation of this route.

Logistics

The only person who knew about my plan to run a 200-kilometer distance in one stage was Joe Matias of A Runners Circle (ARC) Specialty Store and I asked him to sponsor my run and explained to him that “I am creating a Badwater Route in the Philippines” and be able to “test run” it within two (2) months. He immediately gave his word to support my run and within a few weeks, he sent me load of “logistics” all the way from Los Angeles to include Gu Gels, ARC Shirts, ASICS Cap, Salt Caps, and Mix Drinks. Thanks, Joe for that superb and wonderful generosity!

Other solid foods and additional special drinks were bought at the Puregold Warehouse Store inside Subic Freeport to include Loaf Breads, Peanut Butter, Instant Noodles, Ensure Drinks, Nescafe Latte & Espresso Canned Drinks, Sports Drinks, Bottled Water and others. Emergency medicines were also bought at the Mercury Drug Store located within the compound. The usual boiled bananas and eggs were also prepared for the event.

Training

I spent the following days and weeks on building my base-endurance by the number of hours I placed my feet on the ground. I had some daily runs at the ULTRA Oval Track and at the Philippine Army Grandstand & Parade Ground’s Jogging Lane with a minimum of 1.5 to 2 hours per workout. Whenever I have the chance, I could be in Subic Freeport’s roads and Remy Field’s Oval Track for more of my endurance runs lasting to 2 hours or more. My regular visits and “test runs” on the Taklang Damulag’s trail route in Fort Magsaysay had also added my training for this run where I was able to run for almost eight (8) hours under the heat of the sun and intermittent rains in one of my workouts. Speed was not a part of the training. Everything was purely on endurance with the use of the Heart Monitor.

The rule of thumb in my Heart Monitor training is to be able to maintain a HR below 150 beats per minute! If my HR Monitor exceeds to more than 150 bpm, it is a signal that I should start on a “brisk walking” mode until it settles to 120 bpm in order to start running again. But maintaining HR with an average of 140-145 bpm was perfect to me.

Side Story on My Running Form

During my 8-hour “test run” at the Taklang Damulag’s route, I asked my elite runner to take my pictures from my back as I ran the trail route. He took some pictures on many occassions during the run. While we were having our “pit stop” before the last 10K of our run, he mentioned that something is “wrong” with my running form and stride! He explained everything what he observed about my leg movement, stride, and footwork. I know all along that something is wrong with my left leg (my latest injury is on my left knee) through the years and nobody cared to correct me! I’ve been with three (3) running coaches for so many years of running but they did not have the courage to tell me what was wrong with my footwork! What they cared was for me to become a faster runner!

So, my elite runner started to explain to me what I was doing and what should be done to correct my footwork and stride. The correction was immediately done after our “pit stop” and he observed my footwork and strides from my back. He constantly cautioned and warned me if I was going back to my old form during the run. In short, for the last 10K of my run, I was strictly observed by my elite runner on my proper footwork. Since then, I was aware of said correction whenever I do my runs. What was good about it is that the pain on my left knee just disappeared after a few workouts with the corrected form and footwork!

The correction was so simple. I had to point my left toe more outward as I run until it will be conditioned to be pointing directly forward in the long run. Before, my left foot points inward during the take-off and on landing on the ground and this movement put some added pressure to my left knee, thus, after years of running, the knee is already in pain absorbing such added pressure. My leg stride is not balanced. My left foot lands on the ground with more force than my right foot which means that my left foot is exerting more effort than my right foot. My elite runner suggested that I have to loosen my right hips and let my right leg exert some effort during the run. It seems that my right leg is “lazy” during my runs due to stiff hip muscles/flexors. I am still working on my hips to be loose and it was suggested to have more massage on my butt and hip muscles! And the last advise was to have my foot land on the ground on a flatter mode, not on a forefoot strike. Basically, it is flatter than a midfoot landing where tmy midfoot lands almost at the same time with my heel.

After weeks of corrective measures on my footwork and strides, it became natural to me and I could run effortless with higher and more consistent cadence of strides. Of course, I am still “shuffling” but I am more efficient and injury/pain-free during my runs as a result of such corrective measures. One of my running friends observed about the change in my running strides/form when I had my speed run at the ULTRA Oval Track just to apply the corrective measures I have to follow. I had 10 X 800-meter session at that time and I was happy that I did not have any pains on my left knee. However, that was my only “speed” session for the two months that I prepared for this run.

Running Kit

I prepared at least 5 pairs of shoes—Adidas Adizero Adios, Adidas Adizero Mana, Adidas Adizero Rocket, New Balance MT 101, and Hoka One One Bondi B (courtesy of ARC Store Los Angeles).

For my running apparel, ARC Store provided me with shirts (long-sleeves and short sleeves) and brought my ASICS Compression shorts; NIKE Running Shorts; and my ever-reliable ADIDAS Tech-Fit Compression Shorts.

Calf Sleeves: Zhensa (Red & Black)

Hydration System: Nathan’s “Sprint” 10 oz. Handheld Bottle

Running Socks: DryMax

Scarf: Buff

Runner’s Cap: ASICS with cover on the nape (courtesy of ARC); NIKE cap; and Under Armor Cap

Waterproof Jacket/Windbreaker: The North Face: Men’s Venture Jacket (Hyvent DT)

Electronic Gadgets: Ipod Shuffle with Philips Earphones; TIMEX Watch with HR Monitor; Garmin Forerunner 305; Gymboss; SONY VAIO Laptop with SMART BRO Internet Mobile Connection.

Sunglasses: Ray-Ban

Lights: Eddie Bauer Headlights and SureFire’s 6P Flashlight

Medicine: ALEVE Caplets (NSAID) 220 mg.

Security Arrangements

A telephone call was made to the Commander of the Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) of the AFP and SMS to the Commander & Operations Officer of the 7th Infantry Division, Philippine Army requesting them for security and monitoring of my movement along the route by their intelligence operatives. These are military personnel in plain clothes who would mingle with the crowd along the route or stay in one area to watch what is infront and back of me and my support vehicle, most especially during my night runs.

Finally, I created a name for this event as the “West Coast 200K Endurance Run”, in short, WC200! My 3rd Adventure Run and my 2nd one for this year.

To be continued.

On My 1st Attempt of the Event (September 14, 2011)

Nalpasen!

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Places to Run, Runners' Training, Running, Travel, Ultramarathon7 Comments

It’s an Ilocano word for “It’s Done”.

I finished my self-proclaimed “West Coast 200-Kilometer Endurance Run” in 57:48:32 hours with the route along the Olongapo-Bugallon Highway from the Remy Field’s Oval Track at Subic Freeport to Alaminos, Pangasinan.

This is the summary of my daily runs:

September 21 (Wednesday). I was able to complete a distance of 73.5 kilometers, from the Remy Field’s Oval Track to the Poblacion of Botolan, Zambales with 18 hours on the road to include “pit stops”. Average Heart Rate: 135 bpm

September 22 (Thursday). I was able to complete a distance of 67 kilometers from Botolan, Zambales to the Poblacion of Santa Cruz, Zambales (the last town before reaching the boundary of Pangasinan). It took me almost 16 hours on the road to include “pit stops” and sleep in waiting sheds along the road. Average Heart Rate: 132 bpm

September 23 (Friday). I simulated this run at my own “race pace” which I purposely did at nighttime. I was able to complete the remaining 60.4 kilometers in 9:48:32 hours to include brief “pit stops” and some “photo-ops”. Average Heart Rate: 138 bpm.

I was able to finish my self-proclaimed run in almost 3 days with an average daily distance of 66+ kilometers! This could be my best performance in my adventure runs despite some setbacks (dog bites, LBM, recovery from my left knee injury and inclement weather on my last day’s run). A big improvement from my best daily run of 55 kilometers during my 1st adventure run from Manila to Baguio City.

This feat would not be possible without the snappy performance of my support team (a driver and a support crew). I would like also to thank my sponsors—A Runners Circle Specialty Store; FrontRunner Magazine, Northern Luzon Command of the AFP, 7th Infantry Division & 24th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, and Reinier Pacific for their support on this adventure run.

Details on my training and preparation, details of the route and personal thoughts during the run, my running kit, and my daily experiences & photos will posted soon in this blog.

Leaving Sta. Cruz, Zambales & Going Towards Infanta, Pangasinan
3 Kilometers Away From The Finish Line (Alaminos, Pangasinan)
Finished The Run at The Alaminos-Sual Diversion Road

Now, it’s time to rest and recover and make a detailed account of this adventure run. How I wished I could post a “near real-time” account of this run but due to weak Internet connection along most of the the areas of the route, my time could had been wasted just to look for reliable signal or places with WiFi connections.

My special appreciation goes also to those who prayed and wished for my fast recovery/treatment for my dog bites and those who wished me for my safety and best of health during the duration of my run and trip in this latest adventure run. As always, this adventure run is dedicated to all the runners out there, whether you are a novice/beginner; average runner; or a seasoned ultra runner.

See you on the road and trails!

On The Road Again!

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Places to Run, Practice Runs, Runners' Training, Running, Travel, Ultramarathon5 Comments

At 10:00 AM today, September 21, 2011,  I started my Adventure Run (for the 2nd time!)—from Remy Field Oval Track to Alaminos, Pangasinan. I have to repeat what I’ve started last week (September 14) when I had to stop this run after I was bitten by a dog at Km #41 in Poblacion, San Narciso, Zambales.

As I post this update, I am one kilometer away from the exact place where I was bitten by a dog. I just finished my dinner in one of the carinderias along the Olongapo-Bugallon Highway.

The following were the pictures taken today:

For The 2nd Time!
Raining @ West Coast Highway

Wish me luck!

 

Bitten!!!

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Places to Run, Practice Runs, Runners' Training, Running, Travel, Ultramarathon2 Comments

My latest “adventure run” started at 11:20 AM of September 13, 2011 inside the Remy Field Oval Track at Subic Freeport. The following pictures were taken by my support crew during my run:

Walking While Leaving Remy Field @ Subic Freeport
Approaching The Town Of Subic, Olongapo
"Pit Stop" @ Subic, Olongapo; Eating Hard-Boiled Egg with Salt
Entering The Town of Castillejos, Zambales; Birthplace of President Ramon Magsaysay
Cooling It Off In One of My Pit Stops
Entering The Town of San Marcelino, Zambales
Flat & Straight Road in San Marcelino, Zambales
Updating My Run @ Facebook...You Can Do This, Too!
Entering the Town of San Narciso, Zambales

A popular journalist/columnist would say that if a man is bitten by a dog, it is not a NEWS. But if a man bites a dog, it’s a good NEWS.

Well, I was bitten by an astray dog while doing my “adventure run” and it’s not considered as a NEWS but for the sake of the runners out there, there are lessons to be learned from my experience.

At 8:40 PM, I was regaining my pace after I had my dinner in one of the “carinderias” with almost 500 meters away from the Municipal Hall of San Narciso, Zambales when two dogs suddenly emerged from one of the frontyards of the houses along the road which was not lighted. It was so fast that I was not able to react on the attack of the two dogs. I knew I was bitten when I felt there was a pain on my lower left leg.

I had to stop my run and assess the wound brought about by the bite of the dog. The calf sleeve (Zhenza) I was using protected my leg muscle from being punctured by the sharp teeth of the dog. If not for the sleeve, I would have a deeper wound.

My wound was a “shallow” scratch but it started to bleed when I cleaned the wound. It was time to decide whether I was going to continue my run or not.

I called at least three doctors who are also runners from my cell phone for their recommendations/suggestions about my condition. After hearing them, I immediately decided to stop the run and changed to drier clothes and I was on my way back to Manila aboard my support vehicle. I was advised to provide treatment to the wound within 24 hours!

So far, I was able to cover 41 kilometers in 7:45+ hours from the Remy Field Oval Track in Subic Freeport to the Municipal Plaza of San Narciso, Zambales with an average HR of 135 bpm. The time elapsed on my run includes the “pit stops” along the way to include the time updating my run through Facebook by using my laptop and/or cell phone.

Letter "V" Wound by a Dog Bite

With regards to my wound, I was given the best and immediate treatment by the Philippine Army Medical Center. The Commander of the Facility made sure that I would be treated with outmost priority. The protocol for the treatment of dog bites had been explained to me by the doctors on duty as well as doctors whom I consider as “hardcore” ultrarunners. Thanks for your input and advise.

The following are the advise and lessons learned from this incident:

1. Be aware and alert. If you see dogs on the direction of your run, try to avoid them. You can stop your run by walking or by transfering to the other side of the road.

2. Day Running vs. Night Running. Running at night is totally different from day time running. The visibility is very low and most parts of the road are not lighted. Runners are advised to carry with them flashlight to improve their visibility of their surroundings. In day running, you could easily see where the dogs are coming from or you could see them at a distance and have time to avoid them.

3. Complacency and Getting Older. I admit my reaction time to dog attacks had slowed down due to age. I’ve been complacent also that I could outrun the attack of street dogs. When dogs try to attack me, I usually stop my run and turn around to face the attacking dog by trying to attempt to pick up a stone from the ground. This quick reaction had been effective through the years that I’ve been running. But with the faster attack from the dogs and low visibility, I was not able to apply what worked all the time.

4. Use of Ipod/MP3 during a Run Impairs One’s Perception. It was only few months ago when I started training with the use of a Heart Monitor. This training encourages the use of music during a long and steady run. With this adventure run, I was wearing an Ipod Shuffle to keep me awake during the night. But it was a mistake as I was not able to actually assess the exact distance of the attacking dogs from me. The sound/music coming from my Ipod Shuffle impaired my depth of perception on the the barking of the dogs. I thought the sounds of the barking dogs were still far from me but I was not aware that they were already few inches away from my legs!

5. Calf Sleeve Rocks! Calf sleeves are used primarily to compress the calf muscles to prevent them from cramping and I used them for such purpose on this run. I did not realize that my calf sleeve protected my leg muscles from getting a deeper wound from the sharp teeth of the street dog. The Zhenza calf sleeve which I bought at A Runner Circle Store in Manila had been a good investment and protection from dog bites. I did not see any torn part of the calf sleeve brough about by the dog bite.

6. Cure/Treatment For Dog Bites is Expensive. One shot of anti-rabies costs P 1,629.50 (from selected Mercury Drug Store outlets) and I need 5 shots for the whole treatment which is administered within 28-day period. This is excluding the antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medicines I have to take within a 7-day period.

This incident is just a temporary setback on my desire to finish my adventure run. In the next few days, I will continue what I’ve started and be more careful in dealing with the street dogs. I will consider not using my Ipod Shuffle during my next runs.

Adventure Run!!!

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Runners' Training, Running, Travel, Ultramarathon7 Comments

Single-Stage Solo Run from Remy Field Oval Track, Subic Freeport up to Barangay Lucap, Alaminos, Pangasinan and back to the City Hall of Alaminos as the Finish Area. The route will be along the Olongapo-Bugallon, Pangasinan Highway, passing through the cities and municipalities of Zambales and some of the western towns of Pangasinan.

No “fancy” stuff or any kind of advocacy on this run. This is a test of human endurance to be able to promote ultra running in the country. This route is envisioned to be the future “Badwater Ultramarathon” of the Philippines.

My special thanks to those who supported this event. No need to mention their names as their respective company/organization’s logo is depicted in the picture above. Thanks for your generosity and continuing support to the running community in the country.

Updates on “near real-time” will be published on this blog soon.

Start Time: 11:20 AM, September 13, 2011.

@Remy Field Oval Track/ 11:00 AM
One Lap Around The Oval To Start The Adventure Run

8-Hour Run @ TD 100 Route

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Places to Run, Practice Runs, Runners' Training, Running, Trail Running, Travel, Ultramarathon11 Comments

On the last week of July, I went to Fort Magsaysay and make a recon on the trail route surrounding the Taklang Damulag Mountain. I mentioned in one of my previous posts about my trek towards the peak of the said mountain where I timed 52:37 minutes to reach its peak from Fernandez Hill, a distance of 2.7 kilometers. The trek to the peak was only a part of the 25-kilometer distance that I run & walked/hiked during that day and the trail loop towards the mountain peak from Fernandez Hill and around as it covers a distance of 13 kilometers. It took us 5+ hours to cover the distance (25K) as most of were hiking and brisk walking. If we tried to jog and run the flat portions of the route, we could have made it in 3+ hours. This part of the Taklang Damulag 100-mile run consists of the “inner loop” of the course.

The following were the pictures taken during my recon run at the “inner loop” on the last week of July:

Descending From The Peak Of Mt Taklang Damulag
Lots of Single-Track Trail Around Mt Taklang Damulag
Muddy & Slippery Trail
Lots of Stream Crossings!
More Muddy Trail
....and Wider Streams To Cross!!

Last Thursday afternoon, together with one of my elite athletes, Jack Espana, I went to Fort Magsaysay and slept overnight in one of the transient facilities. We were already in bed at 9:30 PM and woke up at 4:30 AM of Friday. At 5:30 AM, we started our run from the Starting Area of the Race by hiking the first 2 kilometers as our warm-up. The purpose of the run is to recon the first 40K distance of the route which is considered as the “outer loop” of the TD 100 route. The trail route is located outside the cantonment area of Fort Magsaysay passing through Barangays Pag-asa, Dona Josefa, Bacao, Langka 1 & 2, Palale, Cattle Stock Farm, and Nazareth.

@ Km #6 in Barangay Dona Josefa
First of So Many Spillways To Cross
Am I Floating Above the Water?
Detailed "Looks" of the Trail Route
One of the Paths Towards The Peak of a Mountain
One of The River Crossings
Jack Was Infront Of Me Trying To Look For A Trail
Nice REMINDER Along The Route!
Typical Condition of the Route @ Cattle Stock Farm (Km #30)
Another Nice Reminder Along The Cattle Stock Farm
Watchout For This AlongThe Route!!! It's The Real "Taklang Damulag"!!!

Practically, we left on the northern side of the camp and run through the trails on the eastern side of the camp and then re-entered the camp from the south direction. The route traverses through rolling hills and mountains with maximum elevation of 375 meters with lots of stream crossings through spillways and river crossings. What made the run very relaxing was the scenery, clean air, overcast sky, rain & showers on mid-day, and some conversations with the residents along the route.

We had two “pit stops” along the route. These “pit stops” are sari-sari stores that sell anything from assorted bread & chips to drinks. We took some time to eat solid foods on these stores and were able to talk to the owners. The people were surprised as they always asked us where are our bicycles as we tell them where we came from. Bicycles? What bicycles are they talking about? They told us that a group of cyclists on mountain bikes would usually pass along the said route. Well, we told them that we were running, jogging and walking along the said route. It appeared that we were the first ones whom they see (as outsiders/visitors) to be running & hiking the said route.

Our "Pit Stop" @ Barangay Palale. Km #26
The People Does Not Know "Mami", They Call It "Noodles"
Our "Brunch" For The Day To Include Bread/Pandesal

We finished our recon run before 3:00 PM as we reached our Starting Area. After a quick shower, we were out of Fort Magsaysay as we headed towards Eva’s Restaurant near the boundary of Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija and La Paz, Tarlac where the best and very hot Bulalo is being served.

Getting back from the result of our recon run on the TD 100 route. So far, I have run through a distance of 65 kilometers from the 80K-loop of the trail route with an aggregate total time of 13+ hours. And since the remaining 15K route is on an easy rolling and flat terrain, it could be covered in another 2.5 hours. Adding these times would total to 15-16 hours to cover one loop of the course! However, my recon runs had averaged a pace of 12-15 minutes per kilometer which was basically a “hiking” pace! So, from these data, an average ultra runner could finish one loop in less than 15 hours.

The actual measurement of the course is done! The next thing to do is to finalize the administrative and operational needs for the race!

Guys, I only need 25 “brave and hardcore” runners for this another historic FIRST 100-mile trail endurance running event in the country. Let us help one another in putting our country in the world’s map of ultra trail running.

Finding My MAX HR

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Pictures, Places to Run, Races, Runners' Training, Running3 Comments

Last Friday, I started my anaerobic training after more than 3 months of my MAF training. The purpose of the anaerobic training/speed running workout was to find out my Maximum Heart Rate (Max HR). This activity was done at the ULTRA Oval Track on the early evening of Friday.

After 4 laps of brisk walking, I did five (5) repetitons of 800-meter run or Yasso 800 where I averaged 3:54 minutes. Each repetition was followed with one lap of slow jog. My Average HR for the workout was 168 beats per minute with a MAX HR registered at 178 beats per minute. After the Yasso 800 workout, I did 4 laps of brisk walking as my cool-down workout until my HR registered to 112 beats per minute.

As suggested by Dr Maffetone, there are two ways to find out one’s MAX HR. One is to run at one’s best effort within 3-4 minutes and record one’s highest HR. The other one is to use the suggested formula—208 minus the result of one’s Age multiplied by 0.7.

Based from my first anaerobic workout, I registered a Max HR of 178 beats per minute while my supposed to be Max HR by following the suggested formula is approximately 167 bpm. There is a difference of 11 beats per minute. I hope I’ll be able to adjust my desired Max HR as I do more of my anaerobic workouts.

What was notably good after my first anaerobic workout was that I did not feel any soreness or pain on my legs despite my practice of not doing any stretching or speed drills before my Yasso 800 repeats! I simply do my 10-minute squats after my workout. The 2nd advantage of such workout is that it was quick and short. After 1 1/2 hours, I was out of the ULTRA Oval Track.

There is a need of more anaerobic workouts to really find out my Max HR. One way to do this is to join a 10K run this morning! To prepare for the 10K run, I completely rested the whole day of Saturday.

I joined the Run Doctor Run 10K which was organized by my good friend Eric Pasion of Run For Change. It was a simple race which was held inside the Dasmarinas Village. The last time that I went inside this place was in the mid-90s when I was still active in cycling. The streets are wide and there is no traffic plus they are shaded with tall trees on both sides.

Hanging Out With BDM "Veterans" Mark & Bea Before The Start of the Race

The race started at 6:30 AM with the 10K run being released ahead of the shorter races. I started a very conservative pace of 5:45+ minutes per kilometer making sure that my HR will steadily and gradually increase. It started at 121 bpm until it reached at 160 bpm after running for 3 kilometers. I started to increase my pace for the next 3 kilometers where my Max HR registered at 178 bpm. At the 7th Kilometer, my HR went down to 170 until it peaked again to 175-177 from Kilometer 8 all the way to the Finish Line.

Look Who's Smiling At My Back (Thanks, Jonel for the Accommodation!)

All the amenities you need in a road race were all there. Eric has already perfected the conduct of a road racing event. Everything was perfect, to include the weather!

I finished the race in 55:27 minutes with an average pace of 5:39 mins per kilometer. My HR Monitor registered an average HR of 168 bpm and a Max HR of 178 bpm which is consistent to what I’ve recorded on my first anaerobic workout last Friday at the Oval Track. It seems that I am starting all over again and trying to regain my speed through more aerobic workouts/LSD runs.

Smiling As I Crossed The Finish Line

I know it will take weeks and months and even years for me to improve my performance using the HR monitor as a form of biofeedback on the intensity of my training and running workouts. I am no longer young to do all those high mileage of training but I am still guided with the basic principles of training for endurance sports—consistency, specificity of training, rest & recovery, and extended goals. My primary goal now is to prevent myself from being injured and have fun in all my running adventures.

Finally, I am back to my regular training!

Thanks to John Avellanosa for the pictures and Jonel of FrontRUNNER Magazine & Eric Pasion for the accommodation.

Inked!

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Military, Pictures, Runner's Fashion/Attire, Runners Accessories, Running, Travel5 Comments

I’ve read somewhere in history books that the Spaniards that discovered the Philippines were able to describe in their accounts that the warrior-natives in those islands where they first landed were full of “black paint patterns” on their skin. This could be the first discovery of tattoos being adorned to the bodies of human and I believe that long before our country was discovered, our forefathers were already experts on this body art. If fully researched, Philippines could be the birthplace of the art of tattoo!

Fast forward. I was amazed seeing my BDM “veterans” and PAU runners (you know who you are!) to be sporting colorful tattoos on their bodies and I immediately liked the idea of having one and be able to experience what is like to be “body painted” with a needle.

It took me months to think on the “concept” of what to choose that would describe me as a person. I thought that there must a “story” that signifies whatever thing that I would like to be “inked” on my body. A simple one that describes everything about me!

A “Silver Two-Star” Rank Insignia of a Major General in the Army would be the best choice that signifies a lot of stories, memories, challenges and other facets in my life in the military service. I have yet to start writing my book about my life in the military.

Major General Rank Insignia

Aside from the significance of my last rank insignia before I retired from the military, the two stars on each on my shoulder will always remind me to start writing my book!

The implimentation of the plan started during my stay in Los Angeles and there was this famous Tattoo Shop near the neighborhood but it did not materialize.

El Clasico @ Echo Park, Los Angeles

After a month of stay back in the country, I finally decided to look for the shop of a tattoo artist at Tiendesitas which was highly recommended by one of my ultra runner friends. And last Sunday evening, I was “inked” for almost one hour!

"Silver Two-Star" Tattoo!!!

Now, I have all the reasons to wear my “muscle shirts” and singlets during my running workouts and races!

"Where are my "muscle shirts"???

And here is the “best tattoo artist” whom I highly recommend! You can get in touch with him here and here.

BR with Franklin Ibanez, Jr of Immortal Tattoo Shop

Getting a tattoo at the age of 59? It’s fun and a lifetime experience! Thanks to the people who pushed and influenced me to do this and to Frank Ibanez, Jr, the artist.

I am already thinking on my next “concept”!!!