Yesterday morning, I called up the Commanding General of the Philippine Army’s Support Command (ASCOM), who happens to be my underclassman in the Philippine Military Academy, to reconsider their policy of preventing runners from using the streets inside the Libingan ng mga Bayani. His command is the one directly supervising the upkeep of the Libingan through a Council Board. I requested that runners and walkers must be allowed inside the cemetery as the rolling hills and streets are very challenging and the most accessible route to civilians, soldiers and retirees who would like to engage in physical activities. I told him also that the runners are very responsible people who are just after a quiet road, free of traffic, and full of challenging hills and don’t have any desire to litter or conduct informal picnics/meeting inside the establishment. I was assured by the Commanding General of ASCOM that he will bring this matter to the Libingan ng mga Bayani Council Board for their consideration. Continue reading “199 Days: Libingan; ULTRA Track; & “Running Shoe Guru””
Tag: Running
200 Days: Ed Paez; Massage; & Rest
I had the pleasure to meet in person Mr. Ed Paez yesterday morning to discuss matters with regards to my plan to conduct the 1st Bataan Death March Tribute Ultramarathon Race (yes, that’s the latest name of the event). Mr Paez is a writer/columnist of the tabloid Remate after having been retired as Information Officer of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources; and presently the President of the San Fernando Runners Unlimited Inc. (SAFER RUN) of Pampanga. He is also known to be the person behind the conduct of the annual Bataan Death March Tribute Relay Run for the past 23 years whose participants are volunteers among the members of his running club and some members of the AFP Running Team. Continue reading “200 Days: Ed Paez; Massage; & Rest”
201 Days: Ben Gaetos & Carmela Layson
This post is a tribute to the two (2) Pinoy Ultramarathoners who are well-knowned among the ultra runners in California. They just finished their third (3rd) participation to the most challenging ultra trail running event, Angeles Crest 100-Mile Endurance Run, which was held last Saturday & Sunday (13-14 Sep 2008) with hours to spare before the cut-off time of 33 hours.
The following was the race report of Ben Gaetos on his 2nd Angeles Crest 100-Mile Endurance Run in September 2007: Continue reading “201 Days: Ben Gaetos & Carmela Layson”
201 1/2 Days: 16K @ The Fort
6:00 PM 15 September 2008 @ Fort Bonifacio & The Fort
Yesterday, at 6:00PM, I did 16K run along Lawton Avenue and along the outer streets of The Fort up to the old Gate 1 of Fort Bonifacio and back to the main streets of The Fort. I finished my last 4 kilometers running along the Bonifacio High Street (BHS) Loop. I was able to join other runners in the said loop. I was happy to see more runners this time doing their practice runs in the said loop, most especially during nighttime.
I started to have some conversation with a guy (mid/late 20s) who tried to overtook me but I was able to keep up with his pace but when he started answering my questions, he just peeled off and took another route in one of the cross streets of BHS. I later found him looking tired after few minutes and could not keep up with my pace when I passed him. I later found out that he is preparing for a duathlon race this coming October. Continue reading “201 1/2 Days: 16K @ The Fort”
202 Days: 1st Day of Training For Bataan
I am formally starting my ultramarathon training for the Inaugural Bataan Death March Memorial 100K Ultra Run which will be held along the route where the event happened in World War II, not in any other place in the world, on April 5, 2009.
All my incoming road races on weekends will be part of my ultramarathon training. I should be able to run 50-60 kilometers this week.
The Bald Runner is back!!!
5K Tempo Run
After a rest and recovery for four days, I did a 5K tempo run yesterday early evening around the neighborhood. For my warm-up first kilometer, I did 5:38 mins. I did my 2nd Km in 5:05 mins; 3rd Km in 5:01 mins; 4th Km in 5:04; and ending my 5th Km in 5:12. Overall, I finished the distance of 5.02K in 26:09 minutes with an average pace of 5:12 minutes per kilometer.
Not bad! On Monday, I will be starting my 30-week ultramarathon training for the 2009 Inaugural Bataan Death March Memorial Ultramarathon Run. My next ultramarathon training will be geared towards my first 50K/50M Mt Disappointment Endurance Run in August 2009.
My prayers and best wishes to Ben Gaetos and Carmela Layson, our Pinoy Ultramarathoners residing in Los Angeles, for their 3rd/4th (?) participation to the Angeles Crest 100-Mile Ultra Trail Endurance Run which will start at 6:00 AM tomorrow. GO, GO, GO, Pinoy Ultra Trail Runners break the 30-hour time!!!
How About “Bataan Death March Memorial Ultra Run” In The Philippines?
The reason why I conducted the “first and only Bataan Death March Challenge” in April 2000 held along the exact route where the event occured because I was challenged why in the world would the ROTC of White Sands, New Mexico, USA celebrate such event in their desert where a handful of US World War II survivors from that State would be supported and commemorated. Also, there are three other places/States in the US where they commemorate this famous Bataan Death March. Continue reading “How About “Bataan Death March Memorial Ultra Run” In The Philippines?”
Running Shoes Mileage
According to a former elite runner and now a coach of famous US elite runners, a runner should change his/her shoes every 500 miles or 800 kilometers of distance covered. If a runner exceeds this distance, he/she is inviting injury that could stop or completely destroy one’s training schedule to a particular running event.
Sometimes, it is very hard for us to decide to buy a new running shoes even if the physical appearance of the “old” shoe is still almost new. But one should think that it is better to prevent oneself from being injured instead of paying more in order to cure one’s injury. “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure”. Spending 4-8 Thousand Pesos of a brand-new running shoes is better and cheaper than being cured by medicines, physical therapists, or surgery.
I am sure your old shoes will still be useful if you give them to your household helpers and their families or better yet donate them to my project—Donate-A-Shoe. Those runners who can not afford to buy a brand new running shoes will be happy to receive them.
My ASICS Gel-Cumulus 8 is about to be separated from me soon which I bought last December 2006 at Phidippides Running Store in Encino, California. I used this shoes for 4 months in preparation for the 2008 Pasig River Marathon last February 2008 and was able to finish the said marathon with this shoes to include half-marathon, 15K and 10K races. This shoes had done a splendid job and still looks very new. Whoever will get this shoes (with my signature on the insoles) will be happy to own one of the “Bald Runner’s Running Shoes”.
2008 Los Angeles Triathlon
Little did I know that the yearly LA Triathlon is held every first Sunday after Labor Day in the US and I’ve known it from the LA Times a day before its scheduled date. Since the bike route and the running turn-around point are just 10-minute walk from the house, I asked my son if he wants to see & watch the triathletes. Well, he said, yes, and we had to wake up at 7:00 AM of Sunday and walked all the way to the Walt Disney Concert Hall at Grand Boulevard.
While walking up along Beverly Boulevard towards the corner of Hope and Grand Blvds, we could see already the first triathlete approaching us on the bike/cycling event and followed by another one with a distance of at least 100 meters in between them. And one by one, the Professionals and Elite triathletes passed the corner of Grand Boulevard towards the finish area which was the Staples Center, a distance of 1.5 miles from where we were standing. Continue reading “2008 Los Angeles Triathlon”
Ryan Hall & 1st Big Bear Marathon
Two weeks before the Men’s Olympic Marathon, I told my family that I am planning to run the Inaugural Big Bear Marathon in Big Bear City, California which is 1 1/2 hours car ride from Los Angeles. The marathon race is scheduled tomorrow, 06 September 2008. They asked me why I am going to run another marathon again two weeks after my Bulldog 50K Ultra TRail Run. I told them that there is one condition if I am really determined to actually run the said marathon.
I told them that if Ryan Hall will win any Olympic Medal in the Men’s Marathon, by all means, I have to register and join the Big Bear Marathon and have a chance to talk and have a picture with Ryan Hall. And they are duty-bound to bring me to Big Bear City a day before the Marathon Race and spend overnight in the said mountain city. All of them laughed at me and they told me that I am really crazy! I told them that a picture of the Bald Runner with Ryan Hall posted in the blog will be something nice for my readers. Yup! I am really crazy! Continue reading “Ryan Hall & 1st Big Bear Marathon”
Bald Runner 
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