Last Run Before TSFM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nice idea. Why not?

Thai Massage

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

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

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

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

Nike Oregon Project

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Runners' Training, Running1 Comment

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

For more information of this project, please click here.

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

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

Happy Running!

Brooks-Hansons Distance Project

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

Have you heard of the “Brooks-Hansons Distance Project”?

In 1999, brothers Kevin and Keith Hanson, both runners, made distance running to a new level of training and exposure by creating the “Brooks-Hansons Distance Project” which is considered as the first grassroots training team that reinvigorated the sports of running in the United States. Today, the Brooks-Hansons Running Team has gone on to become the premier American running team, providing the rare opportunity for the country’s best post-collegiate athletes to live in a supportive, training-focused environment where they are able to pursue Olympic dreams.

As each member of the team carry their goal for a spot in the US Olympic Team, they receive employment, housing, coaching, health care and running gear, obviously from Brooks & Saturn Cars and from the generosity of the Hanson Brothers.

After nine (9) years, Brian Sell, a member of the said running team, a relatively unknown and small-town runner, was able to finish third (3rd) in the US Men’s Olympic Marathon Trials in 2:11:40 hours and he is now an US Olympian athlete for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games.

For more information about this running team project, please click here.

Olympic Games Qualifying Standards For Track & Field Events

On By kingofpotsIn Running1 Comment

For your information. 

Athletes qualify for Olympic track and field competition in different ways, according to the guidelines set forth by each individual National Governing Body. Several nations, including the United States, stage Olympic Team Trials. The top three finishers in each event at the U.S. Trials qualify for the Olympics.

The one common factor in Olympic qualification for athletes of all nationalities is the need to reach an “A” or “B” qualifying standard in their respective events within a designated time window. The Beijing Olympic Qualifying Standards are as follows: Continue reading “Olympic Games Qualifying Standards For Track & Field Events” →

2008 Olympic Games & Philippine Sports

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, RunningLeave a comment

Did you know that there are thirty-three (33) sports events in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing? Here are the 33 events:

1) Track & Field                                            18) Wrestling                                    

2) Badminton                                                   19) Diving

3) Baseball                                                       20) Water Polo

4) Basketball                                                    21) Modern Pentathlon

5) Boxing                                                          22) Softball

6) Canoe/Kayak                                                23) Taekwando

7) Rowing                                                         24) Tennis

8) Cycling (BMX, Mountain, Road, Track)          25) Shooting Continue reading “2008 Olympic Games & Philippine Sports” →

Updates In Los Angeles

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Running3 Comments

Everything is normal here in Los Angeles after a Magnitude of 5.4 Earthquake was felt at 11:42 AM yesterday. Chino Hills, in San Bernardino County, almost 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles was the epicenter of the earthquake. The last earthquake before this was in January 1994 which devastated Northridge with the Magnitude of 6.7 and resulted to at least 60 deaths and millions of dollars of destroyed properties and infrastructures. People here say that there had been minimal destruction to buildings, houses and infrastructures because they had prepared for such event since 1994 as California implemented a strictest building code. However, the people of California are still preparing for the “big one” to come. Lastly, it was the telephone systems in LA that got jammed, not by the earthquake, but the overloaded calls made by the people of California and from other states and countries after the earthquake. Some wireless telephone companies reported 800% call spike on the calls made after the earthquake. I don’t know if this is a coincidence, I was here in LA when the Northridge Earthquake happened in 1994 and then after another 14 years, I am here again for the next earthquake! Los Angeles must had been excited of my presence! Continue reading “Updates In Los Angeles” →

BR’s Team @ TNF 100 & Pictures

On By kingofpotsIn Pictures, Running, Trail Running, Ultramarathon10 Comments

Before I left for the United States, Captain Ferdie Espejo told me that our runners in the Philippine Army would like to run in the TNF 100 and they were looking for sponsors who would support them in terms of registration fees, support and miscellaneous expenses. So, I told him that I am willing to support and finance their entry and participation in the said event with the condition that the runners will carry the name of Bald Runner and they will bring home what ever prizes they would earn or win. I wanted the runners to win and get the cash prizes for their respective families and for themselves. Thus, the BR’s Team was born. (Do you think the AFP or the Philippine Army or the PSC/NSA or any corporate entity will give support for these runners with two weeks to go before the race?)

The BR’s Team entered three (3) runners in the 100K Solo Run—Mamerto Corpuz, Esmeraldo Ondoy, and Ellen Tolentino; and one team for the 100K Relay Run consisting of Cresenciano Sabal and Reynaldo De Los Reyes. Three (3) of our runners registered in the 20K and 10K events.

Our BR Team won 1st Runner-Up (2nd Place) in the 100K Team Relay (Cresenciano Sabal & Reynaldo De Los Reyes); Mamerto Corpuz won Third Place in the 100K Solo Race; Esmeraldo Ondoy won Fifth Place in the 100K Solo Race; while Ellen Tolentino was the Female Champion in the 100K Solo Race and Seventh (7th) Overall; Ailene Tolentino also won as the Female Champion in the 10K Trail Race.

The BR’s Runners brought home five (5) Belt Medallions; P 5,000 worth of Gift Check and P 50,000 Check to be encashed this Friday. All of these prizes went to the runners. Spending Eleven Thousand Pesos (P 11,000.00) to these elite runners was a worthy investment for their effort, experiences, and the belt medallions/cash prizes they received.

I was happy to receive the news about how the BR’s Team runners’ accomplishments in the TNF 100 from Captain Espejo (who was constantly sending me text messages) and from the other runner-bloggers who joined the race. I was happier with the thought that I was made to be “an instrument” for these deserving elite runners to experience ultra trail running with the prestigious The North Face as the main sponsor.

The following pictures were taken by Captain Espejo which he sent through e-mail to recap his report to me on the said race:

Eighty-four (84) ultra trail runners for the 100K Solo run and 100K Team Relay run started the TNF 100 Race at 7:30 AM on 26 July 2008 with team runners from Singapore and Hong Kong. 

There they go!

Cresenciano Sabal (right) and Reynaldo De Los Reyes (middle) won 1st Runner-Up in the 100K Team Relay Run finishing 12 minutes behind the Champion Team. They received P 15,000 check as their cash prize.

 Esmeraldo Ondoy receiving his Belt Buckle Medallion for finishing 5th Place in the 100K Solo Run

The BR’s Team with their prize and the our BR’s Tarp

Captain Espejo (left) as the Team Manager of the Bull Runner’s Events Team

BR’s Team Members: From left: Quisay (BR support staff); Ondoy (5th Place 100K Solo Run); Sabal (2nd place 100K Team Relay Run); Ellen Tolentino (Female Champion 100K Solo Run & 7th Overall); Ailene Tolentino (Female Champion 10K Run); De Los Reyes (2nd Place 100K Team Relay Run); and Corpuz (3rd Place 100K Solo Run)

This Is How They Do It Here! #2

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Runners' Training, Running, Trail Running, Ultramarathon1 Comment

The following Heat Training pointers and instructions were sent to my e-mail by the Race Organizers of the Bulldog Trail Run to guide me in my training and preparations for the race on 23 August 2008.

Very nice and commendable effort to make each runner prepared for the event, at least, one month before the race.

Can our Race Organizers do this in the Philippines? Yes, we can do it, too!

Note: Arthur Webb is the ultra running coach of Jamie Donaldson, the 2008 Lady Champion of Badwater Ultramarathon Race. Continue reading “This Is How They Do It Here! #2” →

This Is How They Do It Here! #1

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Races, Runners' Training, Running, Trail Running, UltramarathonLeave a comment

Having registered on line a week before, the following is my confirmation letter to participate in the Bulldog 50K Trail Ultra Run. Please note that this letter was sent to my e-mail address one month before the race day, 23 August 2008. In this letter is a detailed information and instructions to follow on the conduct of the race.

I hope this kind of arrangements or example of professionalism and efficiency will be applied in the Philippines.  Continue reading “This Is How They Do It Here! #1” →