Archive for August, 2008

For the past two weeks, I have been toying with the idea of joining the Animo Triathlon on Sept. 14. I get stressed just thinking about the mini-sprint…(Don’t laugh!)

3.4km run around roads I’ve ran a hundred times over…easy!

11km bike at the only place I’ve biked lately…no problem!

350m swim at La Salle Zobel’s pool…I feel like I’m drowning already. Choke choke.

Since the swim leg is first, I wonder if I’ll even reach the bike and run portions. 7 laps in an olympic-sized pool is a big number for a newbie swimmer like me. It takes 30-seconds to catch my breath and rest (and maybe indulge in a Hizon’s halohalo) after each lap!

I took a TI course last Feb with my good friend Nonoy, but with the lack of practice lately, I’m not sure if I’ll survive without having one of those tall, burly triathletes resuscitate me after the swim. (Hey that doesn’t sound too bad, you know. To the hubby, I’m kidding!)

Aside from my swimming concerns, there are a whole lot of trivial (and embarassingly silly) questions that a wannabe triathlete has to deal with:

1. Do I have to wear a tri-suit? Marga says it will make me feel as svelte as Angelina Jolie, but I seriously doubt it. If it’s true though, I’m considering making it my daily attire.
2. Can I use my mountain bike? I heard I can for the mini-sprint. But how about when I join the Ironman…in like 20 years? Haha!
3. What if I get a flat tire?  Will a tall, burly triathlete help me fix it? (Oops, there I go again.)
4. Do you wait till all your ten toes are dry before you wear your socks? If you don’t, won’t that make you prone to getting athlete’s foot?
5. What if your obsessive-compulsive about shoelaces being equally tight before a run?  Will I look dumb retying my shoelaces twice or thrice?
6. Do you really have to stay until 10am?

To get you even more excited over the upcoming Nike+ Human Race this sunday, Nike has just announced that the first 241 finishers to upload their runs will receive this…

What’s inside?

Nike Finisher’s Bracelets!

How do you get your hands on one of these babies? 

To get a finisher bracelet, be the among the first 241 virtual race participants to upload your 10K run. There are two ways to sync your runs:

1. Sync your run immediately after completing the 10K during the scheduled run. After the race, just go to the available laptops and upload your run. The race marshal will be affixing a stamp and a number on your race bib after you’ve successfully uploaded your run. Present marked race bib at Nike Park, Bonifacio High Street to claim your finisher bracelet. Open to attendees of the scheduled run. Finisher bracelets must be claimed on 8.31.08 at Nike Park, Bonifacio High Street. OR…
2. If you didn’t get the chance to upload your run after the scheduled run, you can simply go to Nike Park, Bonifacio High Street any time during the day from 9:30am – 5:00pm. A laptop and wi-fi will be made available on the race day so that you can sync your 10K. You will be given a stub once you’ve successfully uploaded your run. Present this to the counter to claim your finisher bracelet. OPEN TO ATTENDEES AND NON-ATTENDEES OF THE SCHEDULED MCKINLEY HILL RUN.  

REMINDERS BEFORE RACE DAY:

• Do make sure your Sportband works, especially for those who are using this for the first time.
• Virtual race participants have until 11:59pm on September 2nd to upload their run.

See that race route above? That’s the 10km route for Nike+ Virtual Human Race on 08.31.08. That is the same route I ran yesterday morning along with Coaches Rio, Jo-Ar, John, and Roel as well as other running friends Annie, Ben, Joms P., JunC, sisters Lala and Inang, Joms, new acquaintances Philip (ForeignRunner) Prometheus Cometh and Marvs, as well as a couple of other runners who I wished I could have chatted with longer.

– Jun C., Coach Rio, Ben, Coach Jo-Ar, Joms, & Coach Roel –

Call it an ocular visit or a reconnaissance mission. Whatever it was, our task, upon Coach Rio’s orders, was to run the exact route of the Nike+ Human Race in preparation for the actual event next week.  

Phew. I had mixed feelings about this run. I was excited over running just my 2nd 10km run since I succumbed to my injuries last February. (Gawd, has it been that long?!) But, I was also worried about pushing myself too far or too soon. I guess, after one gets injured, you’re forever paranoid over falling into another injury pit again.

Off we went at exactly 6:10 a.m. I ran alongside Annie who was attacking McKinley Hill as if it was her worst enemy. I reminded her repeatedly that I couldn’t keep up with her pace (which at its peak hit 4:30 min/km climbing uphill) so when she showed no signs of slowing down, I allowed her to go ahead while Coach Jo-Ar swung by to run by my side. We ran at a 5:30 to 6:00 min/km pace going downhill through Bayani Road and up again before we hit C5. My body was fine all throughout the run, but my mind was playing tricks on me; my inner bull might have been sleeping at that time because I just wanted to slow down in order to prevent any injuries. 

We entered Heritage Park to run 2.5km around the area and this was a welcome treat. The sun was beating down on us by this time, but the roads here were flat and there were absolutely no jeepneys to bother us. Chatting with Prometheus Cometh and Jun C. about white ladies, shoes, and snow, believe it or not, actually helped to make things feel a bit easier.

Once we exited Heritage Park, the course was uphill all the way. We climbed Bayani Road then then took a right towards Lawton Road which was another slight ascent. By this time, I was worried about surpassing my strict 10km quota (no more, no less for each run this week according to my own TBR recovery training program. Don’t ask me for a copy please because I just invented it!) 

True enough, after a few more minutes of running, we were back at McKinley Hill and ended the run at exactly 11 km. When Coach Rio returned, we learned that the extra mileage was due to our group’s wrong turn at the C5 intersection (we should’ve u-turned before that). That’s what we get for not studying the race route before we actually tested it. Actual race course is 10.5 km according to Coach Rio.

We ended with a time of 1:07. My pace was 6:04 min/km. Based on my calculations, at that pace, I would end the 10km run at exactly 1 hr—not bad but that ain’t too good either. For now though, I know I should just be thankful I can run another 10km race again. If I run it fast, then that’s just a bonus.

How about you? Are you ready for this one?

Last Saturday, I was fortunate enough to be one of those invited to test the new Nike Lunar Trainer at Bonifacio High Street. It was a reunion of sorts as friends from the running world (I won’t name names since I’m bound to forget someone!) showed up eager as I was to try out Nike’s newest shoe. Of course, the celebrities were there too, such as triathletes Drew Arellano and Paolo Cabrera and Tessa Prieto who I’ve read is currently training for NY Marathon.

After our costume change (Runaholic singlets, dri-fit socks, and the Nike Lunar Trainers were distributed like candies on Halloween), the test run’s organizer, Coach Rio, beckoned for us to run loops around BHS together. At an easy pace, we ran chatting, laughing, and exchanging stories that only runaholics like us could truly appreciate. After a couple of loops, there was a brief presentation about the features of Nike Lunar Trainers, which got its name from the lunar system encased inside the shoe (lunar foam with piston waffles).

– Norman, My hubby, Annie, Ben, Coach Jo-Ar, Doc Oknoy and Patrick C. –

– Hanging out after the run: Annie, Ben, Patrick C., Mon, Doc Oknoy, and Norman –

Since Saturday, I’ve used the shoe twice which is enough for me to give an honest evaluation of this shoe:

PROS

1. Ultra light: This was the lightest shoe I have ever worn. After running in them, you might look at your feet once in a while to wonder if you actually forgot to wear the shoes; it feels as if you’re just wearing socks.
2. Super fast: Oh, I felt invincible when I wore them last night. My regular pace for short runs is 6:00 to 6:15 min/km. Last night, I was surprised to find myself running at 5:30 without extra effort.
3. Very stable: It’s wide so I felt like it protected me from my usual overpronation problem.
4. Great fit: This shoe is all about comfort. It was soft and snug; I cannot imagine anyone getting blisters from this one.

Good news to all commenters in the previous post. Yes, I mean ALL and not just the first six commenters. I just spoke to Coach Rio and he’s willing to provide additional discount coupons.

WHAT TO DO:

1. Drop by Nike Park at Bonifacio High Street and head straight for the Nike+ Virtual Race registration booth. 
2. Look for Meryl. Inform her that you’re a commenter of TBR and ask for the discount coupon. 
3. While you’re there, you should register for the Nike+ Virtual Race too. (I just did a few hours ago!)