Tag: Running

Pictures: On Your Mark 10K

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Pictures, Races, Running14 Comments

I was talking to one of the runners, MSgt Lando Ugay, of the Philippine Army before the start of the run.

Miraclecello/Cecil (with his back on the camera) and company of mountaineers at the starting area.

At the Starting Line

Another picture at the starting line.

The 5K and 10K races started at least two minutes before 6:00 AM. Both races started at the same time.

At far left is Zhon Marc Bello who donated his running shoes to the Project Donate A Shoe after the race. On the right side is my brother who joined in the 5K race with his wife.

I stayed briefly at the booth of the Project Donate A Shoe after the race and had a brief talk with my brother.

On my way to change my wet running kit, Don, one of my regular visitors/readers called my attention and he introduced himself. In his comment, he asked me about the Garmin’s outlet here in the country. Now, he is wearing a brand-new GF 305 which he ordered in the US. With Crecensiano Sabal nearby, we had a pose at the parking area. Congrats to C. Sabal for winning the 10K race. Don, welcome to the GF Club! Keep on running, buddy!

No pictures of me were taken by my staff while I was running the 10K run. I reminded my staff again to take at least one picture of me while I am running. I need to have a “feedback” on how I run and be able to evaluate my running form.

To my fellow weekend “warriors”, I will be seeing you again at the 4th Global City 10K Run at The Fort.

Keep on Running!

45:33 mins @ On Your Mark 10K

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Pictures, Races, Running12 Comments

5:57 AM 13 April 2008

The On Your Mark 10K and 5K races started at the same time at The Fort barely two minutes before 6:00 AM. As planned, I was wearing an all-new runner’s kit with my newly-broke in ASICS Gel-Kinsei 2 (“top of the line” on ASICS Running Shoes which I bought early last month) and my MP3.

 

I am using my bulky but reliable Sony Vaio Clip Earphone with my “cheap” Samsung MP3. My new IPod Classic (barely one month old) is now for repair because it got wet from my sweat while I was running in Jamindan. It is covered with one year warranty but the Apple Store here in the country would make me pay for the repairs & replacement of battery. I’ll just wait till I will visit the USA and send it to Apple for the immdediate replacement of my unit.

After donating four of my running shoes, I am now using one brand of running shoes which is ASICS. I bought this ASICS Gel-Kinsei 2 after having some pains on the rear end of my right foot. This shoes made me run better and it gives me stability on my heels. This is the first time that I used it in a road race after using it during my running workouts for the past four weeks.

For the first five kilometers of the race, I did not check my GF 305 for I knew I was comfortably running with my training pace of about 5:00 minutes per kilometer. A few meters from the 6-Km point, I was tempted to look at my watch and I saw that my elapsed time was 27:35 minutes and I was surprised that I was running a faster pace as planned. I tried to pick-up my pace and make some “speed play/fartlek” on the last 4 kilometers but my pace would make my breathing harder and I resort to coughing as if I am going to “throw-up”. This is a warning sign that I have to “listen to my body” and slightly relaxed my pace and concentrated on my running form.

On the last 3 kilometers, it was a test of endurance and “mind over body”. The music on my MP3 helped a lot to relax my mind and inspired me to run harder. It was “Bob Marley’s Greatest Hits” who was my companion entire the course. Some runners would overtake me on the last two kilometers but I just maintained my fastest pace that my body was capable of. All the runners that overtook me were at least 20 or 20 + years younger than me and that’s fine with me. On this part of the race, I was not fighting with the other runners but I was fighting with my own self.

I knew I could reach the finish line in less than 48:00 minutes based from the readings I got from my GF 305. I did a little sprint on the last 500 meters and I was in the company of Gabriela Calma, who beat me last Mizuno 15K Run and Rene from Gold’s Gym.

As I crossed the finish line, the clock at the finish line had a different reading which I deduced that something went wrong with the race clock. So, I stopped my GF 305 and saw that I finished the race in 45:33 minutes! It was only when I was uploading my data from my watch to my PC that I noticed that the distance registered was less than 10 kilometers. The distance was short by almost 600 meters!

This is a picture after crossing the finish line. I was surprised with my time and I thought I improved a lot. I was using my Nathan Water Belt and I did not want to be holding those bottled water available in every water station along the way, while I was running.

Well, whether it is short or not, I can see that I was able to improve my time even if I will add 2:30 minutes to my unofficial finish time. The following data were taken from my GF 305:

Time—45:33 mins              Distance—9.45 kilometers

Average Pace—4:52 mins/km    Average Speed—12.3 kms/hour

Maximum Speed—17.4 kms/hr Total Calories—692 cal

Average HR—168 bpm              Maximum HR—172

Total Ascent—208 meters        Total Descent—202 meters 

To all the runners in this morning’s race, congratulations! Keep on running!

I will post the other pictures in my post tomorrow.

D-1 Day: On Your Mark 10K Run

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Races, RunningLeave a comment

Goal—Be able to run and improve my previous time of 49:37 minutes for the 10K Race during the Condura Run. At least, to have a finish time of 48 minutes will be a nice goal for this run.

Strategy—Run slower on the first 5 kilometers at 5:00-5:10 minutes per kilometer pace and slowly increasing the pace on the remaining 5 kilometers. Try to apply “speed play and tempo runs” on the last 5 kilometers. I will try also sprinting at the last 500 meters of the race to the finish.

Support Services & Running Kits—I’ll be using my Nathan Water Belt and I will not be stopping at the water stations. My runner’s kit will be all-new–Nike singlets; Nike running shorts; and my newly “break-in” ASICS Gel-Kinsei 2 (my 1st time to use it in a road race). My GF 305 will be my “guide & target opponent”. I am not yet decided if I am going to have some music along the way through my MP3.

Others—More time to stretch and do warm-up jogging before the start of the race. Concentrate on my “running form” during the race. Run tall, run relaxed, run naturally.

To my fellow runners, see you tomorrow at the “On Your Mark” Run at The Fort. Good luck!!!

More Pictures: Project “Donate A Shoe”

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Running, Running ShoesLeave a comment

The following pictures were taken by Captain Ferdie Espejo, one of my staff/officers with the DND-AFP Gintong Pangarap Running Club, Inc., who is supervising the Project “Donate A Shoe”, together with Major Rod Turno of Camp Aguinaldo.

Major Rod Turno turning-over a donated shoe to one of the lucky recipients.

 

The gentleman on the right donated his running shoes. The lady elite runner on the middle was the recipient of my Nike Air Max trail running shoes.

Bards aka “Banana Running” giving one of her shoes to Major Rod Turno. Mesh Villanueva, on her right, also gave her running shoes to the project. Thanks, Bards and Mesh for the support.

Eric aka “Passion Runner” giving one of his running shoes to the Project Donate A Shoe through Major Rod Turno. Thanks, Eric!

 

One of the lady runners who donated her old shoes signing the Deed of Donation while Don Fernando Zobel looking and holding his Deed of Donation for donating his running shoes he used in the 15K run. Don Fernando, thanks for the donation and for proudly wearing the “One” Wristband.

 

One of the donors of running shoes with the “One” Wristband.  

My Runs After Mizuno Infinity 15K

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

04 April 2008 (5:51 PM) in the Parking Lot & Driveway of Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, Cebu City

Distance—7.0 kms     

Time—42:00 mins     

Average Pace—6:01 mins/km

Running Shoes—ASICS Gel-1120

Music—Foo Foo Fighters

06 April 2008 (8:03 AM) in the Libingan ng mga Bayani & Bayani Road @ Heritage Park

Distance—7.5 kms

Time—42:43 mins

Average Pace—5:43 mins/km

Running Shoes—ASICS Gel-Kinsei 2

Music—Hoobastank

07 April 2008 (5:57 AM) in Barangay Dibua, Laoag City

Distance—10 kms       Cool-Down—500 meters

Time—53:12 mins

Average Pace—5:19 mins/km

Running Shoes—ASICS Cumulus 8

Music—Bob Marley

08 April 2008 (5:48 AM) at The Fort Area

Distance—10 kms          Cool-Down jog—2.7 km

Time—52:27 mins          Time—17:21 mins @ 6.21 mins/km

Average Pace—5:14 mins/km

Running Shoes—ASICS Cumulus 8

Music—Bon Jovi & Dave Matthews Band

09 April (5:46 AM) at Camp Peralta, Jamindan, Capiz

Distance—10 kms           Hill Workout/Fartlek

 Time—54:46 mins

Average Pace—5:22 mins/km

Running Shoes—ASICS Gel-1120

Music—Linkin Park

Running With Style

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Practice Runs, Running3 Comments

Running In Style (the way you look with your running outfit & gadgets) is different from Running With Style.

Every runner has its own individual style or his/her “running signature”. Some would sway their shoulders while running, some would be always looking downward while running, some would be erect, some would be leaning forward and some would flap their palms from their wrists. Running does not have to look right but it should feel right on the individual runner.

In order to minimize these unnecessary bad habits in running, one should have a coach or an advance runner who would observe and give critiques while he/she is running, or get a video or camera to record your movements while running. The following are the four points to consider in improving one’s running style.

1)  Rhythmic Flow—Developing a rhythmic flow to your running style means you have to learn to run with a certain “beat” or cadence. If you can silently chant, following a rhythm, that would greatly improve your running style. Soldiers running in a group would always chant to encourage everybody to follow a certain “beat” or rhythm and this will encourage them to run farther distance without much effort. Most often, runners would resort to music and they carry with them MP3 & Ipods during runs. The beat of the music would go with the cadence or “beat” of the feet while pounding on the ground or on the breathing of the runner.

2)  Light Feet—It is encouraged to run “lightly” with your running shoes, hearing no sound at all while your running shoes hit the ground. You have the feeling that you are “floating” in the air while running if you don’t hear any sounds from your running shoes. You can practice for a 3-5 minutes jumping rope everyday or try jumping without the rope just to emphasize “tip-toe” landing with your feet. To improve on this, you can have your running workouts without any noise made by your running shoes.

3)  Relaxation—Relaxation means that your chin should be loosely hanging, mouth slightly open with the jaws loose. The shoulders should be down and relaxed. The hands & fingers are not held tighly together to form a fist but the fingers should loosely cupped. The wrists should be loose and not tense.

4)  Breathing—Develop a cadence in breathing. Breathing should be relaxed. Runners should develop “belly breathing”, expanding the stomach when you breath in and flattening your stomach when you breath out.

As most of the famous coaches in running and elite runners would say, runners should follow strictly the tested 3 Rs in running—Run tall; Run relaxed; and Run naturally.

Good luck. It needs so much practice and awareness to be able to develop your distinct “running style”.

Running & Golf

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, RunningLeave a comment

Running and Golf complement with one another. For you to develop endurance in walking from one hole to another, running is a good sports to develop strength and endurance to one’s legs and stamina. It develops also the legs to be stable during golf swings, most especially in the last 9 holes. Once golfers reach the “green” to putt, the player who is a runner does not have to be breathing heavily and has the stable pulse to putt the ball into the hole.

Last Monday afternoon, 31 March, I decided to review my golf swing in our Parade Ground at Jamindan. The Parade Ground has two tee-off areas and one “green”/hole and the farthest distance is about 200 yards.

I started my warm-up using my Iron Wedge club for a distance of 30-35 yards to the putting green. After hitting at least 30 balls, I shifted my practice driving by using my Fairway Club #5 for a longer distance. I was able to hit another 30 balls using my longer clubs.

After my golf driving practice, I inspected the establishment and completion of a 550-meter jogging lane around the Parade Ground which will serve as Oval Track for the Officers and Enlisted Men in their 2-mile run tests. This had been a plan by former Commanders to build but it never materialized. Within this week and few days before my retirement from the service this plan will become a reality.

The following were some of my pictures during my golf driving practice:

After almost one year of not playing golf, my golf stance is becoming tense, awkward, and “rusty”.

I always remember “slow backswing” and shifting of body weight from the right leg/heel to the left leg and left arm straight up to downswing as tips in a golf swing.

A golf swing finishes with a nice upswing and a nice “form”. The Oval Track/running path is seen on the background where it is initially filled with sand and gravel and later to be overlayed with asphalt.

For more stories and insights on golf, please visit my new golf blogsite at http://thebaldgolfer.wordpress.com.

Update: Project “Donate A Shoe”

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Running5 Comments

06 April 2008

My staff with the Project “Donate A Shoe” placed their booth at the Run For Life: 3K & 5K Fun Run sponsored by BF Homes this morning. They are happy to report that the remaining seven (7) shoes that were donated, from the fourteen (14) shoes collected since we launched this project, were all distributed to runners who exchanged their “old, worn-out & tattered shoes”

The following runners received their new shoes from the donated shoes:

1)  Jhun Bautista

2)  Zoren Pama

3)  Antero Ocariza

4)  Danilo Sanchez

5)  Riza Reyes

6)  Juan Jose

7)  Rodrigo Sale

Last Sunday, instead of six shoes that were given to the less-fortunate ones, we had given seven and we omitted the name of John Robert Evidor as one of the recipients.

Total of donated shoes distributed to other runners up to the present—14 pairs of running shoes.

My staff were able to take pictures of the recipients and their “old & worn-out shoes”.

Unfortunately, my staff were not able to collect any shoe donation in this morning’s road race in Paranaque.

To all the donors, thanks again! You made a lot of our runners happy today!

The Project “Donate A Shoe” booth will be available at the On Your Mark Road Race at The Fort this Sunday. The “One” White Wristband will still be available for distribution to the donors.

 

Hills, Heat, & Water

On By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Races, Running3 Comments

Critique on the Mizuno Infinity 15K Run 

This is my critique on the conduct of the first rendition of the Mizuno Infinity 15K Run which was held last Sunday, 30 March 2008 at The Fort and Taguig City Area.

In the shorter distance run less than the half-marathon, the Mizuno Infinity 15K Run was the most challenging road race I have participated in Metro Manila because of the terrain of the route. The hills along the Bayani Road, Lawton Avenue, and McKinley Hill made the race something to talk about among the runners. These hills separated the men from the boys, the ladies from the girls and those unprepared runners from the prepared ones. But there is nothing to complain about those hills because it is a part of the challenges in a road race.

At this time of the year, summer, the sun rises so early in the morning. The 6:00 AM start for the 15K runners was already a late time to start a road race during summer season. On that particular day, the sun rises and appears at the horizon after almost all the runners passed the first five kilometers of the race and when most of the runners were about to start running the last five kilometers of the race, the sun was already way above the horizon and it was already giving out intense heat to the runners. The hot sun and those continuous hills at McKinley Hill area (13th kilometer) tested the strength, patience, and perseverance of the runners. If only the race for the 15K started, at least, 30 minutes earlier, the sun could have not been as hot as it was experienced during the race day.

As I entered the Heritage Park after the turnaround at the end of Bayani Road/near C-5 Road, most of the runners at my back were already complaining about the lack of water and one of the marshalls told us that the next water station is on the next kilometer marker. A few meters from the Gate of the Heritage Park, one of the race volunteers gave me a small hand towel! I thought it was a “cold towel” but it was an ordinary “dry” towel and I said to myself, “wow, this is new!” This was my first time in a road race to be given a small hand towel. For what? So, my both hands were holding something while I was running inside the Heritage Park—on my right hand was the hand towel which I used in wiping my sweat on my forehead and my left hand was holding a bottled water. Later, I threw the empty bottle in one of the garbage bins in the park and I put my hand towel at my back, on the garter of my shorts and I continued to run with my hands free from anything.

Before leaving the Heritage Park, there was a water station and I tried to pick one cup and drink from it. I was surprised that the taste of the supposed water is different. I only found out later that the liquid is one of the energy drinks being given but it was so strange to my taste buds. It would had been better if they completely provided drinking water in all the water stations. The energy drinks are supposed to be available at the finish line where you can replenish the spent sweat and electrolytes from the body, most especially in road races shorter than the half-marathon

I seldom stop and drink from water stations during road races. This is one of my techniques to shave-off time for the run. If a runner spends 10 seconds to stop, drink, and walk in every water station and there are at least 3 water stations in a 10K race, he/she is losing at least 30 seconds. This is the reason why I bring my Nathan Water Belt or designate my security detail to preposition themselves in points where they could hand me those bottled water. But in this particular race, I had observed that the organizers placed enough water stations but there were not enough water supply and cups on these water stations for all the 15K, 10K, and 5K runners. I had observed also that they did not position a water station at the rolling hills of McKinley Hill area and at the Finish Line. Anyway, I read on the post of The Bullrunner that the organizers sent a letter of apology to all the runners for the reported  “lapses”. I hope these complaints will not be heard from the runners in future races.

Finisher’s T-shirt? Who cares? For the nth time I was given a finishers t-shirt too large for my size. The organizers should think that almost all the runners have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 22 to 25 (the elite runners have lower ones) and this translates to XSmall, Small, and Medium Sizes.

My Overall Rating/Grade for this race—78%

(If the saleslady/staff of the Mizuno Store at Bonifacio Hight Street had smiled a little as I was smiling at her when I entered the store and if only she knew me also as the Bald Runner when I registered for the race, I could have raised my rating/grade to 80%)

Juvenal’s Prescription: “mens sana in corpore sano”

On By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, Running4 Comments

Last 28 March 2008, Friday afernoon, the Philippine Army celebrated its 111th Founding Anniversary with a Military Parade and Awarding Ceremony to its Officers, Enlisted Personnel, Civilian Employees, Reservists and NGOs. The Guest of Honor and Speaker in the said event was the Secretary of National Defense, Hon. Gilberto C Teodoro. I attended the event as one of the Major Unit (Infantry Division) Commanders of the Philippine Army.

After the parade, all the guests were invited to a Cocktails at the Garden Area of the Philipine Army Clubhouse. This was the time where I mingled and talked with other younger officers and some of my contemporaries in the military service. I wanted to approach the Secretary of National Defense (SND) for an informal talks with him. Last month, my brother called me through the cellphone one night informing me that he met SND at the Malacanang Palace with the information that Secretary Teodoro was extending his regards to me and that he had read my post in this blog about my new name–Vin Diesel and he informed me also that he is a regular visitor of my blog. My brother congratulated me as my blog is slowly reaching other VIPs.

At that moment during the Cocktails, I could hardly approach the SND because of the continuous presence of the media interviewing him and I did not want to distract his concentration on these interviews. At the signal that he was about to leave the place and go to his waiting car, I immediately positioned myself at the path he was about to take and it was good that he saw me. As he was walking towards me, he said, “You should write about “mens sana in corpore sana”, it’s Juvenal’s Prescription! You go to Google and read about it”. He repeated the phrase but I was not able to memorize the exact words of the phrase before he finally boarded his car. After thirty minutes, I immediately sent a text message to my brother asking him the cellphone number of the Secretary in order to get the exact words of the phrase he told me. After sending the SND my message asking him about the phrase, he immediately replied and I told him that I got the phrase and replied to him that the phrase came from Satire X of the Roman poet, Juvenal and the phrase is being used in the name brand of ASICS running shoes. I was already infront of my laptop browsing the Internet while sending him the message.

It was really nice for the Secreatry of National Defense to have given me this tip to read and relay it to my readers. The folowing is the excerpts of that poem written by Juvenal:

It is to be prayed that the mind be sound in a sound body.

Ask for a brave soul that lacks the fear of death,

which places the length of life last among nature’s blessings,

which is able to bear whatever kind of sufferings,

does not know anger, lusts for nothing and believes

the hardships and savage labors of Hercules better than

the satisfactions, feasts, and feather bed of an Eastern king.

I will reveal what you are able to give yourself;

For certain, the one footpath of a tranquil life lies through virtue.

orandum est ut sit mens sana in corpore sano.

fortem posce animum mortis terrore carentem,

qui spatium uitae extremum inter munera ponat

naturae, qui ferre queat quoscumque labores,

nesciat irasci, cupiat nihil et potiores

Herculis aerumnas credat saeuosque labores

et uenere et cenis et pluma Sardanapalli.

monstro quod ipse tibi possis dare; semita certe

tranquillae per uirtutem patet unica uitae.

(10.356-64)

This are the exact words of a portion taken from the Satire X of Juvenal for the Romans to have a “sound mind in a sound body” or often translated as “a healthy mind in a healthy body”, an answer to the question of what the Romans should desire in life.

 

This phrase is used in the name of a popular sports shoes, ASICS. Instead of calling the shoes brand as MSICS, taking the first letter of each word of the phrase, the originators changed it to ASICS (Anima Sana In Corpore Sano) which is translated as “a sound spirit in a sound body”. The phrase is also being used by universities and colleges and physical training units of well-known Armed Forces of other nations. This is also the favorite phrase of former American President Harry S Truman.

There had been so many articles written about this phrase as anybody could browse at Google and type in this phrase. I enjoin my readers to read the diferent articles about this phrase.

To Secretary Teodoro, thanks again for the “tip” and added knowledge. I am sure my readers will be happy about this.