Tag: Runner

Hill Trails

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

I’ve chosen to see and run through the dirt trails near my sister’s place in Barangay Dibua South, Laoag City in the afternoon of last Wednesday (11 June). I used my ASICS Gel-1120 shoes with my Nathan Water Belt, a bottle of Propel strapped on my right palm, runner’s cap, and a Nike running kit. I was accompanied by Barry White and The Beatles.

The access point to the dirt/trail road is very near my place which was only twenty meters. The dirt/trail road is beside an irrigation canal without any flowing water and followed the trail going north. It was a slow run just to be able to see, explore the place, and make sure of my foot landings. There were parts of the trail which were covered with dry leaves that fell down from the trees that are on the sides of the trail. There were parts of the trail which are used by people going up the hill to get some firewoods and most of these trails lead to some houses and rice fields.

This is the dirt road at Barangay Dibua South which is beside an irrigation canal. This point is Km-2.

After reaching the cemented road going to Barangay Sangil, Bacarra as I jogged towards the north, I decided to go through a small cemented/paved road that goes towards the eastern direction. After twenty meters, the paved road became a sand & gravel trail, later a dirt trail, and I was surprised to see a newly-cemented road that goes to the hills. After passing through the peak of the highest hill in the area, I followed this paved road and on the lower elevation I could see on both sides of the road big concrete houses which is a sign that most of the people residing in this area are either OFWs or “Balikbayans” from the USA. At this point, it was already Km-9.

After running for almost 5 kms, I took this sand & gravel road going to the eastern direction.

After running for about 500 meters on this road with big concrete houses, I met 4 couples (at least 50 meters distance from each couple) doing brisk walking with fanny pack belts on their waists. I smiled and waved at them while I passed them. Most of the couples seen walking were fat!

This trail is going uphill to a semi-permanent house. At this point, I was already at Km-7.

It was getting dark already and opted to just follow the paved road and later surprised to see bright lights on the horizon. I could see the Provincial Sports Complex where workers are busy making repairs on the grounds/track. Hopefully, our running oval track here in Laoag City will be made of tartan.

From the Provincial Sports Complex, I have to go back to my sister’s place in Barangay Dibua to complete my run and it was another 4.5 kms distance. After running on the trails and hills in Laoag City, the cemented road and plain terrain towards the house gave relief to my tired legs.  

After almost 25 minutes from Barangay Sampaloc, I was able to reach the finish line, the house of my sister.

This run gave me the reason to see the trails in Laoag City for the first time! I was surprised to know that there are so many dirt/sand & gravel trails on the outskirts of the city which connect barangays located on the hills.

I was able to run a distance of 15.43 kms with a time of 1:50:41 hours. It was a nice run!

Treadmill Workout

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

I had to make a quick trip back to Manila to buy some needed parts and materials for the repair project that I am supervising here in Laoag City. I have observed that the prices of materials here in the province are too expensive as compared to the factory price in Metro Manila. After buying such materials at MC Home Depot at The Fort, I had to send them through the commercial bus going to Laoag with a minimal fee for its transport. I was able to save some money.

Last Tuesday morning, I had a quick visit at the gym and made my usual weight training using the dumbbells and the Smith machine for bench press and I was able to finish my supplementary weight training after one hour.

I shifted my workout and tried the treadmill. I had a combination of brisk walking and slow jogging with the following adjustments:

Speed—6.0                                Inclination—15 (Maximum)

Duration—1:10:00 hours          Total Calories—480 cal

Distance—6.2 kilometers         Vertical Distance—850 meters

Average HR—155 bpm              Hydration—One bottle of Propel

As much as possible, I tried to avoid holding on the vertical bar infront of me and the top of the digital display of the treadmill machine in order to simulate a hill/mountain climbing activity.

It was a nice workout that I was able to perspire a lot. I was glad there were no other users on my both sides during my treadmill workout.

After lunch, I was on my way back to Laoag City.

Sleeping 101: How To Sleep Better

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

I saw this article at www.sleepdex.org/tips.htm while browsing at WordPress. I hope this will be an added information for those runners who want better performance and for those who have problems getting to sleep. Remember that a serious runner must have at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night. In my experience, I strongly believe that a good night rest/sleep is one of the preventive measures in sports injuries and sickness. In the principle of rest & recovery in training simply means a complete sleep (at least 8 hours) every night.

Enjoy reading this article.

Sleep Hygiene – Best Practices

Experts recommend these to help you fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up feeling refreshed and ready to start a new day.

  • Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning. Set and maintain a sleep schedule. Try to stick to it even on weekends and when life gets crazy. Failure to do so can lead to insomnia. “Sleeping in” on the weekends will make it harder to wake up on Monday morning because it resets your sleep cycle.
  • Avoid drinking alcohol close to bedtime. While it may initially sedate you, alcohol keeps your brain in light sleep – you have trouble getting to the deep sleep and REM sleep phases and your sleep is less efficient. Arousals due to alcohol can cause sweating, headaches and intense dreaming.
  • In the late afternoon and evening, avoid caffeinated drinks because they act as stimulants. Caffeine sources include some soft drinks, coffee, chocolate, non-herbal teas, some pain relievers and diet drugs. Caffeine can stay in your system up to 14 hours. It increases the number of nighttime awakenings and decreases total sleep time.
  • Avoid nicotine in the evening. This includes both smoking and smoking withdrawal systems such as nicotine patches. Nicotine is a stimulant, like caffeine, so it pumps your heart up. Smokers often have trouble sleeping because the length of a good night’s sleep is more than their bodies want to go without a cigarette. They wake up early due to nicotine withdrawal.
  • Wake up with the sun, or use very bright lights in the morning. Sunlight helps the body’s internal biological clock reset itself each day. Sleep experts recommend exposure to an hour of morning sunlight for people having problems falling asleep. This is also a great treatment for jet lag.
  • Keep the bedroom quiet and dark and at a comfortable temperature. Extreme temperatures may disrupt sleep or prevent you from falling asleep. Make sure you have a good mattress and pillow.
  • Try to exercise 20 to 30 minutes a day but not right before bedtime. For maximum benefit, exercise at least three hours before going to bed, especially if you are the type of person who becomes more alert with exercise.
  • Develop a relaxing routine before bed. This may include a warm bath, light stretching, listening to soothing music, reading or other relaxing activities.
  • Don’t go to bed feeling hungry, but don’t eat a big, heavy meal right before bedtime. For a light snack before bedtime, carbohydrates or dairy products (e.g. non-chocolate cookies or crackers and milk) are best
  • Don’t lie in bed awake. If you can’t fall asleep within 30 minutes, go to another room and do something restful until you feel tired. Don’t read in bed. If you want to read, get out of bed and sit in a chair.
  • Don’t have a visible bedroom clock because “clock watching” will only help intensify the misery of insomnia. You can always turn the face of the clock away from you or put it in a drawer.
  • Reserve your bed for sleeping and sex. Keep the television, laptop, cell phone, food, etc. out of the bedroom.
  • Don’t make bedtime the time to solve your problems. Make a to do list for the next day then try to clear your mind.
  • Think about your napping policy. Naps can be great in helping some people improve performance. But for others, napping is an invitation to night-time insomnia. Figure out which category you are in. Don’t nap during the day if you have trouble sleeping at night. If you must, take a brief nap 10 to 15 minutes about eight hours after waking.
  • Try not to drink fluids at least two hours before bedtime as a full bladder can interfere with sleep.
  • If you need to get up during the night, do not expose yourself to bright light. Intense light can reset your internal clock and make it harder to get back to sleep. See circadian rhythm section.
  • Avoid sleeping with your pet because their movements or your allergies can decrease the quality of your sleep.
  • Know the side effects of your medications. Certain medications can either compound sleepiness or make falling asleep more difficult. Let your doctor know if you have sleep problems so they can do their best not to prescribe medications that worsen your sleep difficulties.
  • If sleep problems persist, see your doctor. If you have trouble falling asleep night after night or if you always wake up feeling unrefreshed, you may have a sleep disorder that needs treatment.

Medical doctors who specialize in sleep actually use the term “sleep hygiene” to describe the habits and behaviors of people before bedtime and while in bed as well as environmental condition that can affect sleep quality. Attention to sleep hygiene is often the first thing to look to when people have trouble sleeping.

The U.S. government’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has produced four-page PDF files on

Check out our sleep resources page for more information.

An Invitation; Dasma; & Forbes Park

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Running1 Comment

I received an e-mail invation from Kim early this week as her guest to run in the 1st Forbes Park-Dasmarinas Village Run this morning but I had made my schedule already to fly to Laoag City on the morning of last Tuesday. I had to beg off and made a “pass” on the said invitation telling her that I am in Laoag City undertaking some repair jobs of my future residential place in the city. I promised Kim to call her once I return to Manila.

It would had been a nice experience to be running inside the village of the “rich and famous”; “foreign dignitaries” and “big bosses” of multinational companies assigned in the country. Joining this race would had been an opportunity to run with Kim and to my good friend, US Ambassador Kristie A Kenney of the United States, whom I ‘ve known to be a good hiker & runner.

In the early 90s, the cycling/biking group that I organized among my officers and men assigned at Fort Bonifacio was a constant visitor inside these two villages as part of our daily 25-km cycling route. It was nice to see clean & wide roads and tall trees along the sides of the roads where the roads are named after popular local trees. If the road is named Acacia, you expect that the road is lined up with acacia trees on the sides. The Tamarind Road (where tamarind trees are planted along the sides of the road) is the most distinct road that we had to traverse in going back to Fort Bonifacio after coming from Dasmarinas Vilage. The trees provided shade to most of us during our cycling workouts. I could also remember meeting Congressman Jack Enrile on an expensive bike along Tamarind Road with a SUV as his back-up/security and Bowling Champion Paeng Nepomuceno with his nice & colorful cycling jersey and of course, expensive racing bicycle. 

How I wished I could have joined this inaugural road race and recall the days when I was allowed to jog and bike on the roads of these two known villages.

Kim, I hope to see you soon!

Running Form @ Doc Fit 10K Run

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Pictures, Races, Running8 Comments

These pictures were taken by my nephew, Lemuel, during the 2008 Doc Fit “Takbo Para Sa Puso” 10K Run on the roads of UP Diliman Campus. Nice pictures, Lemuel. Thanks!

Do I need to raise my knees to have a higher “kick” with my back foot in order to increase the length of my stride? or Do I have to increase the frequency of my short strides and maintain this “shuffling” motion of my legs and be able to protect my knees? These are the basic factors that you have to consider in order to gain more speed—-the length of your stride and the frequency of your strides. However, every runner must be able to protect his knees, most especially for an old runner like me. But in the end, what is important is to follow the natural form/flow of your body when you are running.

Can you spot if I was experiencing pain on my right foot brought about by “gout”?

Update: Project Donate A Shoe

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Running2 Comments

22 May 2008

Immediately after the 2nd Champion Run at the Marikina Riverbanks last 11 May 2008, my friend, Graciano “Totoy” Santos of Happy Feet Running Club donated his New Balance Racing Shoe to the Project Donate A Shoe. His shoes was immediately donated and accepted by Marcial Quisay.

To Totoy, thanks for supporting this project! Mabuhay ka!

Last Sunday, 18 May 2008, after the Market! Market! 5-Mile Run, four (4) pairs of the donated shoes were distributed and received by the following runners: Roque Legaspi; Fritz Gerald Perez; Rey Antoque (Mizuno Track Shoes); and Jun Villarta.

There were no donors during the said road race.

At present, the Project was able to collect a total of 38 running shoes and was able to distribute 34 of these to recipients. Four (4) pairs of running shoes are on hand.

With regards to the “barefoot running kids”, I am still waiting for the arrival of Mr Rudy Biscocho from the United States as he is the one who is in possession of the list of participants in the 4th Global City Run. We could only identify these kids through their bib/race numbers. For the past days, I’ve been going around to some of the sports stores to canvass the price of running shoes for these kids. Hopefully, I will be able to get discount prices for these shoes.  As soon as I identify these kids, they will be contacted and appropriate arrangements will be made for these kids to be given their brand-new running shoes. I was informed lately that these kids are from the province of Laguna.

The Project Donate A Shoe Booth will be available at the UP Campus during the DocFit Run this Sunday.

I hope to see you this Sunday. Happy running!

Death; Color-Coded Trails; & South Drive

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

One of my men who served under me when I was assigned at the Philippine Military Academy after the 1986 People’s Power Revolution died last 02 May 2008 due to heart attack, at the age of 53 years old, in Baguio City. This was the reason why I had to go to Baguio City on the eve of his burial. William, the name of my soldier, had been with me in PMA and when I was assigned at Fort Bonifacio during the early 90s. He was reassigned back to PMA to join his family until he retired from the service in 2001 at the age of 46. His wife, is a civilian employee of the PMA and her family relatives are presently serving the AFP. William was one of the original members of my “1,000K Club” which I established when I was assigned in PMA and he was a consistent & hard-working intelligence operative and a competitive runner. He was a “marathon” finisher.

I arrived at PMA at 9:00 PM and went directly to the remains of William to pay respect to a good, loyal, and reliable soldier. I stayed with the rest of his family, relatives, batchmates, and friends up to midnight and gave financial support to the family. I gave them the impression that I will just drop by for the early mass the following day before his burial and told his wife that I will be going back to Manila the following day.

After the mass on the following day, I went back to the hotel and changed to my athletic attire for a brief run before going back to Manila. My running kit consists of my Capri Nike Shorts, Adidas muscle shirt, and ASICS Gel-Kinsei 2. I started my run from the South Drive Baguio Manor Hotel up to Camp John Hay Rotunda and back along South Drive and reached up to the Baguio Country Club. Instead of entering the Gate of Camp John Hay, I decided to inspect the color-coded trails along the edges of Camp John Hay.

I took the cemented road on the left side before one enters the Gate of CJH where Horse-Back Riding starts. I was surprised to see that the trail road before is already a two-way paved road with houses of illegal settlers on the left side of the road. Such place in the mid-80s were full of pine trees and a small trail was the only distinct feature one could see. From the paved road, I re-traced the old running color-coded trail and the trail is still there (without those colored paints on the trunks of pine trees) but with illegal settlers on some portions along the side of the trail. I think I was able to run 2 kilometers along this trail which had been neglected but still being used by the illegal settlers in going to their houses. A “chicken wire” fence was established to separate the property of CJH from the rest of the side of the mountain and I was surprised to see that the color-coded trail was already outside the camp. I wanted to reach up to the Voice of America but the vegetation was becoming thicker which is an indication that this trail is not being used frequently. I took another trail until I was inside the property of CJH and went out just infront of the gate that goes to US Ambassador’s Cottage! The security guards were surprised to see me from nowhere! From there, I ran towards the Gate out of the camp towards BCC and reached Mansion House and later ran at least two rounds at Wright Park and back to South Drive and ending my run at the Oval Track inside Teacher’s Camp. I just walked briskly back to my hotel. I finished a distance of 15 kilometers.

It was a slow run but there are so many things that made Baguio City changed for the past twenty years. I could not smell anymore the scent of the pine trees in the city, instead, the smell changed into smoke/carbon monoxide emitted from the jeepneys, trucks, buses & cars. I could not see anymore those thick forests consisting of century-old pine trees but instead, I could see houses of illegal settlers. Even if Typhoon Cosme just left the place for almost 3 days already, streets are still dirty with debris brought about by the typhoon which is a very long response time from the City Govenment’s Engineering Office. The vacant spaces at Wright Park had been a place where families could have their weekend picnics but now, commercial semi-permanent stalls abound the place selling Baguio City souvenirs mixed with those horses for hire! I even saw horse manure littered along the sidewalk where I was running! Even the quiet South Drive Road is not spared from pollution and traffic. Before, South Drive was a quiet and free from vehicular traffic place to run but running on this street now is completely different where runners should be extra careful with the vehicles plying along this road.

I was too tired aready to run along the Oval Track inside Teacher’s Camp. I just observed one of the athletes, a shotput thrower, doing his training and a senior citizen jogging slowly along the track. I am glad this facility had been maintained by the Philippine Sports Commission.

Later in the afternoon, I had to leave Baguio Ciy for Manila. 

Paying respect to a dead comrade and running on the paved and trails of Baguio City are part of “enjoying life” after retirement. 

Gym Workout #2

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

6:30 AM 14 May 2008

This is my second time to have my gym workout for this week and it lasted for one hour & 45 minutes. I did the following exercises:

Calf Raises with Barbell (30 lbs) on my shoulders: 3 sets X 30 reps

Squats (Full & Half) with Barbell (30 lbs) on Shoulders: 3 sets X 30 reps

Lunges with  Barbell (30 lbs) on Shoulders: 50 times

Dumbbell Pullovers: 35 lbs @ 3 sets X 15 reps

Arms Curl w/ Dumbbels: 15 lbs @ 3 sets X 20 reps

Shoulder Shrugs: 15 lbs @ 3 sets X 20 reps

Lateral Supine Raises: 15 lbs Dumbbells @ 3 sets X 20 reps

Abdominal Machine: 40 lbs @ 3 sets X 20 reps

Sit-Ups w/ Rubber Ball: 100 reps

Arms Extension w/ Dumbbells: 15 lbs @ 3 sets X 20 reps

Bench Press: 50 lbs @ 3 sets X 10 reps

Lateral Pull: 90 lbs @ 3 sets X 10 reps 

I did some stretching before and after my gym workout. My workout ended with 50 reps of “jumping jacks”.

It was a nice gym workout and I did not had any runs for the day.

Runnex @ 25 10K Race

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Races, Running12 Comments

6:00 AM 04 May 2008 at UP Diliman Campus

I arrived at the Parking Area, far away from the Assembly Area, and started to have my stretching and warm-up about 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of 6:00 AM. I put on my GF 305 while standing still doing my body stretch. I tried to put on also my MP3 but later decided not to use it on the last minute before the start. After my stretching, I immediately had a slow-jog of about 100 yards and repeatedly jogged that distance for about 10 minutes just to be able for my body to start sweating.

After my slow jogging, I started to briskly walk to the Assembly area and I was surprised to see a lot of runners who had already checked-in for the 10K, 5K & 3K distance runs. It was already 3 minutes before the start time and I was able to see some of the visitors of this blog raring to go for the race. The 5K race was scheduled to start 2 minutes after the 10K runners had started and another interval of 2 minutes for the 3k runners to start after the 5K runners had left the starting area.

The 10K race started on time with so many runners infront of me as I was positioned at the middle of the pack before the start of the race. I slowly started my run and had to pass through the slower runner for the first 100 meters. At the 400-meter mark, I slowly passed some of the runners and I was able to get my position and my comfortable pace. I was glad I did not had anybody on my sides or immediately on my front and I just maintained my position up to the first ascent portion of the route. The elite 5K runners started to pass by and overtook me at the 600-meter mark and they were really fast! But I just concentrated on my pace and was not affected with their blistering pace. 

I was using a new Nike Zoom racing shoes which I think is the lightest running shoes that I bought lately which is my “gift” to myself for finishing another 100 kilometers in my “1,000 Km Club”. I was concentrating on my new shoes and praising it on my mind for it appears that it is very comfortable to my feet and I am forced to have a “ball-toe” footstrike on the ground. I was happy for having a positive thoughts on my new shoes for the 2-3 kilometers. I was having a good time “shuffling” and sprinting with my new Nike Zoom shoes! I was also happy that the shoes responded well on the curves on the road most especially on the turn-around points. The sole of the shoes really grabbed the ground and made my feet stable.

At the 5-km point, I tried to look at my GF 305 for the first time and I was able to see 25+ minutes and my mind registered to a “panic” mode thinking that I might finish the race in 50 minutes or more. I made a comment to Mark last night that the goal for this race should be sub-50 minutes after informing me that the course is more than 10 K, to be exact, 10.89 K and this was also the observation of “the loony runner”. Mark was 10-15 meters infront of me on the 1st 5K but he started to increase his pace on the last 5K and he is really making a lot of improvements. Hey, Mark, you are really the most improved runner!

At the 7K point, I had the chance to run beside Dr. Tan of the Farview Runners and he is really a strong runner at his age but he slowly reduced his pace later when we were about to go uphill. At the 8k point & turn-around while I was drinking from my bottled water, the loony runner passed by with a consistent fast pace with a water container on his hand and another bottle of water on his “small on the back” tucked in his running shorts. I tried to pick-up my pace for the next 400 meters and made some “speed play” on the last 2 kilometers. After running for almost 800 meters on a “sprint” mode, I started to feel as if I was going to “throw-up”. That was a “warning sign” for my body to slow down and I just relaxed my speed and concentrated on my running form and be able to finish the pace.

At the last turn, I looked again at my GF 305 and I was able to glance that it just registered 46:00 minutes. Looking at a distance with the finish line on sight, I started to pick-up my pace combining my “shuffling” and “high knee” running. I had to count 1 to 10 repeatedly to maintain a fast rythym and concentrate on my running form towards the finish line.

I finished the 10K race in 48:48 minutes as registered in my GF 305. My watch also registered a distance of 9.90 kilometers. I registered a “negative split” on this race, finishing the 1st 5K in 25+ minutes and the last 5K in 23+ minutes.

Well, I did not register a better time from my previous 10K race two weeks ago but I am still happy that I was able to improve my time from my previous RUNNEX race last 02 December 2007 on the roads of UP Campus where I registered a time of 52:07 minutes.

It was a nice run. I am going to add another P 500.00 to my Charity Fund for finishing this road race.

Thanks again to those who donated their used/old running shoes to the Project Donate A Shoe. My special mention goes to Cecil/Miraclecello who removed his running shoes after the race and donated them to our project. Mabuhay ka, Cecil!

RUNNEX Road Races

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Running6 Comments

A day before the Runnex @ 25 10 K Race will be conducted, I am trying to recall my first race at UP Campus.

I’ve posted my story on “Time Stealer” where there was a big discrepancy (again) on the time registered on my wristwatch and the official results of the race. At that time, I was still using my old reliable Casio Pathfinder watch. The 27th RUNNEX Executive 10K Run was held last 02 December 2007, which was six weeks after I seriously revived my running, and I registered a time of 52:07 minutes. However, the official results showed that I had a time of 52:39 minutes and I had somebody next to me with a time of 52:42 minutes. One of my staff was able to take a picture of me, at least 100 meters from the finish line, and there was nobody at my back which has a distance of 3 seconds from me! Well, this was my first experience on my observations of faulty timing system in our road races in the country.

Surprisingly, in this RUNNEX 10K run, I was able to improve my time by almost 3 minutes from my time with the Animo Run which was held a week before the run. I became to doubt whether the Animo Run was more than 10K or the RUNNEX Run had a shorter distance or I really improved on my performance. We’ll see the answers tomorrow after the run from my GF 305.

Looking at the route in tomorrow’s RUNNEX 10K run, the organizers slightly changed the course (start/finish and direction of the race) but the roads to be covered are the same with the first race I joined. I just hope that they measured the route accurately. The course is relatively flat with very low ascent as compared with the hills in Bayani Road. McKinley Hill, and the portion of the road infront of the Heritage Park. The roads are relatively covered with trees except at the wide road infront of the Oblation. This was where I saw a runner crossing the center island at least 20 yards before the turn-around point.

The 10K course will be a 2-loop run and I am anticipating again to have a faster pace in the 1st loop and decreasing my pace for the last loop. For those who are planning to have negative split time on this course, this will be a nice road race to test your endurance & stamina to push harder on the 2nd loop. Well, for me, I am trying to be consistent with my even-pace strategy for this race. I must admit and as seen in my running workouts for the past two weeks, I did not have any “speed or tempo” runs.

I am sure this race is well-supported with prestigious corporate sponsors as in the past. I could remember that I brought home a lot of sports drinks and many give-aways after the race. The suppor system in the RUNNEX races are really superb and outstanding.

To my fellow runners, good luck and see you tomorrow!

To those who are willing and planning to donate their old running shoes or any rubber shoes, please bring them with you and our booth will be there to receive your donations. Thanks!