– Easy Friday run with Ian (raceyourself.com) –
7 Weeks to Chicago Marathon!
Last week was a fantastic for me. Okay, that’s an understatement, it was a milestone week! I hit my highest mileage ever in one week! (more…)
9 Weeks to Chicago Marathon!
Most of you know that I’ve been training for Chicago Marathon on October 12. Chicago Marathon will be my 11th marathon and my 5th World Marathon Major (I don’t think I’ll ever do Boston…sigh!) yet I’m excited about it as if it was my first.
This will be the first marathon where I’ll be using the Hanson’s Marathon Program. I availed of The Classic Hanson’s Beginners Marathon Program online through Hanson’s Running. With the program comes online supervision by a Hanson’s coach. My coach is Coach Melissa Johnson-White who is a member of the Brooks-Hansons Distance Project (how cool is that?!) and, oh, by the way, she has a marathon PR of 2:32. Gulp. (more…)
“Laspag!” In English, it means exhausted or worn out. “Laspag” is a word commonly heard in the running and triathlon world after a grueling workout that leaves the athlete feeling completely spent. You may presume that the said endurance athlete would opt to collapse in bed after the workout gorging on food, but some will be forced to proceed to the office, others will play with their children when they get home, and for some completely insane ones (and believe you me, there are many!), they will workout AGAIN later in the day. (I know, I was once of them. Heehee!)
Personally, I’ve used the word “laspag” often because, well, I feel it quite often too. I feel exhausted after long workouts or even shorts ones where I push extra hard. I also feel tired after races where I give my all. Now, if I had nothing to do the following day, I wouldn’t worry about a thing. But, really, when does a working-running mom like me ever have downtime? So, to make sure that I fully recover from a tough workout, I do the following:
1- If it’s not too hot out, for long runs, I wear compression tights or calf sleeves. These aid in blood circulation and muscle recovery. My favorites are CW-X for compression tights and Zensah for compression sleeves.
2- I take Enervon HP within 45 minutes after a long run or ride. (I even took some with me to Berlin and drank it right after the marathon!) I like Enervon HP because, well, it’s chocolate hehe. Second, it offers the perfect combination of 3:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio that’s important for muscle tissue repair and recovery.
For long workouts, I usually have a bottle of cold water in my Spider bottle packed in my cooler. This bottle has a container to hold the Enervon HP powder plus a mixer for easy blending. Super cool!
Spider Bottle is available at Chris Sports, Secondwind, and Sabak. The Spider Mini2go (seen above) is Php990. They also have a mini (no container) for Php500.
3- I raise my legs for around 15 minutes when I get home. Sometimes I fall asleep while I do this LOL.
4- If I feel any aches or pains, I ice the area for 10 minutes.
5- I eat clean food for the rest of the day to aid in recovery.
6- I drink tons of water throughout the day.
7- I train easy the following day. Always make sure that your program allows for hard-easy days so that you allow your body to recover from a hard training day.
8- I get a massage every Sunday evening. I chose that day because I usually have my long runs or races on Sunday.
That’s basically what I’ve been doing the past couple of years to avoid laspag attacks. So, when Enervon HP asked me to be their endorser and record a radio ad for them I said “Yes” without batting an eyelash (then, I got nervous and warned them that I get bulol sometimes and I have a nasal voice LOL!) Have you heard it already? Lemme know what you think. Please be kind haha.
The past few weeks, I’ve been somewhat troubled. It’s been so hot outdoors that I’ve been compelled to run on the treader at my gym. It’s bad enough that I have to run indoors, but it gets worse when I have to run on the decrepit treadmills at my gym. I love my gym, but man oh man their treaders are dying! Among the five facing the television, one does not incline anymore and another takes forever to speed up. I’ve even run 10k on one that had these words screaming at me on the monitor every few minutes: “Replace belt!” All the other treadmills seem like they’re just waiting to DNF while someone is on it. Gaah! Needless to say I’ve been toying with the idea of switching gyms because the only thing I use at my gym, apart from the mats and the lockers, are the treadmills!
Last week, I was invited to a Fitness First event where they unveiled plans for 2014 that had me drooling with envy. (It was probably a sign!) Fitness First launched its new logo, new programs, and new innovations for their gyms worldwide.
Fitness First’s New Logo
Simon Flint, CEO of Fitness First Asia, and Mark Ellis, Fitness First Philippines’ Country Manager
Fierce and fast triathlete friends
Simon Flint, CEO of Fitness First Asia talked about the new Fitness First Philosophy. The club aims to inspire and motivate people to work on their fitness by engaging and interacting with them through Fitness First’s innovative new programs and expert trainers, and not just through exercising on the gym equipment. “With the new innovations of Fitness First, we help you go further in life with the right balance of training, healthy eating and inspiration. With us you can reach your personal best and achieve more than you thought possible. We provide you with fitness that suits your style and your life. And more importantly, we keep you moving forward,” Flint explained.
Fitness First has built on the principles of behavioral psychology to radically change their gyms and create workouts that will help people stay motivated such as their four signature fitness programs that are delivered by highly skilled staff. These were showcased during the launch with exciting performances cum fitness demonstrations by Fitness First’s professional trainers. The signature programs that are Fitness First proprietary products designed to produce maximum results in minimum time are Pro Cycling, Advance Flow Yoga, Freestyle Group Training, and Hardcore Maxx.
The company is also co-producing a first-of-its kind reality TV show called Fit for Fashion that will subject the contestants to Fitness First’s innovative training programmes to help them get fitter and go further in life. The show will transform contestants into fit, stylish and confident individuals who will inspire and motivate viewers watching the show. A fashion show was one of the highlights of the night as Fitness First showed fit and confident individuals of different shapes and sizes who walked down the ramp.
As a fitting end to the night, the newest Fitness First Ambassador Ginebra Gin King and Gilas Pilipinas’ renowned point guard L.A. Tenorio was introduced alongside members of the Fitness First Triathlon team who are advocates of fit, active and healthy living.
Fitness First Philippines Managing Director Mark Ellis said, “Fitness is a lifestyle choice. Ultimately, Fitness First wants to provide members with more than a box of equipment. We shaped our new staff training programme which includes expert instruction on how to motivate members. We want to provide them with the expert support they need via highly qualified fitness expertise, effective exercise programmes and a motivating workout environment. We believe that we can help people go further in life, and our teams are in the forefront of helping members push their limits to go further in life and inspire others to do the same.”
Good job Fitness First! Thank you for the complimentary day pass. I shall use it for at least a day’s respite from rickety old treaders LOL.
Join Coach Dan and Ani Brown’s Pinnacle Camp on June 7 to 8, 2014 at Pico de Loro. Last day of registration is on June 3, 2014. Interested participants may email nextsteptri@gmail.com or abrahamerbel@yahoo.com.
