My New Old Roadie

Monday, 9 February 2009  |  Gear + Gadgets

Guess who has a new hand-me-down roadie…

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Uhm, well actually it isn’t mine. It was just entrusted to me by my dearest running buddy, Annie, before she left for Singapore.

Annie loves this bike of hers.  She cleans it every morning and cares for it as if it was her 4th child. Her decision to leave the bike with me truly meant a lot to me as she knew how much I needed cross training to get over this injury. I guess, being best running buddies, she knew that I would take forever to spend so much money on purchasing my own bike.

Last Saturday, exactly one week to the day Annie left for Singapore, I thought of spending the day with her beloved bike. I planned on making casual conversation with the bike and try to get to know it better in hopes that it would make for a good training buddy. Unfortunately, the rain started to pour so my date with the roadie was postponed.

Instead, I headed for the gym for solo time spinning plus strength training.  Gawd, it was so boring.  (Can I just say this one more time?  I hate the gym!)  I took a quick shower and headed out the door dwelling on the mind-numbing workout I just had vs. the fun I would have had if Annie hadn’t left. After all, it was a Saturday morning and Saturday mornings were always LSD days with Annie.  

That’s when it happened. Suddenly, I missed Annie so much. By the time I entered the car, I was crying my eyes out, utterly depressed over the loss of Annie.  I texted her about how much I missed her knowing that I wouldn’t get a reply soon because she’d be busy working.

Ugh. All this drama creeps up on me every now and then—when I drive past San Juanico where we used to meet, when I’m thinking about signing up for a race, when I remember Saturday mornings—but, I’ll be fine. Annie is doing great over there too.  

That Saturday evening, Annie called.  She asked me how the injury was going, her bike, upcoming races, and she went on to tell me that she lived near a track oval (lucky girl) and a huge sports center. She’s been awfully busy so she’s been running through the city at night. We chatted about everything and anything under the sun, just like before, as if she hadn’t left.

As for the bike and I, I have a feeling we’ll get along just as well as Annie and I did…

Masahista from Heaven

Thursday, 5 February 2009  |  Therapy + Injury

She didn’t look like an angel when she arrived.  Clothed in the generic pristine, white uniforms of massage therapists, her outfit was perhaps the only thing angelic about her in my eyes.  She was a heavy, dark woman with boy’s cut hair, almost as big as Eddie Murphy in the movie Norbit…okay, maybe not that big.

This was the first time I had tried out this home service massage agency and, with one look at the masahista before me, I knew I hit the jackpot.  I asked her in the vernacular “So, can you give me a super super super strong massage, especially on my thighs?”  She nodded shyly, but even if she had said otherwise, I wouldn’t have believed her.  This girl was going to squeeze out all the tightness from my poor legs.

While other masahistas would give equal attention to every part of the body, this one took extra care of my legs.  Or, shall we say, she gave it some hard pounding and beating due to its misbehavior over the past few weeks.  Aaah, it was so painful but it was just what I needed.  All the while, as I lay in bed, I had my eyes shut tight in pain but I was thanking the high heavens for sending me a masahista who knew how to loosen up my tight muscles.  Yes, there is a God!

Can You Spot Coach Rio?

Wednesday, 4 February 2009  |  Bullish Insights

I was viewing Leica Carpo’s photo in NYC Marathon again last night.  And, lo and behold, I was surprised to discover that Coach Rio secretly ran the marathon too.  Seems like he put on some weight though (don’t we all when we’re abroad?) and quickly shed it off before he flew back to Manila.  

Can you spot Coach Rio?

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* Coach, joke lang! 🙂
** Again, thanks to Leica for the photos.

TBR. ITB. LOL.

Tuesday, 3 February 2009  |  Therapy + Injury

I am going insane. Or, I think I’ve gone psycho already.

I realized a couple of days ago that, by February 7, it will be the 2nd anniversary of my knee injury.  Since Singapore Marathon, I’ve been able to run easy 5ks with manageable pain on the left knee, but I haven’t ran any of those feel-good, lung-busting, I-want-to-scream-because-I-am-so-happy runs that keeps all of us runner’s alive and wanting more.

Out of panic, I dialled my PT’s number yesterday and yelled these exact words in his ear: “I need your help!  It’s the 2nd month of my injury already and I don’t know what else to do!”  By the afternoon, I was in Moro Lorenzo, this time for a consult with my lifesaver Dr. Canlas and my two favorite PT’s by his side.  

With one look at the wicked knee and a brief exchange of words among the three of them, the good doctor said it was an ITB problem.  No drama from me; I kinda knew it due to the ITB tightness I felt for the past few days.  I endured the dreaded massage on my ITB, corrected my form on some drills, and learned more strength training exercises for my quads at the gym.  After that, I headed home unsure of how long it will take for my ITB to cooperate and just loosen up.  Aaaah!

So yes, TBR has an ITB problem.  Wish I could say WTF but that is so not me.  I’m more inclined to LOL with tears rolling down my cheeks.  OMG, I am really going insane!

Runner’s Interview: Leica Carpo

Monday, 2 February 2009  |  Interviews + Features

Honolulu.  Pasig.  White Rock.  New York.  These are just some of the major marathons and triathlons that Leica Carpo, runner and triathlete, has joined since she started running in Aug 2007.  Last November, she finished the NYC Marathon with a time of 3:40, which qualified her to run in the prestigious Boston Marathon this coming April.

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Lucky me.  I had the pleasure of interviewing her to find out the secrets to her unbelievable performance:

First of all, congratulations on qualifying for Boston Marathon, a feat accomplished by only a few FIlipino runners. THANK YOU. 

How did you feel running at NYC Marathon?  

I felt great and barely felt ‘the wall’ at kilometer 30 I just focused on running tall, breathing easily and soaking in the positive atmosphere. The weather made a big difference for me. It was cold (40 degrees) so I did not get as tired as when I run here. I enjoyed the weather and the NYM organizers did an excellent job of making the marathon as much a joy as any running trial can be. From the perfectly positioned and executed water/Gatorade refuel stations, medical aid stops, energetic bands ranging from rock to gospel to the positive spirit that the volunteers and crowds reverb with. The city came alive and rallied behind the runners. It’s a lifetime running memory that I would want for any runner. 

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What was it like to cross the finish knowing that you had qualified for Boston along with your sister, Amanda?

I was happy to see I made my sub 4 goal and did not know what the time was for qualifying for Boston at the time I crossed. I just ran at a pace that was relaxed and comfortable for the distance I felt I had to cover. I love the fact I qualified with my sister Amanda. I have a training buddy I can rely on to encourage and push me to do better.

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You finished your first marathon in Honolulu at 4:22 and, a mere two months later, you ran Pasig River Marathon at 4:25.  At NYC Marathon, you finished strong at 3:40, a significant improvement from your first two marathons.  What would you say was the key factor in your training that led to your faster time?

The weather in NYC and my training program with POLO TRI for Triathlon training.  I trained for a 70.3 distance so that ‘s 6 hours of exertion vs. my goal of sub 4. I had a stronger base for NYM then my first 2 marathons. For Pasig I was coming from Christmas Holidays and only planned to run two weeks before barely enough time to recover (for my level) and not enough time to improve. Another factor I think is a serious taper which is one of the hardest things for most runners to do because they like to run everyday and get cranky when they can’t get in the mileage. As for me since my sister was getting married two weeks before Manda and I had no choice we had to join in the wedding festivities and were forced to get off our feet and rest.  Its always better to race rested after (solid training program). You need to feel like you can’t wait to run and legs should feel fresh. Both my sisters and cousin finished well under their sub 4 race goals for this NYM :>

What was your weekly training program for NYC Marathon like?

15 to 20 hours a week. Intensity varied from easy (zone 1- 2 heart rate) to hard (Zone 3-4 heart rate). 

It’s uncommon for runners to race 3 marathons in 11 months as this can lead to overtraining and injuries.  How did you ensure that your body, especially your legs, were free from injury?

Follow a well-rounded program created by a seasoned coach or runner. Proper cross training is the key. Listen to your body and don’t let aches and pains go unchecked. Proper nutrition, hydration, and the addition of (core and weights training are also good ways of ensuring you remain injury free).

How are you preparing yourself for Boston this coming April?

More running and cross training in a similar terrain as Boston. More course specific—e.g.downhill running etc 

Any goals in mind after Boston?

2 or 3 TRI races (SUBIC, IM CAMSUR 70.3 and maybe one more marathon towards end of the year).

How do you balance running with everything else in your life?

Wake up early to train. So discipline is key so you can keep all the balls in the air. I’m lucky that my work allows me to be flexible with my time.

Why do you run?

Because it makes me feel good about life and myself.

Any tips for beginners?

The first 15 minutes are always the hardest part of running—just stick to it and I promise it will get easier.  Take it one step at a time. Run with a run group you will get motivated, learn from other runners and it will make time pass faster.  I like to focus on the finish line when I get tired it keeps me going. Other thing I drilled into myself early on is to never enter a race I won’t finish. From training for it properly to motivating myself through the tough parts—one step forward no matter how slow or small is still better then not moving or going backward.

Read “How I Qualified for the Boston Marathon” by Leica Carpo on Inquirer.net

Read past Runner’s Interviews here.