Posts Tagged with: "Philippines"

I am pooped.

Annie, Mary Anne, and I ran an estimated 18k for 1 1/2 hours at Alabang early this morning. That’s the farthest I’ve gone ever. Close to the end of the run, my big toe started hurting (I cringed at the thought of another dead toenail), my calves felt sore, and I was slightly exhausted…but, boy oh boy, did it feel awesome.

Now I know what Rick, my new blogger friend, meant when he wrote “My legs stiffened up quickly after I stopped running, a good sign that they got a good workout. Just an overall pain and stiffness from hard effort, nothing indicating injury.”

I read Rick’s blog just last night and thought little of the post, but after this morning’s run, I completely got it (as I’m sure all of you other running masochists do!) Eureka, I thought!

Last summer, when I had started building up to a 10k, each training day challenged my body to its fullest. I would arrive home feeling like a truck ran over me yet my mind would be racing with excitement over the next run. Nowadays, I’ve been religiously running at an easy to medium intensity 4x a week but I knew something was missing. On good days, I would run 10k nonchalantly. On bad days, I wouldn’t wake up for a scheduled run and force myself to make up for it later on the treadmill. Either way I’d end the run feeling like I didn’t even workout at all.  Yup, I was still running but I felt like my body was bored.

Now I know the reason: it wasn’t challenging for me anymore!

So, today I declare that, every Saturday henceforth, my runs shall be long, intense, heart-wrenching, leg-numbing, belly-shrinking, toenail-blackening workout days. I shall challenge myself to run longer every other week (as best friend Jeff Galloway advised) and welcome, if not conquer, sore muscles and aching feet. I shall focus more on my time, not my speed nor my distance.  And, I should arrive home saying only these five words: “I’m pooped…but I’m happy.”

Bring on the pain, brother!

It’s time for Virtual Run No. 5! By now, you should know what this is all about. But, if you don’t, slap yourself on the head first, then do either of the following:

1) Go to my archives and read the past 4 weeks’ entries on Wednesday (VR Run Invites) and Thursdays (VR Run Reports).

2) Scroll down and read the brief definition.

3) Don’t read anything here and just make sure you run on Thursday (tomorrow) at 4:30 am Manila Time.

During the Virtual Run, a group of runners run “together” at the same time wherever they may be in the world. Anyone can join!

DATE: 23 August 2007, Thursday (Manila Time)
TIME: 4:30 A.M. (Manila Time)
DISTANCE: 10 km/ 6 miles (or whatever you wish)
RUNNERS/ COURSE: (I’ll update this as more people join up)

Previous runners have been:

1. E-Rod – Newport Beach, USA
2. HitMe – Quezon City, Philippines
3. Banggi – Manila, Philippines
4. Ben – Manila to Makati, Philippines
5. Renz – Metro Manila, Philippines
6. Marga – Parañaque, Philippines
7. Caloy – Davao, Philippines
8. TRF – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
9. Steph – San Diego, USA
10. Gretchen – Truckee, USA
11. Mary – Paranaque, Philippines
12. Caloy – Davao, Philippines
13. Chaia – Makati, Philippines
14. Rick – San Francisco, USA
15. Nora – England
16. The Bull Runner – Parañaque, Philippines

Are you in?

If you’ve been a regular reader of TBR, you must know by now that there’s always something special happening on Thursdays. What?! Nope, I don’t give out free training shoes (although I’m open to receiving ’em.) No, I don’t break my PR every Thursday either (how I wish!)

Every Thursday, for the past couple of weeks, I’ve joined a group of runners all over the world who have agreed to run a certain distance at the same time no matter where we are located in the world. It’s what we call our Virtual Training Run.

The Virtual Training Run is open to runners of every age, nationality, size, weight, or fitness level. So, you—yes you!—may just leave a note below to tell me that you’re running with us tomorrow and you’ll be a part of our growing Virtual Running group. C’mon, join us and we assure you that you’ll have a lot of fun!

DATE: 16 August 2007, Thursday (Manila Time)/ 15 August 2007, Wednesday (US Pacific Time)
TIME: 4:30 A.M. (Manila Time)/ 1:30 P.M. (US Pacific Time)
DISTANCE: 10 km/ 6 miles (or whatever you wish)
RUNNERS/ COURSE: (I’ll update this as more people join up)

1. HitMe – Quezon City, Philippines
2. Banggi – Manila, Philippines
3. Ben – Manila to Makati, Philippines
4. Renz – Metro Manila, Philippines
5. Marga – Paranaque, Philippines
6. TRF – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
7. Steph – San Diego, USA
8. Gretchen – Truckee, USA
9. E-Rod – Newport Beach, USA
10. Jaymie – Alabang, Philippines

To Manila Runners, I hope we can run tomorrow despite the gloomy weather. Click here for PAGASA’s Real-Time weather forecast.

Once again, let us pray for Egay to leave us by tomorrow. After your prayer, chant this 20 times while lifting your arms up and down, eating a banana, and running in a small circle slightly below race pace (preferably when your boss is not looking):

Egay Egay, go away

Come again on a non-running day

Virtual Runners want to play.

3 out of 4 runs only on a treadmill
(Sore knees were all I got from pushing too far on a treadmill. I was yearning to run on the road all week.)

+

2 vomiting kids
(Were germs this wicked during our time?)

+

1 missed virtual run
(due to 2 vomiting kids)

+

2 strong storms
(Good riddance to Chedeng and Dodong! I will never forgive you for ruining my runs…but then again I am grateful for increasing our depressingly low water supply. Egay, don’t you even think of visiting my running route this week!)

=

1 Sick Bull Runner

That encapsulates the week that was for me. And, as I… [sneeze]

write this, I am still afflicted with the… [cough]

common cold as almost everyone… [ehem]

here in Manila is. [wipe nose]

I would love to chat but… [drop strepsils into mouth]

I would rather conserve energy for… [achoo]

a good run—yes, I still run despite the cold… [move strepsils to left cheek]

rather than waste it on…[move strepsils to the right]

typing out letters on the keyboard. [sniffle]

[ REST ]

Come out and join us for our next virtual training run. Runners from across the globe connect and train virtually with each other through the power of 21st century technology. We have had participants from the Philippines and Malaysia going stride for stride with their virtual buddies from San Diego, Orange County, and Seattle.

DATE: 9 August 2007, Thursday (Manila Time)
TIME: 4:30 A.M. (Manila Time)
DISTANCE: 10 km/ 6 miles (or whatever you wish)
RUNNERS/ COURSE: (I’ll update this as more people join up)

1. E-Rod – Newport Beach, USA
2. HitMe – Quezon City, Philippines
3. Banggi – Manila, Philippines
4. Ben – Manila to Makati, Philippines
5. Renz – Metro Manila, Philippines
6. Marga – Paranaque, Philippines
7. Steph – San Diego, USA
8. Gretchen – Seattle, USA
9. TRF – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
10. Jaymie – Alabang, Philippines

To Manila runners, let’s join hands in prayer for the storm to stop and the sun to shine brightly tomorrow morning. Otherwise, it will be a treadmill run for most of us. For me, that just points to a slow pace and sore knees. Ack!

Sign in if you want to join…