Posts Tagged with: "Friends"

Elite runners probably know their bodies so well that they know when to push harder, slow down, run longer, or stop. For the novice runners, it will take some time to listen and learn to what their previously indolent bodies have to say (I’m speaking for myself, really). For all types of runners though, it’s been said that monitoring your heart rate is still the best way to go to determine your pace, maximize your training runs, and track your progress.

For the longest time now, I’ve been using my hubby’s hand-me-down stopwatch that he received as a giveaway in a company sales conference. It’s not very attractive—it has a high-tech cum alien look to it—but it’s free so I don’t mind looking like a martian at all during my runs. Then, last week, Mayi and Jamike ran with us and Jamike was sporting his Polar. He even had the foot module on to track our distance and pace.

Oooh, I thought, I want one.

No, that’ll cost you, my conscience tells me.

You’ve worked hard and you deserve it.

You’re spending way too much on accessories.

Shut up, conscience, I said. Maybe my hubby can get me a second birthday gift? The following day, I drop by Time Depot at Festival Mall and pick up a Polar brochure. That evening, I show the Polar RS 200 to my Hubby and exclaim with much excitement “They are more affordable than I thought! I should’ve asked for this on my birthday instead of the ipod you gave!” Biting the bait, he replies “Yeah, if the budget permits then why don’t you get one?” I want to tap myself on the back for a job well done, but before I can celebrate my victory, my authoritarian conscience whispers “Isn’t it preschool enrollment next week?” Shucks, I nod in forced surrender.

So being the good mother that I am (don’t laugh), I shall patiently wait for the right time (read: Christmas) to buy my Polar Watch. In the meantime, I shall drool over and dream of the Polar that shall be mine.

– the Polar RS 200 with the option to connect to the foot module (when I get it for my birthday 2008 haha!) –

Some runners love to run alone. Others can’t even run around the block if their running buddies are absent. When it comes to running, it doesn’t really matter how you do it as long as you get the kilometers done.

I thought I would always be the happy lonely runner. I love running alone. I like the solitude, the silence, the opportunity to think without my clients or the kids hollering their next request. And I particularly like the fact that, when I feel the need to run, all I have to do is put on my trusty running shoes and head out the door or towards my treadmill. No need to set a play date with an entire team!

Call it fate or coincidence that I now find myself part of a growing runners group here in the South. Initially, it was just Coach B and I who ran together. I decided to invite a friend and she in turn invited another friend, and they plan to invite more of their gym buddies for future runs. The more the merrier!

– the wide, paved roads of alabang make it ideal for training –

I never thought group running would be this much fun. This was the first time a ran a full hour without feeling like I had to be peeled off the road during the first 5k. Time certainly rolls by quickly when you are with other runners who are enjoyable to be with. And it is true that—just like in a sports team—you can feed off each other’s energy, push the other to work harder, or provide motivation to finish the last five minutes. Of course, I’m still going to run by myself, but group running will now get a larger share of my running schedule.