Posts Tagged with: "New York"

We had two fun-filled days at Disneyland…

There was a whole lot of laughing and riding…

nervous groans and hugs…

screaming…

jumping…

and more jumping.

The third and last day almost came to a perfect end with a solo morning run around Disneyland. It was to be a fast 8k along the sidewalks of the busy roads around the hotel and theme parks. It wasn’t as chilly as my past morning runs around Glendora so a 5:30 pace felt comfortable and surprisingly easy.

By 2k, I was enjoying the sights while speeding along the sidewalk of Katella Ave. when… WHAM! BAM! KA-PLAAAM!… I tripped over that annoying uneven part of the sidewalk that no one ever sees. In a split second, I landed on both knees, slid over the road just like superman, and lay on my tummy for a few more seconds in complete shock.

What had just happened? No way. I couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t so much that I tripped. But, that this had to happen a week before marathon day. I couldn’t believe my luck.

I got up to see both palms scraped. My leggings had a huge hole where I landed. Much to my horror, my left knee was wounded. My right knee was not bleeding, but it felt worse.  The impact of the landing had been stronger on the right knee.  I was more worried about this because I couldn’t walk properly on the way back. I returned to the hotel room and iced the knees and bandaged them.

– Yeooouch! –

As of this writing, I’ve missed two training runs, which includes my last long run this morning. While I can walk better now (I walked like Erap all around Legoland yesterday!), the wound is still open and wet. I hope it dries up tomorrow so I can squeeze a morning run before we fly off to New York.

It was so unfortunate that I fell, but the way I see it I was pretty lucky to have escaped with no broken bones. It’s good too that there’s enough time for the wound to dry up and the inflammation to subside. I just hope I don’t trip again anytime soon (ack!) and that I can run again ASAP to burn all these calories from excessive eating. Life is still good!

New York City Marathon was my dream race ever since I started running seriously. When I wrote the ABOUT page on this little blog over 3 years ago that NYC Marathon was on the top of my wish list of races, it was a distant and impossible dream. Now, as race day draws near, I constantly have to pinch myself to make sure it’s all for real.

That dream used to be all about running. My training. My goals.

It was even about visiting New York. Taking in all the city had to offer. It’s energy, art, and culture.

But, after meeting Rina Lopez-Bautista, New York took on another meaning. A deeper one. Now, it is also about helping kids.

Through Rina’s Knowledge Channel, I’ve been given an opportunity to help raise funds for the Knowledge Channel’s Karunungan 2010 Fund and reach “42-for-42”. For every kilometer that I will run, I can accept pledges from friends, family, and even strangers with a good heart.  If you would donate $1 for every kilometer I run in New York, I can collect $42 for the entire marathon. The $42 (around Php 1,850) will help Knowledge Channel provide and widen access to quality educational media in the country.

– with Rina and her son, Daniel, at Knowledge Channel’s New York Runners Acquaintance Night which I came terribly late for 🙁 –

Interested in helping? Please pledge donations for my ING New York City Marathon run at www.karunungan2010.com or www.knowledgechannel.org/karunungan/.

Click HERE to go straight to the PLEDGE FORM.

Thank you in advance for your generosity! This will go a long way in helping children become finishers of their own race.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting RINA LOPEZ-BAUTISTA, the remarkable, selfless woman behind Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc. It was only a few days before our meeting that I learned she’s a runner.  And, not only that, she’ll be running NYC Marathon, too.

– Rina with some of the kids that Knowledge Channel Foundation has helped –

Over lunch, I learned about her wonderful idea for all of us NYC Marathoners to get together and use our run for a worthy cause.  Her idea:

42-for-42 Donations
NYC Runners will be encouraged to help provide the Gift of Knowledge to thousands of poor and marginalized public school students across the country. They simply have to ask friends and supporters to donate $42 for every kilometer they reach as they attempt to finish all 42 kilometers. The total amount that a runner generates will be contributed to the Karunungan 2010 Fund that will help produce much-needed instructional shows in English, Science and Math with virtual Expert Teachers on Air. Sponsorships for other Knowledge Channel Packages such as cable-a-school are also encouraged.

Even before I finished my meal, I committed my full support.  (I think many of you know that I am a part of iamNinoy Runners Group, which works for the same cause: education for kids. It’s a cause close to my heart.)  As I headed home, I thought it was fantastic that one person—a female runner at that—could unite our efforts to do some good.  See what just one person can do!

– Educational programs provide quality education for schools in remote areas –

– Kids of Avocado Elementary school get much needed support from KCFI –

So, calling all runners registered for the NYC Marathon, Knowledge Channel invites you to an acquaintance night:

WHO: Registered participants of NYC Marathon on November 7, 2010
WHEN: Thursday, 30 September, 2010 | 6:30 pm
WHERE: Palm Grove, Rockwell Club

The gathering will provide an opportunity for us NYC runners to meet each other. (Yahoo, this should be fun!)  KCFI will also explain to us how we can help with the 42-for-42 project. This is in line with KCFI’s Run for Knowledge campaign: KaRUNungan 2010.

To confirm your attendance, please email, text, or call:

DITTIE GALANG
Email: dittie.galang@knowledgechannel.org
Phone: 910-2031
Mobile: 0917-8348843

Send Dittie the following information: (This is only to gather our contact info and does not entail any commitment on your part. Info will not be used for any other purpose.)

• Complete name; Nickname/Alias
• Contact details: Landline number, mobile number, email address
• NYC Marathon entry number

Dittie will then send you e-invites for the event.

I look forward to seeing you there!

For more information on Knowledge Channel and it’s KaRUNungan 2010 Campaign

Week One: July 19 to 25, 2010. Bring out the balloons and throw out the confetti!  This is Week One of my NYC Marathon Training.  I have been waiting for this week…for weeks!

Two months ago, I only had 2 marathon training programs to choose from: F.I.R.S.T. program which I’ve tried and tested in my past marathons (and has worked very well for me, thank you), or the Runners World: Break 4 or Bust program I spotted in it’s July issue.  (I subscribe to RW US via Bookazine so I get my copies over a month early at only P250.  What a steal!)

– I usually care for all my RW issues with much love, but this one is dog-eared because I take it wherever I go –

I chose the Runner’s World Program for two reasons:

1. I felt ready to upgrade my weekly run sessions from 3x of FIRST to 5x with RW.  (If I start feeling any knee pain though, I may consider reducing to 4x a week.  We’ll see…)
2. Break 4 or Bust!  What a heading for a marathon program.  The title gripped me, made me fall into a sub-4 running dream, and got me all excited about working for a wonderfully thrilling challenge.

I love this feeling—like I’m riding on the wave of a brand new adventure.  Truth be told, I enjoy training for the marathon more than running the marathon itself!  It’s going to be an awesome 16-week ride, guys and girls!