Category: Runners’ Training

Back On The Road

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17 December 2007 (PM Run) 

After one week of no runs on the road, I am back this afternoon for an easy run along the 2-mile route in the hills of Jamindan. I started my run at 4:30 PM and finished at 6:10 PM.

After 20 minutes of stretching, I started with one mile warm-up at 9:00-minute pace. The following are my time/s every round of the 2-mile route:

1st round—17:50 minutes @ 8:55 mins per mile

2nd round–17:20 minutes @ 8:40 mins per mile

3rd round—16:40 minutes @ 8:20 mins per mile

4th round—18:50 minutes @ 9:25 mins per mile

5th round—20:13 minutes @ 10:06.5 mins per mile (cool down round)

I ran a total distance of 11 miles or 17.6 kilometers in 1 hour, 39 mins, & 53 seconds. My average pace was 9 minutes & 4.8 seconds per mile or 5 minutes & 40 seconds per kilometer.

For the moment, I will concentrate on endurance/aerobic phase of my training along the 2-mile route and strengthen my leg muscles through workouts in my mini-gym & hill workouts here in Jamindan.

Dr Arthur Lydiard

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If you want to train better and more focused, race faster and smarter, and improve your running form, you should be able to read and do the Lydiard’s Method. Take note of his hill training workouts and drills!

Just some words of caution, it takes a lot of patience, perseverance, commitment and dedication to follow his training. It takes years to build-up and balance aerobic and anaerobic capabilities of the runner’s body and be able to naturally develop the most relaxed running form.

Good luck and keep on running! 

Recap: Training Journal (02-08 Dec 2007)

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Total Distance Covered: 31.5 miles or 50.6 kilometers

Average Pace: 5:45-6:00 minutes per kilometer/ 9:00-9:30 minutes per mile

Comments: Reduced mileage for this week; increased the distance in LSD run; minimized speed and fast tempo runs; and strengthened leg muscles through workouts and cycling.

Saturday LSD Run

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I woke up at 5:30 AM and prepared myself for my long slow distance run for this week. After my 15-20 minutes of stretching, I was on the road, running along the 2-mile route I’ve measured inside the camp. This route is considered as hill workout due to the terrain in my area.

The following are my registered times every round of the 2-mile route:

                  2 miles——  19:32 mins

                  4 miles——  38:38 mins; 19:06 mins/round

                  6 miles——  58:06 mins; 19:28 mins/round

                  8 miles——1:17:13 hours; 19:07 mins/round

                10 miles——1:36:14 hours; 19:01 mins/round

                12 miles——1:55:42 hours; 19:28 mins/round

                14 miles——2:17:50 hours; 22:08 mins/round

                16 miles——2:42:37 hours; 24:47 mins/round

I finished my run with a 500-meter cool down jog. It was almost 9:00 AM. I took a longer time for my stretching exercises after the run. I felt pain on my right ankle before the 14-mile mark as my shoes and socks were soaked with my own sweat and rain. My wet New Balance 716 shoes became tighter to my feet as my right big toe nail started rubbing to the top-front edge of my shoes. I don’t want to have a “dead” toe nail as I had never experienced one before.

The pain on my right ankle and the rubbing toe nail made my run slower before completing my 7th round and ultimately, made my last round as my slowest run for the course. That gave me the signal to slowly end the running workout for the day. Besides, I was already hungry!

The intermittent rainshowers in the morning in Jamindan were very refreshing to my body.

It was a nice and refreshing Saturday Long Slow Distance run. 

                   dsc03925.jpg             dsc03926.jpg

Training Journal (02-08 Dec 2007)

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02 Dec 2007 (Sunday)—27th RUNNEX 10K Executive Classic Race @ UP Diliman Compound; Time: 52:07 minutes; Average Pace: 8:23 minutes per mile/5:12 minutes per kilometer. Total Distance: 1oK/6.2 miles. (Comment: Improved 10K PR best time by 3:24 minutes)

03 Dec 2007 (Monday)—Rest/No Runs; Raining in Jamindan

04 Dec 2007 (Tuesday)—Rest/No Runs; Still raining in Jamindan

05 Dec 2007 (Wednesday)—2K run @ 6:30 minutes per km pace; 15-minute stationary cycling at 65-70 rpm; workout at my quarters’ mini-gym using free weights; 3 X 20 Biceps Curl (20 lbs); 3 X 10 Bench Press (50 lbs); 3 X 20 Heel Raises (30 lbs); 3 X 10 Dumbbell Flyes (20 lbs); 3 X 20 Knee Bends w/ 20 lbs weight; 3 X 20 Inclined Sit-ups; and 15-minute stretching before and after run/workout. Total Time for Run & Cycling: 28 minutes; Total Distance: 5K or 3 Miles (Comment: Started to rain after running one kilometer)

06 Dec 2007 (Thursday)—3 X 2-mile route; 1st rep @ 16:50 minutes (8:25 mins/mile); 2nd rep @ 16:26 minutes (8:13 mins/mile); and 3rd rep @ 18:19 minutes (9:09.5 mins/mile); 300-meter cool down run. Total Time: 53:35 minutes; Total Distance: 6.3 miles or 10 kilometers.

07 Dec 2007 (Friday)—No Runs/Rest; Body Massage

08 Dec 2007 (Saturday)—LSD Run along the 2-mile route inside camp; 8 X 2-mile with an average pace of 10:10 minutes per mile or 6:15 minutes per kilometer; Total Time: 2:42:37 hours; Total Distance: 16 miles or 25.6 kilometers.

Two Days Rest

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For this week, I have two days rest from my running training last Monday & Tuesday.

I met my staff and officers after the Monday Flag Raising Ceremony in the camp. We discussed about the progress of our mission and projects in our area of responsibility. Our daily combat and non-combat operations did not affect the “disturbance” in Makati City last 29 November 2007.

On that day, my “boys” were able to recover two (2) high-powered firearms (M16 rifles) and ammunition from two members of the CPP/NPA operating in Negros Island who eventually surrendered and fed up being “Red Fighters” of the insurgent movement. These insurgents told to the authorities that they don’t have food to eat in the mountains and the populace are no longer supporting them.

It was raining continuously here in the mountains of Jamindan last Monday & Tuesday. I am glad the one hectare that I have newly planted with Jatropha Curcas had been nourished with the rains. We planted 2,500 Jatropha plants as a pilot project in our search for alternative source of oil. Another one hectare is being prepared for our demonstration/pilot project for sweet sorghum production.

I had more time to read, alternately, the two books I bought from National Book Store, Iloilo City—“Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day” by Joel Osteen and “The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials; Book I” by Philip Pullman. Both books are nice to read, but Joel Osteen’s book inspires me a lot and brings out the best in me every day.

Insights & Plans

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I watched two movies last week, “Hitman” and “The Kingdom”. These are good movies where I can personally relate. I have a better bald head shape than “Special Agent # 47” who speaks like the young Clint Eastwood in his “Spaghetti/Italian Cowboy Movies”, which were popular when I was still in college. “The Kingdom” reminds me of my personal experiences during one of the fiercest fights in Basilan in the early 2000’s where I nearly got killed.

I bought my new “New Balance” Running Shorts last Saturday, a day before the 10K RUNNEX, with 60% discount at the New Balance Store in Shangrila Mall. The shorts was the one I used in the said road race. It matches with my New Balance 902 shoes. Unfortunately, the singlet for the shorts was already “sold-out”. I later found out that the shorts is water-resistant!

The top winners in the 10K Runnex Run are executives who are 15-20 years younger than me. When I was in their ages, I was running 10K races in 40-45 minutes. The top ten runners’ time ranges from 41-47 minutes. How I wish I could bring back those times. But with the runner’s training that I had started for the past 4-5 weeks, I could still lower my PR best time for the 10K race below 50 minutes and finish the marathon below 4 hours. These are my running target goals: 47-49 minutes for the 10K & 3:45:00-3:55:00 for the marathon.

More training & homework to be done in Jamindan. I need to do more hill running workouts along the mountain trails and faster tempo runs along the concrete roads of Capiz. I need more strengthening exercises for my upper torso & leg muscles.

I need to train in Baguio City this Holiday/X’mas season for my altitude training. I hope to go back to the “colored trails”/mountain trails at the edges of Camp John Hay and find out if they are still there.

I am planning to run the 21K Subic Marathon on 20 January 2008.

The 7th DND-AFP “Gintong Pangarap” Half-Marathon Race on 17 February 2008 is being planned to be conducted. The race will be managed by the Philippine Air Force. Tentative route: Camp Villamor-The Fort-Kalayaan Overpass-Buendia & Back to Camp Villamor. This will be a nice long run race one week prior to the 2008 Pasig River Heritage Marathon. 

My posting on the 1st City of Angels Half-Marathon in Los Angeles which shows my picture with my daughter running the said race is becoming the Nr. 1 top post in my blog due to many “hits” for the past few days prior to the conduct of the 2nd City of Angels Half-Marathon. My daughter paid $ 50.00 for a CD where all my pictures were copied and stored. It was made by professionals, “Brightroom: Professional Event Photography”.

Recap: Training Journal (25 Nov-01 Dec 2007)

On By kingofpotsIn Practice Runs, Runners' Training, RunningLeave a comment

Total Distance Covered: 40 Miles/64 Kilometers

Average Pace: 8:40-8:50 minutes per mile/5:25-5:35 minutes per kilometer

Predicted Time To Finish 10K Run: 54:00-56:00 minutes

Predicted Time To Finish Marathon At This Time: 3:55:00-4:10:00

Comments: I registered a faster pace this time because of my “fartlek” and tempo runs this week. I will maintain this pace for next week and sustain my running form and footstrike. Hopefully, I will be able to increase my speed in small increments. Also, I will start to implement and practice Dr Sheehan’s Breathing Technique (expand the stomach when inhaling & contracting the stomach when exhaling) next week.

Short Slow Run

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Before leaving Laoag City last night, I had a 45-minute slow run along the concrete & dirt roads of Barangay Dibua on or about 4:10 PM up to 5:00 PM. It was my first time to run/jog and get inside the farmlands of this barangay. The route was a mixture of concrete and dirt roads. The scenery was nice with vegetated hills on my right and rice fields on my left. I was surprised to see newly-constructed big houses copied from houses in the US and Europe in the interior places of the city. These are signs of the presence of OFWs in the said area. The place is clean and the air is fresh.

My average pace was 6:20-6:30 minutes per kilometer. I was able to run about 7 kilometers/4.375 miles.

I was able to loosen up tight leg muscles in that short slow run after last Thursday’s tempo run on the oval track. I had stretching before and after the short run.

Looking forward for this Sunday’s RUNNEX 10K Run.

Tempo Run In Laoag City

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I had my “tempo run” at the Oval Track in Laoag City at 5:10 PM of 29 November 2007. I wanted to see how far my body could go and how I feel running at race pace, assuming that I am in a 10K race.

After stretching and a little warm-up/jog, I started my 25-lap run around the oval track in Laoag City. My average pace per lap was 2:08.5 minutes in the first 14 laps and I was able to make my pace faster on the remaining laps with an average pace of 2:05 minutes per lap. I was able to finish 25 laps at 53:20 mins.

My average pace was 5:20 minutes per kilometer/8:35 minutes per mile. My average pace per lap was 2:07 minutes.

I did not feel any pains and tiredness after the run. I am slowly improving my pace and eventually my PR best time for the 10K as a part of my preparation for the 2008 Pasig River Heritage Marathon. I think I will have to validate this on Sunday during my participation to the Executive 10K Road Run.

Improving and focusing more on my running form, footstrike, breathing rhythm and strengthening my leg muscles have positively contributed for my progressive improvement on my marathon training.

(Note: The Oval track in Laoag City is still made of the “primitive” hardened soil/earth. The newly-elected Gov Michael Keon, the former Chairman of “Gintong Alay” Program & Philippine Sports Commission, has a lot of “homework” to improve the sports infrastructure of the province)