Category: Runners’ Training

Open For Membership

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Runners' Training, Running6 Comments

The Team Bald Runner is opening its doors to non-elite runners to include beginners effective today. The youngest applicant should be at least 12 years old.

The primary aim of the Team Bald Runner is to promote running to everybody and guide each member to attain their personal goal by adhering to the concept of “training as a group” with IAAF certified coaches who will develop each runner’s potentials to be able to adhere to an active lifestyle and also be competitive in running.

I would like to emphasize that the Team Bald Runner is non-profit group, however, we will be asking each member for a membership fee which will cover the costs of training, uniforms, and other administrative needs for the group. The annual fee is P 2,000.00 which could be paid on installment basis, P 500.00 per each quarter. I hope that we could come up with a quarterly publication for the Team in the future.

Please feel free to send your comments. For those who are interested to join, please visit www.teambaldrunner.wordpress.com and register through your comments stating your name, age, and e-mail address. If you are living overseas, we can communicate with you through e-mail and send your running workout/program.

Things Your Dad/Mom Forgot To Tell You About Marathon Running

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Races, Runners' Training, Running3 Comments

…Assuming that your parents are seasoned marathon runners!

The following are the 13 rules of marathon running, principles which must be followed if you want to have a great race. These are things your Dad/Mom should have told you about, although if he/she had known you were going to become an avid marathon runner, he/she might have invested in counseling rather than inform you about training and sports-nutrition.

Rule #1—You should treat the marathon as a power race, not just a test of endurance.

Rule #2—If you are running about 35 to 40 miles per week (56 to 64 kms) and want to become a better marathoner, you should not simply add on more mileage.

Rule #3—You must optimize your lactate-threshold running speed (LTRS) before your marathon.

Rule #4—Plan your workouts so that you accomplish five key (5) tasks ( endurance, tempo runs, speed runs, recovery, & tapering) before race day.

Rule #5—Start the race slowly

Rule #6—Make your pre-marathon long runs “race-specific”.

Rule #7—Take in four (4) grams of carbohydrate per pound of body weight per day during your marathon training.

Rule #8—If you are female, schedule your marathon for the follicular phase of your menstrual cycle (the time period between the onset of menstrual flow and ovulation).

Rule #9—In spite of what everyone says, do not smear vaseline on your foot before the race begins.

Rule #10—Have a BM (Bowel Movement) before the race.

Rule #11—Do not run a race while bearing a child.

Rule #12—Stay away from ill people during the week after your race.

Rule #13—Rest for seven (7) days–with no running at all–after your marathon.

Reference: IAAF New Studies in Athletics Quarterly Journal. April 2007. page 86

137 Days: Trip To Laoag City

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Runners' Training, Running7 Comments

Yes, on this day, there are 137 days before the Bataan Death March 102K Ultramarathon Race.

Last Monday evening, I left for Laoag City by plane to visit the graves of my Mom and close relatives who had passed away. It was some sort of a late celebration of All Souls Day as I was not able to leave Manila on those holidays. Anyway, as they say, “better late than never”. This was the reason why I was not able to attend the 1st and 2nd sessions of the Team Bald Runner’s speed training clinic at the ULTRA Oval Track.

As soon as I woke up last Tuesday morning, I had a run at the newly-renovated Laoag City Oval Track which is 800 meters away from our house. The Oval Track had been fitted with an Olympic-standard tartan track which was formally opened last 21 September 2008 (Milo Half-Marathon Elimination Race Day) by no less than the Governor of Ilocos Norte, Hon. Michael Keon, the former Director of Project Gintong Alay and former Chairman of the Phillippine Olympic Committee during former President Marcos’ administration. As I was about to start my run on the oval track, I saw Dr Chester Punio, a practicing medical surgeon in Laoag City and an avid runner, and he called my attention and we had a brief conversation. He introduced to me Reynaldo Pascua, an elite runner from Ilocos Norte who qualified for the the Milo Marathon Finals this coming 30th November for finishing No. 2 during the Milo Half-Marathon Elimination Run in Laoag City.

After a brief conversation with Dr Ponio, I started my run and Rey Pascua joined me during my workout. I found out that Rey Pascua is 38 years old with a height of 5 feet and had been a past/former champion of yearly races in Metro Manila in the late 90s and early 2000. He told me that he is one of the provincial elite athletes being supported by the Provincial Government but he lamented to me that he still lack the much-needed financial support for him to participate in road races in Metro Manila which offer Cash Prizes to the top winners. While he trains for the MILO Marathon Finals, he receives a monthly stipend of less than P 4,000 (barely $ 80.00) which I have the impression to be his salary for being one of the maintenance personnel of the Oval Track. I really admire his passion in competitive running but I also pity him for being not being supported well in his training.

I was able to run 10.32 kms in 52:54 minutes last Tuesday morning with an average pace of 5:07 mins/km.

On the following day, I went to the Oval Track for another run and I was able to cover a distance of 10.04 kms in 55:40 minutes with an average pace of 5:32 mins/km.

It was a little odd to see that the Oval Track is already under repair after almost two months since it was opened for the public. There are portions of the track where the tartan was not evenly “fixed” or “snugged” to the ground and these portions are starting to create “bubbles” on the track. I hope these problems will be fixed soon. I got some information that more people from Laoag City are starting to run and use the oval track which is a good sign of the sports development, most especially in running, in the said city.

Lastly, what I like about the Laoag City Oval Track and Iloilo City Sports Complex Oval Track is that they are FREE for the public. How I wish the ULTRA Oval Track should also be FREE for the public. PSC has more appropriated budget/support from the national government than the local government. This is just a wish.

Reminder: To The “Hardcore Group” & Future Fast Runners

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Runners' Training, Running8 Comments

The “Free” Speed Training at the ULTRA Oval Track will start this afternoon at 5:30 PM and it will be followed with another one tomorrow at the same time and next Friday afternoon. Henceforth, this speed training will be done on the said days and time on a regular basis.

The speed training requires each runner to report in their running attire (leave your Ipods at home!). Each runner will be given a “diagnostic test” to determine your level of competency in running. Of course, you will be told to run at your race pace for a certain period of time. Capt Espejo will start from there out from the results of this test. For you to hear his instructions while you are running, again, you have to leave your Ipod at home. Aside from the instructions, Coach Salazar will remind you to hear the sound of your feet/shoes everytime they hit the ground/track.

For the other runners, you will learn also the technique of drinking of water from those cups while running. Your mentors will provide you with drinking water during the training.

Remember, our training is “low-tech”—no computers, no screens, no LCD projector, no Public Address System, & no comfortable chairs (you will be seating on the bleachers or on the track). This is a “personalized” training and your workout will be different from the other runners. That’s the reason why you are called “The Hardcores” or the “Road Warriors”.

Good luck! Lastly, this is FREE!!!

Another Wednesday “Double” Run & “The Engineer”

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Runners' Training, Running1 Comment

I was out of town last Monday and Tuesday and had a complete rest from my running. But as soon as arrived in Manila, I immediately hit the ULTRA oval track on the early morning of Wednesday with an easy run with a distance of 12.5 kilometers in 1:14:31 hours. It was another 30-lap run for the day.

What is worth mentioning in this blog on this particular morning workout was my coach’s initiative to introduce me to a fellow runner, Mr Leo Valdez, who is popularly known as “The Engineer” of the worldwide known stage play, “Miss Saigon” and an outstanding singer and recording artist. I’ve been seeing him doing his running workout almost every day at the ULTRA Oval Track and there was no chance for us to be introduced to one another as both of us were busy with our respective training. During our brief conversation, I congratulated him for making the Filipinos proud and known worldwide because of his superb acting in “Miss Saigon”. I even told him that we were both runners & marathoners during the 80’s when Mr Elpidio Doroteo and Jun Castro were the popular Race Organizers of road races in the country. And such recollection of our past running experiences made our conversation more interesting. I hope to see more of him in the coming days at the ULTRA Oval Track. “Mr Engineer”, you make us proud and hope that you will be blessed with more shows to come! Keep on running!

At 5:30 PM, I was back at the Oval Track with a plan for a faster pace. I did another 30-lap run with a distance of 12.4 kms in 1:07:51 hours. After my usual post stretching, my workout for the day was done.

I was able to cover a distance of 24.9 kms for the day.

FREE Speed Training For “Hardcores”

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

Team Bald Runner is inviting runners who have been training/running continouosly for one year for a “free and personalized” speed training lectures and speed workouts at the ULTRA Oval Track every 5:30-7:00 PM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. This is open to everybody, male and female, who are in competitive running and would like to improve their PR Best times in every road race. This training will start on 18 November 2008.

Captain Ferdie Espejo Jr and Coach Saturnino Salazar, both Level 4 IAAF trained-coaches, will conduct the said training and to be assisted by members of Team Bald Runner.

Runners are advised to prepare P29.00 for payment to Philsports/ULTRA for the use of the Oval Track.

Duathletes & Triathletes are also encouraged to join this training.

Hill Sprints & Hill Repetitions

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Runners' Training, Running2 Comments

If you have some problems with the hills of The Fort, McKinley Hill, Heritage Park & Bayani Road and to anticipate the route in this Sunday’s New Balance race and other races in the future, I think you should read this: 

In the book “Run Faster” by Brad Hudson, there are three general groups of training methods for muscle training that increase stride power and fatigue. These are: hill sprints and hill repetitions; speed intervals; and strides and drills. Short hill sprints are the primary means of  first increasing and then maintaining specific strength and stride power. Hill repetitions help to build a “fitness bridge” between strength and speed. The primary tool for speed development is speed intervals, or short intervals run at 5K pace and faster. Strides, which consist of very short (about 100-meter) intervals, usually at 1,500-meter pace, are essentially a form of speed interval used in warmp-ups and cool-downs. Drills are also used in warm-ups and serve to develop and maintain power efficiency.

Hill sprints should be short. Your first session should be performed after completion of an easy run consisting of one or two 8-second sprints on a steep gradient of approximately 6 to 8 percent. If you want to know how it feels to be on a gradient of 6-8%, get on a treadmill and adjust the incline to 6%. After experiencing running on this gradient. You can now find an inclined road that matches it.

First, increase the number of 8-second sprints you perform by one or two per session per week. Once you are doing 8-10 sprints, you may move to 10-second sprints and a slightly steeper hill. After a few more weeks, you may advance to 12-second sprints on a 10% gradient. Always allow yourself to recover fully between individual sprints within a session. Most runners will achieve much strength and power improvement as they can get by doing 10 to 12 hill sprints of 10 to 12 seconds each, twice a week.

Hill repetitions, as opposed to short hill sprints, may be used later in the endurance phase and early sharpening phase to build a fitness bridge between strength and speed. Hill repetitions are beneficial for injury-prone runners and especially those who tend to get injured when running fast. Running at high intensities uphill involves less impact force and less tissue strain than running at the same intensity on level ground. In addition, hills add a strength-boosting element to running at high intensity that reduces injury susceptibility.

The following is a basic example of a four-week hill interval progression:

Week 1—6 X 200 meters

Week 2—6 X 300 meters

Week 3—6 X 400 meters

Week 4—5 X 600 meters

These sessions may be performed after an easy run or a long warm-up or after a threshold run. Hill repetitions should be done on a shallower gradient than your hill sprints (4 to 6%). Do shorter hill repetitions (200-300 meters) at 1,500-meter effort and longer ones (400-600 meters) at roughly 3K effort. Time each repetition to make sure you are not slowing down in the later intervals. Allow yourself to recover fully by slowly jogging down the hill between hill repetitions. 

If you want to apply “hill sprints and hill repetitions”, you can choose those uphill climbs along the Mizuno-Rush/VSO Run route and along the BHS loop. Good luck and enjoy your workout

Reference: “Run Faster: From The 5K To The Marathon” by Brad Hudson, pp-80-84

“Team Bald Runner” Performance

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Runners' Training, Running6 Comments

Here is the list of performance of “Team Bald Runner” in last Sunday’s road races in Metro Manila and neighboring areas:

At the VSO “Bahaginan” Road Races:

Gerald Sabal—1st Overall Male/15K Run

Bernardo Desamito—1st Overall Male/10K Run

Maricel Maquilan—1st Overall Female/15K Run

Ailene Tolentino—2nd Overall Female/15K Run

Ellen Tolentino—1st Overall Female/10K Run

Michael Embuedo—1st Place, 30-39 yrs old Age Category, 5K Run

Ferdinand Elpidio Espejo Jr—1st Place, 40-49 yrs ols Age Category, 5K Run

At BF Homes 5K Charity Run: Isidro Villasola—1st Place Overall

At Bacolor, Pampanga’s 10K Run: Reynaldo de los Reyes—1st Place Overall

The following runners did not run for this week’s races in preparation for next week’s NB Races and Milo Marathon Finals: Elmer Sabal/Cresenciano Sabal/Jujet de Asis.

Two Days Before Race Day

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

6:12 PM 07 November 2008 @ The ULTRA Oval Track

Together with one of the runners of Team Bald Runner who is personally supervising my daily workouts at the Oval Track, I had an easy and even-paced 10K run with a time of 50:25 minutes and an average pace of 5:03 minutes/km. I registered an average HR of 149 bpm and maximum HR of 159 bpm. What I learned during this run was to maintain an even pace from start to finish of the run and I was reminded by my partner/coach for the run to develop a “cadence”. He reminded me also to be light on my feet once they touch the ground and must be able to lift my knees a little higher during my legs’ “turnover”.

After 25 laps around the oval track, we had two laps of slow jog and had our “water break”. After about 2-minute rest, I asked my running-partner/coach to walk towards the concrete bleacher on the west side of the oval track and told him that I need to do at least 10 reps of hill sprints along the stairs of the bleacher from the lower row to the top most area. We did, at least, 12 reps at a moderate speed which made my leg muscles “burned & fatigued” after each repetition. We had to walk at the top level and walk our way down to the start. I did not record the time on how fast we were doing those hill sprint repetitions but I could estimate to be at 12 seconds per sprint. This workout is an example of Brad Hudson’s “Run Faster” principle of adaptive running where a runner should take an extra “mile” or workout after an scheduled workout. He calls this term as “progression runs”. These runs could be hill sprints or hill repetitions; additional 20-minute run at moderate pace after an easy run; or fast-paced 2K run after an interval or tempo run workout. 

After the hill sprints reps, we walked for two laps around the oval track in order to cool-down our leg muscles before we had our stretching. My running-partner/coach gave me a massage after the usual “personnel-assisted” stretching routine.

5:47 PM 08 November 2008 @ The ULTRA Oval Track

It was Saturday early evening, at least 12 hours before the VSO 15K Road Race, and I went to the ULTRA Oval Track for a short and slow run to loosen my leg muscles and to “sweat it out” for the day. I did 3 sets of 6-lap run and was able to finish 18 laps. I finished the 1st set in 16:46 minutes with an average pace of 6:46 mins/km; the 2nd set was timed in 12:50 minutes with an average pace of 5:16 mins/km; the last set (cool-down) was timed in 15:33 minutes with an average pace of 6:15 mins/km. There were no recovery runs in between sets. However, “water breaks” were observed after sets.

A walk around the oval and post-stretching exercises terminated my workout. I was able to run a distance of 7.49 kilometers.

(Note: Posting of this story was delayed because of some technical problems with WordPress)

Another 50 Laps #2

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Runners' Training, Running5 Comments

5:50 PM 06 November 2008 @ The ULTRA Oval Track

After some exchange of SMS with MarkFB, I was “primed” for another 50 laps at the ULTRA Oval Track as my running workout for the day. I sent a SMS to Bugobugo85 after receiving an e-mail message from him telling him about our plan for a 50-lap run at the oval that afternoon. Bugobugo85 had to decline because he had his morning run already.

I arrived at the Oval Track at 5:45 PM and I could see Mark doing his run already. I just did a brief stretching and immediately joined him for the workout. We finished our first 25 laps, covering a distance of 10.33 kms, in 57:22 minutes with an average pace of 5:33 minutes/km. My HR ranged from an average of 138 bpm to a Maximum Rate of 151 bpm.

I had to stop for my “water break” and for my recovery walk after my first 25 laps while Mark continued his running. After my brief break, I re-joined Mark and did my second set of 25 laps with a slower pace. I finished my 2nd 25-lap run in 58:51 minutes with a distance of 10.26 kilometers. My average pace was 5:44 mins/km and HR range of 138 bpm to 145 bpm as my Maximum HR.

I finished 20.59 kms for this particular easy long run at the oval track with an aggregate time of 1:56:23 hours.