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Marathon on My Mind

Ever since I posted about the Subic Marathon I’ve been toying with the idea of going for the full 42, but probably in the Pasig Marathon on Feb 2008. Am I ready? Is it feasible considering I’ve been running for less than a year? Can I really put myself through the rigors of a marathon training program? Am I disciplined enough to run through the chaos and mayhem of the Holiday season?

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My mind says Yes, Yes, Yes, and Yes. But, of course, being the wise runner that I am (ehem) I decided to consult with the more knowledgeable and experienced runners around. I decided to sign up for a one-on-one trial session with Ige Lopez. In the running/ triathlon/ adventure racing world, Ige is known by many as a passionate athlete and a credible coach. I met him for the first time during the Mizuno Run Club and I was very much impressed with his style of coaching: straight-forward, frank, and aggressive. This guy definitely knows his stuff when it comes to running, so I surmised he could determine my readiness for a marathon.

Ige and I met last Monday at The Fort for a 1-hour session. We started promptly at 4 p.m. with a 30-minute progressive run. It was during the run that he interviewed me about my running experience and goals. I particularly liked the fact that, in between chatting and running, he also observed my form and told me what I was doing wrong and how to correct them. (Boy, did I need a lot of correcting!) Oh, we also bumped into Pastor Emata, one of the members of the First Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition Team, who ran along with us for several minutes.

After the short run, Ige proceeded to torture—er, I mean, teach me how to go about training. He put me through speedwork (I have never been forced to run so fast) and a couple of drills that would help me run faster and make me more flexible. We then ran for another 10 minutes. God, I was out of breath and tired. I definitely felt my age at this point. I wanted to scream “I’m a 31 year old mother of two children for God’s sake! Please have pity on me!” But, the runner in me was enjoying every second of this tough kind of training. First of all, Ige was very generous with his tips. In fact, I wish I had taken a notebook with me to jot down every single word that escaped his mouth! Secondly, I knew this was what I needed to improve; someone to drag me out of my comfort zone and squeeze every ounce of energy in me to make me a more powerful, faster runner.

Before the session ended (time flies when you’re running fast), I asked Ige if he thought I was ready for a marathon. He answered that no one could determine this except me. Rules can be broken. Limits can be exceeded. It was all up to me if I was committed and willing.

So, yes, the marathon is still on my mind. I am, in fact, currently training for it using Jeff Galloway’s basic marathon training program. But, I haven’t fully made up my mind yet. The thought of running 42 km sends shivers up my spine—10% from fear but 90% excitement.

Posted on 10.17.07 to 01 Bullish Insights. Tags: , , , , . Subscribe to follow comments on this post. 28 comments. Add your thoughts or trackback from your own site.

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28 Responses to “Marathon on My Mind”

  1. Go for it, Jaymie! Join the 42k run in the Subic Marathon. Show the world who the bullrunner really is . . .

    Nora said on Oct 17 07 at 7:40 PM Reply

  2. Wow nag-one-on-one na kayo ni Ige! I’ll have my turn naman with him sa swim. :-)

    Hey you met Pastor! He is a good friend of mine! I haven’t seen him in ages!

    marga said on Oct 17 07 at 9:09 PM Reply

  3. first off, you are lucky to have a coach to guide you as you take on your first 42k. i was self-coached and had no fixed training plan of any sort when i did mine years back. i got through it, so i am sure you will be able to do your first full marathon a lot more “comfortably.” you have quite a number of races tucked under the garter of your running shorts, you are into lsd, you have maybe 4-5 months ahead of you before your target race, and i think you really love running. that 1st 42k would be tucked under the garter with all those other races soon enough. i’ll bet on that! :-)

    caloyb said on Oct 17 07 at 9:19 PM Reply

  4. I was at Subic over the weekend and actually drove through the course of the subicmarathon. It is a continuous incline from around the 10k mark to the 42k turning point. In fact the inclines were pretty steep towards the turning point at camayan cove. Sorry, not to kill you spirits, I just want warn you to have a lot of those hill repeats when you train for the subic marathon. Well, at least you can enjoy the way back downhill and savor the scenic sea view (which you will likely be oblivious to if you are cursing your way uphill).

    Tina said on Oct 17 07 at 10:55 PM Reply

  5. GO FOR IT, you may be running for less than a year, but the improvement in your time has been astounding. nothing like subic to celebrate your first marathon. Huwag mo isipin na dahil isang taon ka pa lang tumatakbo ay hindi ka puwede mag-marathon. sa akin, parang pag-ibig din yan eh. meron diyan 5 to 10 years na magsyota, naghihiwalay din. tapos ang iba naman isang linggo lang ligawan, nagpapakasal na at happily ever after naman. In fact, fearless forecast ko, you can do a sub-4 marathon in your first try…easily.

    Levy said on Oct 17 07 at 11:15 PM Reply

  6. People people…I’m getting nervous with all of you hehe. I’m keen on joining PASIG, not Subic, as mentioned in my first sentence :) Subic, as I’ve heard from veteran runners like kristrad from pinoyrunners, is composed of killer hills. Was it kristrad who also said that you’ll be blurting out all the Our Fathers and Hail Mary’s by 30k? hahaha. I even heard that Pasig is more difficult than Milo but I don’t think I can wait for Milo 2008 in December, so Pasig is what i’m eyeing.

    Nora, thanks for the support!

    Marga, go try-athlon girl! :) Yup, met Pastor. Why am I not surprised you know him? You know everyone!

    Caloyb, thanks! I’m not sure if i’ll get a coach to train me before the marathon. Maybe I’ll check in with Ige every two weeks or so.

    Tina, nope, it wont be Subic for me. Maybe 10k or 21k pwede pa :)

    Levy, I like your parallelism! May pagka romantic ka noh? hehehe. Naku, thanks sa fearless forecast mo, I will dream of that but I’m not sure I can do it! :)

    bullrunner said on Oct 18 07 at 8:02 AM Reply

  7. The fact that you have the courage and determination to join a 42k, you are already a winner. It’s not actually the race day itself that is punishing but the rigors of the training program that you are going through that really matters. You have to follow your program religiously for 16 or 20 weeks, otherwise you will end uo puffing and smoking and the devil will tell you to drop out from the race before reaching the finish line. Quitter, quitter, quitter. Can you accept this for the rest of your life?
    Try skipping your key workouts, and payback time come race day. Kilometers 30,31,32,33…… these are the bonking Ks. But when you survive this and reach kilometer 39, I bet half of my fortune, the world is yours. You are now worthy to be called a certified 42k finisher.
    While reading your article, my mind travelled back 3 years ago, just when I was preparing for the real thing. For us self-coached, you are luckier there is someone guiding you. Until now, after 7 times conquering “death”, I am still experimenting on my training plans.
    I ran twice the Pasig River Marathon, and we call this The Killer Course or Curse. It is ran on the 4th Sundays of Feb so expect the unfriendly weather. You will also savor the unforgiving incline at the C5 road, but all these things are very very easy if you have well-prepared and well-executed game plan. Hey, drastic times demand for drastic measures!
    You are the bull runner, right. The best time is now. Treat it as the race of your lifetime.

    george said on Oct 18 07 at 8:54 AM Reply

  8. 31 years old lang? Sheeshh that’s young, more speed drills Coach Ige! (insert sound of whip here).

    You could do it if you wanted to. I ran my first marathon my first year of running and one of Jeff’s books tucked under one arm. Back then I was an 11-minute per mile runner and was 10 pounds heavier. You on the other hand is already quite quick and have your running group for support. The big challenge is getting those long runs done. They are time consuming and best done with others. They are also hard to do after work all-nighters:)

    rick gaston said on Oct 18 07 at 8:58 AM Reply

  9. George, thanks for the tips! Yup, I have my program stuck on my training diary and the walls of my bedroom already. Now I just need to run those miles.

    Er…KILLER COURSE…CURSE? Gulp.

    Rick, aren’t we almost the same age? Or are you as old as Kuya E-rod? hehe. I’m actually enjoying the long runs alone so far (well, i’ve just had one! haha) I still don’t know what to expect with the 30ks. Maybe by then I’ll be grabbing anyone on the road for company?

    bullrunner said on Oct 18 07 at 10:27 AM Reply

  10. Hey Jaymie,

    There are other marathons in Jan-Feb if you don’t mind paying for airfare- the Hong Kong one. Tokyo’s also the same month but is unfortunately closed (since August!). They should have much cooler climes.

    A friend of mine mentioned the other challenge about Pasig other than the hills- the smell the wonderful aromas wafting from the river, making it hard to drink at times.

    If you do push through with Pasig or Subic- lots of luck! As our coach and GM kept stressing- you can miss all other runs (if you’re only aiming to finish) but not the long runs- especially not the 25+ k runs.

    cheers

    Pablo (PLY33) said on Oct 18 07 at 11:04 AM Reply

  11. No, no, I don’t know everyone. It’s a small circle (the sports world, that is) hehe. You should meet the girls Carina, Janet, and Noey!

    Ako nga kapal ng mukha tinatarget na ang 21k sa Pasig. Teka, may 21k event ba? 10k ako sa GK/Adidas run. My first official 10k!

    marga said on Oct 18 07 at 11:19 AM Reply

  12. february is what? 4 months away, right? you’ve got plenty of time if you train now. even with the holiday season, you can slow down with your training for a couple of weeks and still be ok.

    i’m telling you–those long distances are so addicting. go bull go!

    e-rod said on Oct 18 07 at 3:06 PM Reply

  13. by the way, i just read your comment about “kuya e-rod” being old. aba walang galang na bata ito ah. :)

    e-rod said on Oct 18 07 at 3:17 PM Reply

  14. I’m going to be 36 in November. Older than you but not as old as you know who…ahem, rhymes with “i-pod” :)

    rick gaston said on Oct 19 07 at 3:03 AM Reply

  15. jaymie, ang masasabi ko lang, why not? :) go! i know you can do it. ikaw pa? they don’t call you the bullrunner for nothing, diba?

    btw, one of hubby’s workmates here ran the bangkok marathon pala years ago (when he was much younger), hehe. he’s actually thinking of joining a runners club dito sa ft. lauderdale because we recently found out that they have weekly marathon trainings pala here. i wish there were trainings like these diyan sa pinas for you.

    Meeya said on Oct 19 07 at 3:42 AM Reply

  16. Older than you but not as old as you know who…ahem, rhymes with “i-pod”

    Oh my God. Bumenta sa akin ito! Hahahha!

    marga said on Oct 19 07 at 9:05 AM Reply

  17. after reading your entry, you have inspired me to run the pasig marathon as well. i am committed to running it with a goal to FINISH with a huge smile on my face.

    couldn’t find the jeff galloway book, so instead will be training with hal higdon’s marathon book.

    anyone out there training in the ortigas area?

    bealtea said on Oct 19 07 at 9:49 AM Reply

  18. Pablo, thanks! Perhaps I’ll try a marathon abroad in a year or so. There’s so much to think about when running a marathon, I don’t want to add other worries like ticket fares, accomodations, and where to leave my kids if I try it out abroad.

    Meeya, ay naku, you said it. There’s a dearth of marathon training programs here if there are any. Closest we have is mizuno run club although we’re not training with a specific goal in mind.

    Rick, mwahahahahaha! I love it! I hope “i-pod” guy isn’t very sensitive about his age because I sure had a great laugh about this.

    Kuya, sorry po. Mano po. Nagkatuwaan lang po kami :)

    Bealtea, good luck to us! The next months should be exciting! Hope to hear from you often about how your training is going :)

    bullrunner said on Oct 19 07 at 12:10 PM Reply

  19. Hi,

    Pasig is a cursed course…the smell of rotting flesh hounds you as you traverse the dark alleys near the river…and 13 bridges (including nagtahan and the pasig C5 flyover) will be enough to complete the sorrowful mysteries. But that is the the thing………YOu already have the gift…….enjoy it……

    YOu can even consider subic ….there is no other way to find out …
    but to use the gift….

    roderick poblete said on Oct 21 07 at 1:53 PM Reply

  20. ‘IF YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE LIFE.. RUN A MARATHON’- Emil Zatopek ..ive run once ms. jamie my outlook in life has never been the same..im training now for either subic or pasig..go for it ms. jamie :)

    czar said on Oct 21 07 at 8:17 PM Reply

  21. jaymie, go go go! pasig run sige! i’m on the sidelines cheering for the bull :-) wooohoo! super mum talaga ito!

    banggigay said on Oct 22 07 at 12:26 PM Reply

  22. why am i not surprised? i just know one day you will do this. after reading your posts i feel like running.

    Mayi said on Oct 22 07 at 3:35 PM Reply

  23. 3 things to consider before you decide to do it:
    • You have to make a commitment. It is not an extended 10km or half marathon. It may be more challenging to train during religious festivals eg Christmas,New Year Consider family and work commitments
    • Look at the time you have got and build a schedule around it. You need to write off 3 weeks that you can’t plan for eg sickness, other commitments. You need to build in tapering off time and time off.
    • Ask yourself why you are doing it – to get a good time, to finish it, to beat a rival?
    Other things to think about:
    • Don’t wear new running shoes. Make sure you have ‘run them in’
    • Cut your toenails 4 days before the Marathon
    • Practise drinking water or Isostar during training. Also practise eating food during long runs.Expert recommends Power Gel (You can buy these from GNC store in city centre. If you become a member you get 25% off) but you need to find what suits you.
    • Don’t do a full marathon before the day – up to around 34 km.
    • Must do a minimum of one long run per week.

    Edhec -Muscat Roadrunners said on Oct 23 07 at 8:52 PM Reply

  24. i ran my first marathon last july during the milo eliminations…the heat was a killer…i wisely paced col. buddy andar…as we were running up to about 15km, he chatted with me about the pasig run last january, and by the look on his face (even as i was struggling) i saw that he enjoyed it, and he was proud to have done it…we talked about the people with the support groups and all…most i criticized since i felt this should be a lone race… he mentioned that i looked geared up, with my fuel belt with gatorade and pocket loaded with GU gels…

    it was all perfect until after the halfway turn at fort heritage park where the stations ran out of water…i was low on water and was out of water by macdo in fort near S&R..so i stopped by macdo to get a cup of coke, boy at that time you’d want to grab anything…then a short distance was starbucks where i loaded my fuel belt with water…along buendia towards taft, i was fighting over my last few drops, for my body or for my throat? damn it was hot!!! i wanted to give up until i saw up front, the people with support groups (in vans, in SUVs, in mountain bikes) all still ahead of me…i couldn’t catch up…my goal next marathon? bring a support group? no way..i’ll catch up with them…and enjoy the stories to tell…so, for you bullrunner…whichever marathon it is, goodluck and prepare…support group? i suggest, only for the camera…

    mond said on Oct 31 07 at 4:19 PM Reply

  25. hi everyone.great site jaymie!i saw you mentioned Jeff Galloway, so I searched the web for info. I wish I had a coach here too, but I’m pretty much doing things on my own. How do i knopw when I’ve gone too far?When I can’t walk the next day!ha!ha!Looking at Galloway’s site though, it seems pretty ok – anyway, I thought of sharing this with the others who view your blog. Maybe, with can all run the marathon of our dreams someday!
    http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/5k.html

    K said on Nov 02 07 at 12:40 AM Reply

  26. Hey Jaymie,
    Throw us all a news wazup on your 42k! Gp get it!

    I am an amateur runner. I can’t make anyone on November but really eager to have at least a 10k on December! Any one can give me alink on any December event in the country?

    Thanks guys!

    Vichael Landicho said on Nov 15 07 at 11:32 PM Reply

  27. Hi Sir,
    Good afternoon, lately i have been bitten by a MARATHON BUG. I have join the 10k Anta Run last May, 16k One Lasalle last July 26, and recently 10k Milo run yesterday. Now, i’am looking forward to another run this August 24… I’m eager to run a the 42k Milo run this November and in doing so, i would like to run in the 21k run first. Can you kindly help me out and furnish me the events with a 21k run.

    Thanks.
    Mel

    Mel Severino said on Aug 04 08 at 2:50 PM Reply

  28. Hi Jaymie,

    I’ve been running for almost two years now. My route is from Quirino Ave to
    Quirino Grandstand and back or Quirino Ave to CCP Complex. I do it four times a week as part of my cardio work out.
    I’ve been planning to join the Milo or Pasig River marathon next year.
    Please describe me the route of these marathons because I’m planning to try it once a month.

    Thanks,
    Herbert Puyat

    herbert puyat said on Mar 29 09 at 10:44 AM Reply

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