Market! Market! Power Sleep

Tuesday, 19 May 2009  |  Bullish Insights

It was an impromptu decision via text.  Saturday night, Photographer Ben and I agreed that we would meet up at the Market! Market! Power Mile Run the following day.  “Game!,”  “Tara!,”  “See you there!”  With so many exclamation marks, it was evident we were excited about the next day’s race.  

Turns out, it was all talk from my end.  I woke up at 5:15 am and nonchalantly texted Ben “Sorry, woke up late.  Missed the race.”  He must’ve been at the starting line already, I thought.

Hubby and I decided to proceed with our run.  We arrived at Bonifacio High Street at 7 a.m. and started at 7:20.  It took me quite a while to get all geared up for my road test:  Polar on the left wrist, Garmin on the right, Polar S3 footpod on the right foot, and heart monitor on the chest.  

Market!

– How to get a good tricep workout during a run –

We first ran one small loop around BHS, 1.14km according to my 305 and the hubby’s 405, so I calibrated my Polar accordingly.  I used to dread calibrating, but it was fairly easy with just a few buttons to push.  The Polar’s screen, compared with the Garmin 305’s, was more difficult to read at a glance but it wasn’t a big issue for me.  The main problem was my inability to shut down the beeping sound that came every second!  Was it a pacer or my heart rate?  I had no idea, but I knew I couldn’t bare to run with the annoying sound!  My solution: the ipod to shield my ears.

We ran outside of Bonifacio High Street towards the course of the Market! Market! race.  It was a surprise to see small groups of Market! Market! runners (or more like walkers, at that time) who were still on their way to the finish.  We took the same route behind S&R passing by the Lexus showroom and climbing up through British School.   When we hit 5k, we turned around and followed the same way back in hopes of completing a full 10k.

The pace of both the Garmin and Polar were significantly different throughout the run. One reason is that my Garmin reads the average lap pace, not current pace, which was highly recommended in the Garmin forum I browsed through before. (Next run I’ll have it on current pace to compare with Polar.)  The Polar gave me what I believed to be accurate pace readings based on my effort.  Unfortunately, I failed to put the kilometer readings in the Polar’s screen (again, I couldn’t figure  it out!) so I couldn’t compare distances throughout the run.

As for my run, wow, I was feeling awesome.  I hadn’t had a run that good in…I don’t even remember anymore.  No niggling aches nor pains anywhere in my body.  I felt so good I considered doing a 12k instead of the planned 10k.

Shortly after the hubby and I passed our 6km mark, however, the heat got to us; it was excruciatingly hot.  I couldn’t imagine how Botak Marathoners survived that kind of heat.  By the time we hit Market! Market!, hubby took a detour and ran under the shade of Serendra towards the car.  I went ahead, stubbornly resisting the idea of stopping as a strong and pain-free run was such a rare occurrence for me.  My goal was to finish just 5 miles, the distance I should’ve run at the Mkt! Mkt! race. 

I ended at exactly 7.98k according to Polar, 8.01k according to Garmin.  Due to the heat, my face was sunburnt and, despite my shrimp-like appearance, I exclaimed to hubby “This was one of the best runs I’ve had in months!”

We had breakfast at Pancakes where I couldn’t stop raving about my perfect run in between bites of my mushroom omelette. In the middle of the meal, I got a text from Ben.  Turns out he had just woken up and overslept as well!  So much for the Market! Market! Race.

Congrats to Francis Macatulad for finishing 5th overall and 1st in his age group for the 5 mile race at Market! Market! Power Mile! 

My New House Guest: Polar RS800CX

Saturday, 16 May 2009  |  Gear + Gadgets

For the next seven days, I will play courteous and hospitable host to a special guest in my home, the Polar RS800CX, the top of the line training watch of Polar for elite runners.  I will take him around the city, touring my favorite routes on foot, on a bike or in the water, and perhaps he may even join me on a short excursion to Clark for the TNF 100.  He’ll only be staying for a week as he is a demo unit lent to me by Polar.

Polar

Yesterday, I met Hitler Dulay of Sports Resources Inc., the local distributor of Polar Watches.  Our meeting lasted for over three hours as he introduced to me the various models of Polar watches (with more emphasis on the running watches, of course.)  He presented the Polar simulator on his laptop, which was a cool program that allowed one to click on the watch onscreen and view its features and performance during a pretend workout.

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Polar has various running watches: RS100, RS300X, RS400, and RS800.  But, it was the Polar RS800CX that got my attention; the features on this watch are simply astounding.  

I jotted down all the key points that Hitler mentioned which made it seem like a better buy than the Garmin 310 XT, to be released in June, which targets multisport athletes as well.  (Good thing I told hubby to hold off on buying my birthday gift until I can decide on the Garmin 310XT!)  Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of the Polar RS800CX’s features—you may click here for that—but these are the points that make the Polar better than the Garmin in this bull’s eyes:

  1. May be used as a watch.  One can wear the Polar all throughout the day as a watch.  The Garmin Forerunner 305 may only be used during the activity as battery life is short and, being GPS-based, it does not work indoors.  The 405 may be used as a watch but you have to charge it often.
  2. Longer lifetime.  The Polar has a replaceable battery in it, like regular watches.  The Garmin will eventually die in around 2 years; it’s as disposable as a cellphone unit.
  3. No charging.  Since the Polar is powered by a battery, one doesn’t need to charge it like a Garmin.
  4. Cadence and stride.  Both Garmin and Polar will provide info on time, distance, pace, speed, calories, and heart rate.  But, the Polar can give info on cadence (no more counting my steps!) and stride.
  5. Running Index.  This is a feature that will allow you to track your progress from previously recorded runs.  
  6. Fitness Test.  Once a month, with the click of the Fitness Test button on the Polar, your watch can test your fitness, compare it with previous records, and provide info on your current fitness level. 
  7. Shoe recording.  One can store three different shoe info on the watch.  As long as you note which shoe you used for the run, the Polar will record what shoe you used for the activity.  (No more writing this down on my journal!)
  8. 2 year warranty and local service center.  Majority of local Garmin users purchased their units in the U.S. as I did mine.  I worried over repair should the Garmin conk out.  WIth the Polar, there’s a 2-year warranty (approximately the lifetime of the Garmin) and a service center in Pasig.
  9. Heart rate zone training.  Both the Garmin and Polar allow for use of heart rate monitors.  But, the Polar’s strength is in heart rate monitors while the Garmin in their GPS systems.  For those who want to train efficiently using their heart rate, the Polar is a much better choice.
  10. GPS.  I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the Polar has a GPS option. GPS was the only reason why I bought the Garmin 2 years ago!  
  11. Lighter.  The Polar RS800CX is sleeker, lighter, and less bulky than the Garmin Forerunner 305.  I enjoyed the snug fit around my wrist.
  12. Water resistant.  For runners who swim, like me, water resistancy is important.  The Garmin Forerunner 305 and 405 cannot be used in the pool.  I read that the Garmin 310XT, although water resistant, will only work like a timer during a swim.  The Polar can swim.  I guess that’s why in the local triathlon scene, more triathletes choose Polar over Garmin.

Right now, I see only two downsides to the Polar RS800CX:

  1. GPS as a separate unit.  To use the GPS, one has to purchase the GPS3 separately, which costs around P10,000.  To make it worse, it is quite bulky and it has to be strapped to the arm.
  2. Expensive.  The Polar RS800CX costs P27,000, which excludes the GPS unit.  

I have yet to play around with my new toy this week.  Tomorrow, I’ll run with both the Garmin Forerunner 305 and the Polar RS800CX to check on the Polar’s accuracy.  I’ll let you know how it fares.  Maybe then I’ll decide if I should invite him to stay in our house permanently!

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TNF 100km Briefing

Thursday, 14 May 2009  |  Race Announcements

I was among the 50 plus runners who attended the The North Face 100 briefing last night at R.O.X. in Bonifacio High Street. The brief focused on the TNF 100km race but I was intent on getting more info about the 10k race to convince hubby—as I had been doing for the past few days—to join the event with me. Since it’ll be an out-of-town race, there was no way that I could register for this on my own.

By the time I arrived, Jundel Llagas of TNF, along with race organizers, Coach Rio de la Cruz and Vince Mendoza of Finish Line, were already discussing the prizes for the 100km winners. While the ultra runners listened, I stayed in the sidelines doing my own informal research with the race’s technical consultant Neville Manaois, and Dr. Paolo Punsalan, another experienced trail runner.

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– with Marga (the Changeling Child), Mark (Mark’s VO2), Mariel and Jun (Sole Mates) –

My takeout: the race was going to be tough mainly due to the water and sand inevitably seeping into the shoes and making it difficult for anyone to run. But, it was going to be a different and exciting adventure for runners used to the road.

What outfit should one wear? I was told not to wear my Skins as they may be ripped apart. Hmm, I would rather get a cut in those compression pants rather than my own skin. I haven’t decided yet on this one.

Does one need to carry a hydration belt? Vince of Finish Line assured us about adequate water and Gatorade and more than enough water stations. When it’s Finish Line who says this, one has no reason to doubt. I’m definitely leaving my amphipod behind for this race.

What shoe should one wear? Of course, TNF trail shoes if one can afford. We discussed wearing Vibrams or sandals when passing through rivers, but Doc Pao said he tried this last year and sand went into the sandals making it difficult and uncomfortable. Jokingly, he said trash bags would probably work for a few minutes but rocks would probably rip them off too.

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– Celebrity runners, Coach Rio and Sir Jovie (Bald Runner), and Vince Mendoza of Finish Line –

By the end of the night, I got confirmation from hubby via a brief phone call that he was in. Just this morning, I booked the hotel at Clark. Woohoo, TNF here we come! Am I the only one experiencing butterflies in my tummy?

The Family That Swims Together

Wednesday, 13 May 2009  |  Running + Triathlon

Last year, I took Total Immersion (TI) lessons with good friend Nonoy Basa and since then I looked at swimming in a whole new light.

Since the start of this year, there have been only a couple of weeks when I missed a swim. I cover at least 1km 2-4 times a week depending on my availability.

I used to turn to swimming as my last resort when running aggravated an injury, spinning hurt the knees, or the elliptical was too boring. But, after one unforgettable swimming day, when I experienced the same inner peace that I used to get only during solo runs, I found myself seriously immersed into the sport. (No pun intended.)  

So, as with running, I have recruited the entire family into the sport.

The kids have started lessons with Aqualogic Swim Co., the same company operated by Ria Mackay and Nonoy Basa that taught me Total Immersion…

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– Little Miss Bull Runner had a tearful 1st session but is all smiles by the 2nd class –

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– Surprise, surprise!  One of my daughter’s instructors is Dess, one of the few female finishers of the Bataan Death March Ultramarathon

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– TBR Jr. on break –

And, just this morning, I accompanied the hubby on his first day of TI lessons with Nonoy. I swam 1k while the boys took their swimming lessons seriously.  

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– Fitness First team cyclist Joel, Nonoy, Jamike (Try-Athlete) and my hubby –

Next week, I hope to add runs after the swims. Now, that would be just perfect training for Animo Tri, right?  I wonder when I can get the whole family to join that with me?

For more info on kids/adult swimming classes, contact:

Ria Mackay – Head Instructor & Founder
aqualogicswimco@gmail.com

Agnes Medel – Administrative Assisitant
admin.aqualogic@gmail.com

Or call 0917.858.AQUA (2782)/ 703-6386

Click here to visit the website of Aqualogic Swim Co.

TBR in Southern Living

Tuesday, 12 May 2009  |  Bullish Insights

I was fortunate enough to be featured in Southern Living magazine, March-April 2009 issue.  The title of the article was “Ahead of the Pack” and they called me the “Speed Mom,” which I initially reacted to with a burst of laughter, followed by a “Hmmm, I like!”

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– Southern Living, Mar-Apr 2009, Cover –

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– Feature on TBR –

I believe this was the first article on me that featured my life as both the pioneer of Baby Sign Language in the country and as the The Bull Runner.  Those two worlds never seemed to merge, save for a couple of people who knew me as both.  But, now I’m realizing that I can’t keep them so separate anymore.  

At first, I thought they depicted me as more active and busy than I really am.  But, upon reading it again, I realized it was pretty accurate covering my hectic but happy life as mom, entrepreneur, and overly obsessed runner slowly making my way into triathlon.  They misspelled my last name and gave out the wrong blog address, but after calling me “Speed Mom” those are non-issues to me!

The magazine also featured a friend, Patrick Joson, a running coach who trains in Alabang.  I first met him at the Takbong May Yabang race in Cuenca Park last year.  Since then, he has been inviting me to run with them at the Ayala Alabang golf course and, with the improving foot, I hope to do so soon.

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– Feature on Patrick Joson –

Note:  Yes, I know this is old news as it was the last two month’s issue.  But, it took me quite a while to post this as my scanner died last month.  Hence, the slightly hazy images above using my digicam.

* Thanks to Ben Chan of Photovendo and Dindo Caguiat (RunningDATcom) for the photos.