January 14, Tuesday: @ Pastolan Trail (Start: 5:25 PM)
Distance—9.8 Kilometers/6.15 Miles
Time—1:42:24 Hours
Average Pace—10:27 minutes/kilometer
Average Speed—5.7 kilometers/hour
Total Calories—491 cal
Total Ascent—507 meters
Total Descent—592 meters
Weather—Cool & Windy
Shoes—ADIDAS Vigor Trail Shoes
Note/Comment: Early Evening Easy Run. Slowed down on the 2nd half due to poor illumination using a handheld flashlight.
January 15, Wednesday: @ Remy Field Oval Track, Subic Freeport (Start: 3:10 PM)
Distance—13.10 Kilometers/8.18 Miles
Time—1:13:11 Hours
Average Pace—5:35 minutes/kilometer
Average Speed—10.7 Kilometers/Hour
Total Calories—886 cal
Workout—4 Kilometers as Easy Run; 5 X 800 meters with 800-meter recovery jog; and then 1 Kilometer as Cool Down. (800-meter time in 4:00 to 4:10 minutes per repetition)
Weather: Sunny & Windy
Shoes: Helios by La Sportiva
January 16, Thursday: Rest Day
30-Minute Stationary Cycling
January 17, Friday: @ Pastolan Trails (Start: 9:44 AM)
Distance—20 Kilometers/12.4 Miles (Easy Run)
Time—3:16:37 Hours
Average Pace—9:49 minutes/kilometer
Average Speed—6.1 kilometers/hour
Total Calories—1,075 cal
Total Ascent—1,257 meters
Total Descent—1,287 meters
Shoes—HOKA One One Bondi Speed
Weather—Sunny, Hot & Windy
January 18, Saturday: @ Pastolan Trails (Start: 9:13 AM)/Easy Run
Distance—26.2 Kilometers/16 Miles
Time—4:48:30 Hours
Average Pace—11:00 minutes/kilometer
Average Speed—5.4 kilometers/hour
Total Calories—1,306 cal
Total Ascent—1,517 meters
Total Descent—1,479 meters
Weather—Cloudy & Windy
Shoes—Helios By La Sportiva
Comment—Slower by 3 minutes from my previous easy run on the same course. Nutrition was perfect and practiced more time to eat while power hiking.
January 19, Sunday: @ BDM Ultra Route From Km #32 to Km #50 (Start: 2:40 AM)
Distance—16.2 Kilometers/10 Miles
Time—2:08:19 Hours
Average Pace—7:55 minutes/kilometer
Average Speed—7.6 kilometers/hour
Total Calories—1,024 cal
Total Ascent—445 meters
Total Descent—463 meters
Shoes—HOKA One One Bondi Speed
Weather—Cold/Night Run
Total Mileage For The Week: 85.3 Kilometers/53.3 Miles
This is the details of my 1st week of training for the year 2014. It officially started with my “Evaluation Run” on an Oval Track. Mondays are supposed to be my rest/recovery days but I’ve decided to have such “evaluation run” which is the popularly known as Balke Test.
Monday: “Evaluation Run” (Oval Track)
Distance: 5.5 Kilometers or 3.44 Miles Time: 30 Mins. Average Pace: 5:27 mins/K
Tuesday: Road Run With Dirt Road
Distance: 10 Kilometers or 6.2 Miles Time: 57:37 Mins. Average Pace: 5:45 mins/K
Wednesday: Road Run With Dirt Road
Distance: 11.21 Kilometers or 7 Miles Time: 1:07:18 Hrs Average Pace: 6:00 mins/K
Thursday: Pastolan Trails
Distance: 11.9 Kilometers or 7 Miles Time: 1:41:27 Hrs Average Pace: 8:35 mins/K
Friday: Oval Track/Tempo Run
Distance: 10 Kilometers or 6.2 Miles Time: 57:14 Mins Average Pace: 5:43 mins/K
Saturday: Easy Long Run (Road Run With Dirt Road)
Distance: 16.13 Kilometers or 10 Miles Time: 1:41:34 Hrs Average Pace: 6:17 mins/K
Sunday: Easy Long Run (Road Run With Dirt Road)
Distance: 20.1 Kilometers or 12 Miles Time: 2:17:06 Hrs Average Pace: 6:39 mins/K
Total Distance: 84.84 Kilometers or 53 Miles
Total Time: 9:12 Hours (approximate)
In my browsing on the Internet, I was able to visit the blog of Sage Canaday, a former elite runner of the Brooks Hansons Distance Project. Sage Canaday was the youngest athlete at the 2008 US Olympic Marathon Trials. He has the fastest American time at the Mt. Washington Road Race and has a course record at the White River 50. In one year and half as an ultra runner, he won 50K, 50-Mile, and 100K ultra trail races.
The following video was taken from his blog and he is here to discuss the importance of marathon speed training in ultra trail races. Enjoy the video.
The first reason why I DNFd in this race was because of my being dumb and hard-headed. In the middle of March of last year, I had a bad slip and fall on a paved road that caused some injuries to my right leg, knee, and head. The trauma that hit my knees to the ground resulted to a pain that made me limp in my walk and run. Despite of what had happened, I joined the Mt Ugo 42K Trail Marathon without any plans of joining it and I was able to withstand the pain on my right knee and was able to finish the race.
Two weeks before the conduct of the TNF 100, while “road testing” my Hoka One One Bondi B Speed, I had another slip and fall and my right knee which was recovering from my previous injury, hit the ground first and the pain I felt during the Mt Ugo 42K Trail Marathon came back. I was forced to rest the following days and prepared for my last recon run on the TNF course on the following weekend.
We were lost during our last recon run one week before the race and I was exhausted and tired. What was supposed to be an easy 20K trail hike, it became a 35K strenuous hike among our group. Being exhausted and tired one week before the race was a Big NO as part of the training preparation for such a very challenging event.
On race day, I was still strong and determined to finish the race when I reached AS1 as I had some “buffer” time on the prescribed cut-off time. While I was on my way to the Philex Ridge, I was still on a fighting mode in the company of Bong Alindada until we reached the Aid Station in Barangay Alang. From that point, everything is a rolling terrain with more declines until one reaches the halfway point along Kennon Road.
From Barangay Alang To Twin Peaks Falls
The Barangay Alang to Twin Peaks Falls was my downfall. The pain on my right knee was getting more severe; it was too hot; I was experiencing exhaustion due to dehydration and faulty nutrition; and the paved steep road in going down to the next Aid Station was too harmful to my legs and knees that I had to slow down.
I still have less than one hour as a “buffer” time before the prescribed cut-off time but my rest and eating period were extended as I stayed longer at the Aid Station for my much-needed rest and recovery. My time for my body to rest and recover was very slow as I tried to ingest more solid foods to my body.
I left the Aid Station with a very small margin of buffer time but after hiking for about 500 meters, there was some traffic among the runners along a single track trail due to carabaos staying on the trail. Due to the brief stop, I became lazy but I forced to continue with the hike. As the sun was setting down on the west and getting darker, I finally decided to throw the towel and declare myself as DNF.
For this year, I will be back to finish this race!
In our trail runs in my “playground” with my training partner, Dannin, we always have something to do for the trail aside from running. It is either we pick-up plastic wrappers of candies or biscuits or cigarettes or any kind of trash; remove dried twigs or branches on the trail; cut grasses and branches that block one’s view of the trail; or clean the waterways in streams and rivers along the way.
Dannin Removing Dried Twigs & Leaves On Waterways
In our latest run, Dannin and I cleaned and removed the debris/dried leaves that were accumulated on the waterways of the rivers and streams where we usually cross or pass. There were two rivers which we cleaned and it improved the continuous flow of water from the higher ground to a bigger pool where anybody would take a dip or swim.
With the better and continuous flow of water of the river, we are preventing the presence of insects and mosquitoes where they could breed and multiply. It would also prevent the river from overflowing to its banks which would result to flooding in populated areas or for the river to create another waterway which would lead to more erosion of earth and movements of rocks.
Another Stream To Clean From Debris
It did not take us for ten minutes to clean each river but such simple and little act to nature would give more protection to the population in terms of preventing diseases (due to the presence of mosquitoes) and maintaining the natural flow of water to the lower grounds, thereby, preventing flooding and erosion.
Deeper, Cleaner Water Pool Where Everybody Would Swim Or Dip
If you happen to hike or run along the hills and mountain trails, find time to exert a little time and effort to help and conserve nature.
(Note: Thanks for reading and sharing my previous post, “Haters”, as it got 1,718 hits yesterday and shared for almost 300 times on Facebook and Twitter. Keep on reading my posts with the hope of being motivated and inspired to run.)
On the first day of the year 2014, I went out for my first trail run workout for the year. In the company of my running partner, Danin, we started our our run at 10:30 AM and it was hot and sunny but the quality of the air is very clean as there were no firecrackers in the mountains where I usually call my “playground”.
The trail was very dry because of no rains for the past weeks in the area. There are parts of the trail that have loose soil that made my run softer and comfortable to my legs and knees. As soon as we reached some higher grounds, I could feel a cold wind that blows behind and in front of us. We did not feel the heat of the sun on the exposed portions of the hills and mountains due to the colder breeze that is coming from the sea and the neighboring vegetated areas.
It was time also to visit the people who resides along the trails and greet them for the new year. Mang Mario, my friend who has a farm with mangoes and coconuts, was there in house and it is always the place where I would replenish my water supply and take a short rest or time to eat some of my trail foods.
As we left his house, it is the start of the more challenging inclines of the course where we have to reach three peaks which forced us to do brisk/power hike to reach each peak. Once we reach each peak, we continue to jog on vegetated trails and try to watch out for snakes crossing our way. Sometimes, we would see a group of monkeys as we reached the edge of the forest on the nearby higher mountain.
When we reached the highest point of the course, we had to eat our trail foods which consists of Chinese Tikoy and Croissant from Bread Talk. It was a brief break for us as we were trying to improve our running time to complete the course. Once we finished our snacks which served as our light lunch, we were on our way back to where we started.
It seems the decline and flatter portions of the trail were very easy but the heat of the sun was taking its toll on us. We have to hydrate some more and continue to slog it out with smaller strides but consistent pace.
Patience, Consistency in pace, Focus and Determination brought us back to the last stream/river we have to cross before we reached our Finish Line. After a few minutes, we reached the place where we started with an improved finish time. It was an improvement and faster by 5 minutes from the last recorded PR time that I had in this loop course and I was happy to have made an improvement and progress.
The loop course has a distance of 26.5 kilometers and we were able to finish it in 4:45 hours. A great improvement since we discovered this route in July last year where we were able to run, hike, and jog through it in 7 hours for the first time.
The conclusion is that I am getting faster and stronger in trail running!
I had the chance to meet my orthopedic doctor when I requested a Medical Team and Ambulance for the conduct of the latest Tagaytay To Nasugbu 50K Ultra Run on the first week of December 2013, last month. I asked him to make an schedule of an appointment for medical check-up on my knees after my participation in the 3rd Taklang Damulag 100-Mile Endurance Run and after taking a break/leave from running during the Holiday Season. The doctor readily told me that I could see him either on the last day of the year (december 31) or on New Year’s Day.
Fast forward. After the TD 100 where I DNFd at Km 110, I have observed that there was swelling on the upper part of my right knee and felt some pain after I did a recovery hike and run for about two hours two days after the TD 100. It was a good reason to really force myself to go on a rest period on the following weeks & days before my appointment to my orthopedic doctor. So, from December 17 to December 31, I had only two “outings” on the trails which are mostly hiking in nature. But the swelling and pain were still there until before I finally met my doctor.
On the afternoon of December 31st, I went to my orthopedic doctor to have my knees for medical check-up. My meeting had also served as my maintenance check on the results of my bi-monthly rehabilitation on my injured knees on the early part of last year (2013). The doctor immediately made an ocular check on swelling part of my right knee and he recommended me to have my knees to be x-rayed.
I could say that one of the most important benefits of being a retired military officer and a Major General at that, is that I have lifetime free medical service from the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The Philippine Army’s Hospital & Medical Center has all the services and facilities that I need to support my passion in running. With a written slip/order from the doctor, I was brought to the Radiology Department and in 10-15 minutes, my X-Ray was done and the films were developed for the immediate analysis of my orthopedic doctor. Very fast and efficient as there was only ONE soldier-medical technician who did all the works.
The doctor analyzed and read the films as he flashed the films on a lighted monitor. The following are the findings:
Left Knee: It is healthy, normal, and strong with minimal “spurs”.
Right Knee (Swelling One): There are “pointed spurs” which are causing the pain inside my knee and these “spurs” should be flattened immediately.
X-Ray Of My Right Knee
The doctor asked me if I have a stationary bike and I said, yes! He advised me to immediately include a stationary bike workout, at least, 30 minutes every day without any force or weight that would make my leg muscles exert any effort. He said that my legs should be made to move on a circular motion in order to maximize the full movement of my knees. It is due to my running, in quick and small strides, that the full motion of knees were restricted. He made a personal guarantee that the “pointed spurs” will be removed, if not, flattened, if I will do my stationary biking regularly.
On the night after I left the hospital, I was able to manage a 20-minute stationary cycling without any force but I have to cut short with my workout due to my butt being in pain as I am no longer used to using my bike.
Stationary Cycling Without Any Force/Weight
After 4 sessions of 30-minute stationary cycling, I was surprised that the swelling had greatly reduced and I could no longer feel any pain on my right knee.
The doctor’s advise is very good and my orthopedic doctor is the best doctor that I really admire! He deserves to have that wine which I gave him as a present for the Holiday Season.
This is a testimony that any runner, old or young, marathoner or ultra marathoner, needs to have a medical check-up to his/her knees and be able to expose themselves in cross training. As I am getting older and my the full range of motion of my body parts are being shortened and restricted, there is a need to do other forms of exercise which will serve as “cross training” to one’s main sports.
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 270,000 times in 2013. If it were an exhibit at the Louvre Museum, it would take about 12 days for that many people to see it.
1. The events are SOLO Races. These races will Start at the same time and place on or about 5:00 AM of Saturday December 14, 2013 at the vicinity of the Special Operations Command Headquarters, Philippine Army in Fort Magsaysay, Palayan City (Nueva Ecija).
2. The race course is through paved roads, dirt roads and single-track trails. In the 100-Mile course, approximately 110 kilometers are dirt roads and single track trail and almost 57 kilometers are paved/asphalted roads. In the 50-Mile course, almost 55 kilometers are dirt roads and single-track trails and 28 kilometers of paved/asphalted roads.
3. Runners in the 100-Mile Race has to finish Two Big Loops (One Loop is 83K) where each Loop has two Smaller Loops (12K-Loop around Mt Daklang Damulag) within it. Runner has to finish the course within the cut-off time of 32 hours.
4. Runners in the 50-Mile Race has to finish only One Big Loop (with two Smaller Loops around Mt Taklang Damulag). The cut-off time for the 50-Mile race is 16 hours.
5. Intermediate Cut-Off Times For 100-Mile Race:
50K @ Fernandez Hill—-8 Hours/1:00 PM Saturday, December 14, 2013
50K @ Fernandez Hill—-8 Hours/1:00 PM Saturday, December 14, 2013
83K/Finish Area/SOCOM Headquarters—-16:00 Hours/9:00 PM Saturday, December 14, 2013
7. Each runner must have the following basic gadgets/mandatory equipment with them:
a. At least 32 ounces of hydration (equivalent to two (2) Simple Hydration Bottles) fluids with them at ALL TIMES.
b. Basic First Aid Kit
c. Cellphone
d. Headlight/Handheld Flashlight
e. Whistle and/or Reflectorized Vest are NOT mandatory. It is enough that runners have reflectorized strips on their hydration pack or apparel.
f. Runners may use trekking poles.
8. Race Bib should be displayed on the FRONT part of the runner. Runner must be able to memorize his/her Race Bib Number.
9. Always run on SINGLE FILE and stay on the farthest LEFT side of the paved roads.
10. Drop Bags are allowed on the following Aid Stations:
a. Sitio Baccao
b. Barangay Palale
c. Barangay Nazareth
d. Fernandez Hill
e. SOCOM Headquarters/Start/Finish
Drop Bags will be collected at 4:00 AM and transported to their respective destination before the Gun Start. Drop Bags should be properly tagged/labeled with the runner’s Last Name, Bib Number & Location of Aid Station.
11. Support Vehicle is NOT allowed to “follow”; to “track”; or “leap frog” their runner along the course. Support Vehicle can ONLY have access to their runner/s at the designated Aid Stations. Support Crew can ONLY offer support to their runner within the vicinity of the Aid Stations.
12. A Pacer is ONLY allowed after the runner has completed the FIRST HALF of the course (83K) in the 100-Mile Race. A runner is only allowed ONE PACER at a time along the course. There will be NO Pacer for the 50-Mile Race.
13. Pacers are NOT allowed to carry any hydration, food, or equipment for the runner. Pacers are there as safety runners for the competing participant.
14. There will be Marshals on key intersections along the route. These are soldiers of the Special Forces Regiment of the Philippine Army and some of them will be manning the Aid Stations in Sitio Baccao, Barangay Palale, and Barangay Nazareth. Runners should be ATTENTIVE on these key intersections/Aid Stations on their FIRST LOOP as it is still DAYTIME. There is a possibility that some of these marshals could be sleeping/lying on the ground during nighttime in some of the key intersections in the Taklang Damulag Loop. Try to memorize these intersections!
15. Aside from the visible Marshals stationed on key intersections, there are also “invisible” (or hidden) marshals along the trails/dirt roads to monitor the runners passing along the route. They have a way to identify each runner passing on their respective station. These marshals are there to provide security to the runners.
16. In case of emergency, runner should contact Cellphone # 0918-965-9895 and/or # 0915-753-3834. Runner should state his/her name, location and the nature of emergency.
17. On the accommodation of runners, ONLY registered runners are FREE of charge. 100-Mile Runners are allowed two nights accommodation and the 50-Mile Runners are allowed one night only. Runners have the PRIORITY to be accommodated at the Special Forces Transient Facility and SF Alumni Center, near the SOCOM Headquarters. Three (3) Rooms (good for 4-6 people) had been reserved to be used for other runners and support crew at the 7th Division Army Transient Facility (near the Starting Area of the Fort Magsaysay To Dingalan 60K Ultra Run).
18. NO Bandits are allowed.
19. Runner must be able to provide the Name of their respective Pacer to the Secretariat before the Start of the Race.
20. It is the sole responsibility of the runner to have a thorough knowledge of the course. The course is MORE THAN 100 Miles or 161 Kilometers! This is NOT a valid reason for you to take a SHORTCUT or DETOUR along the course. Fort Magsaysay’s weather is always HOT during daytime. If you have complaints, please feel free to give directly to us your feedback immediately.
21. Maintain the Integrity of the Race.
“Pioneers” Of TD 100
Good Luck & Have Fun!
Administrative Announcement: There will be a Race Briefing & Dinner/CLP for the Registered Runners of the TD 100-Mile and TD 50-Mile Races at the SOCOM Headquarters, Fort Magsaysay, Palayan City o/a 6:00 PM of Friday December 13, 2013. Runners will be processed by submitting to the Secretariat/BR’s Staff their individual BPI Deposit Slips (For the Registration & Donation For the Typhoon Yolanda Victims).
Bald Runner 
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