Pictures: 2008 PMA Gidaya Trail Run

On February 15, 2008February 16, 2008 By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Pictures, RunningLeave a comment

15 February 2008 (6:45-8:00 AM)

Registration was done at the Finish Line area infront of the Sundial of PMA. From the Registration Area, our group was brought to the Loakan Airport’s Air Controller Building by bus and it was where our race started. The race started at 7:15 AM.

On my right is my brother & wife who competed also in the race. On my left is Cavalier Agustin (PMA Class 1972) who is retired from the service and placed second to me in the said race.

Running alone towards the finish line!

A pose with the Commandant of Cadets of PMA and grand daughter of the late Honorable Ernesto Gidaya after I received the First Place Trophy for the PMA Gidaya Trail Run ( 50+ years old category)

A closer look at the Trophy and the Champion!

I Won!

On February 15, 2008 By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Races, Running2 Comments

As I predicted, I won in the Gidaya Trail Run for the 50+ years old category early this morning.

This is the 4th rendition of the said run which started last February 2005 and this is my first time to participate in this event. For the past years, I’ve been “left behind” in Metro Manila during PMA Alumni Homecoming due to my positions then as Camp Commander of Fort Bonifacio (2005); Camp Commander of Camp Aguinaldo (2006); and the Chief of Staff of the Philippine Army (2007).

The race for my age was a short one, which according to my GF 305, the distance was only 2.15 kilometers. One kilometer was going up to the mountain/hill which we fondly called “Cavalry Hill” and has a gradient/inclination of about 60-75%. The road was steep and straight to the top of the hill which forced me, in some portions of steep road, to take short but fast walk. I thought my lungs were about to burst with my deep and successive deep breaths. This was my first experience to feel strong heart beats and breath heavily since I started to run again.

Nobody challenged me on those steep roads and I was alone on the downhill portion of the course up to the last one kilometer of relatively flat terrain.

I finished the race in 14:47 minutes which I think I was able to set a record time for the said distance. I had a comfortable one kilometer distance from the second runner. I won the First Place Trophy and I hope to defend my title in the next year’s Gidaya Trail Run!

I will post my pictures and data from my GF 305 in my next posts.

Evening Run: 10.9K/6.8M

On February 14, 2008February 14, 2008 By kingofpotsIn Jogging, RunningLeave a comment

12 February 2008 (6:15-7:30 PM)

I had an evening run in the camp in Jamindan. The street lights on the streets of my camp is very poor. There are parts along the 2-mile route where there is total darkness. There is a need to replace the old street lights inside the camp.

Last month, I filed my request to Higher Headquarters for the immediate replacement of the old and dilapidated street light system inside the camp. The overall infrastructure plan had been finished and filed with my request. I just hope that said request will be given immediate attention from the Commanding General of the Philipine Army.

Despite the difficulty in running inside the camp during night time, I was able to run 3 laps of the 2-mile course inside the camp. I ran an extra 1 kilometer as my cool-down run. My running workout was a slow run due to the absence of street lights in most of the portions of the route and the following data were taken from my GF 305:

Lap # 1

Distance—3.26 kms Time—19:42 mins Ave Pace—6:02 mins/km

Calories—244 Ave HR—138 Max HR—154

Lap # 2

Distance—3.25 kms Time—20:18 mins Ave Pace—6:15 mins/km

Calories—238 Ave HR—140 Max HR—154

Lap # 3

Distance—3.21 kms Time—21:33 mins Ave Pace—6:30 mins/km

Calories—243 Ave HR—139 Max HR—153

Lap # 4

Distance—1.09 kms Time—6:45 mins Ave Pace—6:10 mins/km

Calories—76 Ave HR—134 Max HR—143

I was able to run a distance of 10.91 kilometers or 6.8 miles.

As soon as the financial support for the street lights will be released, the street light project will materialize and it will make the camp as the most lighted area in the mountains of Jamindan, Capiz.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

On February 14, 2008 By kingofpotsIn Jogging, RunningLeave a comment

To all the runners, joggers, and visitors of this blog, I am wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day!

This is travel day for me to Baguio City to join the PMA Gidaya Run which is scheduled tomorrow morning.

While writing this post, I am 40 kilometers away from Baguio City.

I hope to win in tomorrow’s race!

Boracay Beachfront: 4.70K

On February 13, 2008 By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Pictures, Places to Run, Running1 Comment

11 February 2008

I was a “tourist guide” again to my visiting daughter and her boyfriend in Boracay. However, instead of being with them walking along the beachfront, I went on brisk walking and jogging from the Nami Beach Resort (north end of the beach) to the southern end near the Lorenzo South Resort.

Using my GF 305, the beachfront distance registered 4.70 kilometers.

For my running workout along the beach, I was able to run 7 kilometers in slow jogging due to the loose sand.

The Nami Resort in Boracay (On the cliff of the mountain)

Jogging along Boracay Beach at 11:30 AM

Training Journal (04-10 Feb 2008)

On February 11, 2008February 11, 2008 By kingofpotsIn Jogging, RunningLeave a comment

04 Feb 2008 (PM)—9.61 miles (Started to use my GF 305)

05 Feb 2008—Rest/No runs

06 Feb 2008 (AM)—10.71 miles

07 Feb 2008 (AM)—Lap # 1—14:09 minutes @ 2-mile route

Lap # 2—15:38 minutes @ 2-mile route

Lap # 3—8:35 minutes @ 1-mile Cool Down Run

Total Distance—5 miles

07 Feb 2008 (PM)—12 miles @ 2:02:25 Hours

08 Feb 2008—Rest/No runs

09 Feb 2008—Rest/No runs

10 Feb 2008—7 miles (3 Laps along 2-mile route inside camp with 1 mile cool-down)

Total Distance Covered—44.32 miles or 70.912 kilometers

Sunday Run With GF 305

On February 11, 2008 By kingofpotsIn Jogging, Runners Accessories, RunningLeave a comment

10 February 2008

I had my run in Jamindan and tried to use my GF 305 while running along the 2-mile route inside the camp. Although it was raining the whole morning, I made a decision already to run on this day excited to use the GF 305. So, I waited for the rains to stop before deciding to run. I finally started running at 10:47 AM after doing my stretching exercises.

This is the data registered by my GF 305 after running my three (3) laps of the 2-mile route:

Lap # 1

Distance—2 miles

Elapsed Time—17:20 minutes Average Pace—8:40 minutes per mile

Average HR—151 bpm Maximum HR—165 bpm

Average Speed—6.5 miles per hour Total Ascent—725 feet

Maximum Speed—10.9 miles per hour Total Descent—737 feet

Total Calories—241

Lap # 2

Distance—2 miles

Elapsed Time—17:36 minutes Average Pace—8:49 minutes per mile

Average HR—156 bpm Maximum HR—165 bpm

Average Speed—6.8 miles per hour Total Ascent—345 feet

Maximum Speed—8.1 miles per hour Total Descent—361 feet

Toatal Calories—234

Lap # 3

Distance—2 miles

Elapsed Time—16:37 minutes Average Pace—8:18 minutes per mile

Average HR—161 Maximum HR—167 bpm

Average Speed—7.2 miles per hour Total Ascent—316 feet

Maximum Speed—167 miles per hour Total Descent—325 feet

Total Calories—234

I finished my run with a one-mile slow and cool-down jog. Total distance covered in my run was 7 miles or 11.2 kilometers.

From the GPS readings of my GF 305, I found out that the 2-mile loop I had been running for the past months in my camp in Jamindan is short by almost 300 meters! I had to run an additional distance for the lacking meters and stopped every lap once the GF 305 registers a distance of 2.0 miles! My “soldiers” will have a lot of explaining to do!

Well, to finally validate the accuracy of my GF 305, I need to run along the Iloilo City Oval Track in the next coming days.

Lessons Learned: 2008 GIG 10K Run

On February 10, 2008 By kingofpotsIn Insights, Jogging, RunningLeave a comment

1. Be aware of “cheaters”—Runners should be aware and observant of “cheaters” and should have the courage to warn or tell them that they have done something which is not right. These “cheaters” should be reminded that they are not cheating the race but cheating to themselves.

2. Talk to Foreign Runners—A small gesture of trying to start conversation with foreigners speaks well about us as friendly people.

3. Analyze Sponsors of the Race—It was a wrong decision on my part to bring with me my Nathan Water Belt. This was my first road race to see bottled water/mineral water being offered in almost all the water stations along the route. I later found out that one of the main sponsors was one of the popular bottled water brands in the country plus the fact that the main supplier of water in Metro Manila was the principal sponsor of the race.

4. Validate Race Course—I have the “gut feeling” and “experience” to suspect that the course was short. In my running practices in the oval track and in the mountains of Jamindan, my PR time of 46:48 minutes in 10K is consistently my time for my 6-mile distance runs. Which means that I still need to run at least 0.2 mile (equivalent to 320 meters). However, even if the GIG 10K Run was exact and accurate, I could had still got my PR best time with at least a minute or two minutes impovement from my previous PR time.

5. Race to Improve—The goal in every road race I join is to validate if I am training properly and be able to improve my finish time without any kind of injury or illness after the race.

6. Kilometer Markings—How I wish race organizers should not miss placing kilometer markings along the route of the race. This is very basic in road races. GIG Run did not have any kilometer markings along the route.