Mizuno will have another Mizuno Run Club session this coming Thursday, October 11, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. in front of its Mizuno store at Bonifacio High Street. The Club is open to runners of all levels—beginners, intermediate, or elite—and is free of charge. Just show up in your running gear and you are good to go!
For more information, you may contact Chanda Baldo at 0916.338.7417 or email chandabaldo@gmail.com.
Hope to see you!
Admit it. Most runners like us are masochists. We feel like winners when our calves are burning, our feet are sore, and we are too exhausted to run any further yet we still plod on for the sheer passion for running. Conversely, slowing down may feel like we’re giving in—or worse giving up.
For those who want to run for life, one must actually learn to slow down at times. In the runner’s world, that could mean: to decrease your pace, to lessen your number of runs, to shorten the length of time, or to allow your body to rest and recover for a certain period of time in order to avoid injury.
For me last week, I felt I needed to slow down in Life. I was going at breakneck speed and, if I did not reduce my pace anytime soon, I thought I’d find myself laying lifeless in the middle of the road.
So, after last Friday—the day I finalized work for one large design project and fortunately the same day that both kids were back in the pink of health—I confessed to my mac that I needed some space. (Yup, that’s why I hardly posted anything new here.)
It was during those days away from the laptop screen that I was able to focus on ME. I happily indulged in days of pampering and pleasure:
1) Treated myself to a massage. I got a home massage one evening last week much to the delight of my left ankle, which was a bit sore from my past two treadmill runs. Fortunately, I found the perfect masseuse for me, Jenny, who has a super strong but relaxing massage style… so different from my masseuse from hell.
2) Got a pedicure/foot massage. It wasn’t so much the foot massage that I desired but the pedicure. I could no longer look at my fourth toe nail staring back at me in all its blackness. My foot just looked hideous. I visited a nail spa last Friday and treated my toe nails to some beautiful red paint.(Uhm, I don’t usually wear red on my toes but this was the only color that effectively concealed the death of my 4th toenail. The lady there said I could return on the last week of October and she would gladly paint all my other 9 toenails black just in time for Halloween!)
3) Visited the parlor. I finally saw my hair stylist again for the first time in months. He chopped 2 inches off my hair. Not that it makes a significant difference since my hair is forever up anyway.
4) Met up with McDreamy. He’s back…my (and a million other women’s) McDreamy is back! If there is one thing that can stop me from running when I’m heading out the door with my shoes on, it would be Dr. McDreamy beckoning me to watch him on television. (Oh okay, maybe my husband begging me to spend the day with him would be another reason too.) So, after months of not watching anything at all, I spent more than an hour glued to the screen watching the first two episodes of Grey’s Anatomy’s Season 4.
5) Went shopping. Actually, I went shopping online a couple of days before I even submitted my work. No, I am not into the newest fashion trend. In fact, I’ve hardly spent a cent on anything but running accessories for the past couple of months. So, I am awaiting my new running partners that should arrive before the month ends. For now, I shall not disclose what these are for fear that, as they say in tagalog, “Baka maudlot!”
6) Ran alone. I needed to feel alive again. I ran in Ayala Alabang on Saturday with my playlist “Running Happy” playing on my nano throughout the hour’s run. I ran to my favorite songs of all time like “Next To You” by Elisabeth Withers, “Just for You” by M People, and “You Are the Universe” by Brand New Heavies and felt supremely happy and reenergized. Aaah, by far, this was the best treat of all.
“Don’t ask me how I am. It’s very special, spectacular.”
That’s what Haile Gebreselassie said after breaking the marathon world record last Sunday in Berlin.
As most of you know by now, Haile clocked in at 2 hours, 4 minutes, 26 seconds. He broke Paul Tergat’s 4 year old record of 2:04:55 by 29 seconds.
This was Haile’s 25th world record! Congratulations brother (in running, I mean!)
Tough times will always come. The level of difficulty, however, is relative for different kinds of people and at varying periods in their lives. No matter the size of the problem, it is one’s ability to confront these trials that is vital to one’s survival on this rocky road of life.
Running, or any other sport that challenges your strengths and pushes you beyond your limitations, builds your endurance physically but more importantly, mentally. When faced with a seemingly insurmountable task, a mountain climber can recall conquering Mt. Everest and think “If I can climb the highest mountain in the world, what else can I not do?” When life throws too many problems at a runner, she can remind herself of her last marathon and think “Hang on. The finish line will soon be in sight.”
The past few weeks have been a roller coaster ride for me. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would say most days were 2’s but there were quite a number of days that peaked at 10 in terms of fear and stress. Twice this month, I had to take my boy for a blood test to check for dengue. With a low fever that persisted for days, he wasn’t eating and could barely stand on his own. During the hours that we’d wait with bated breath for the test results, I feared to even think of what we would do had the tests proven positive. Thankfully, after almost two weeks with fever, he is now fully recovered.
Right now, I am seated in my daughter’s dental office, waiting and waiting and waiting during these three long hours that they sedated her to work on over 10 cavities. The procedure, as we’ve been told, is not entirely fool-proof so, as much as we trust the anesthesiologist and dentist who are caring for her, I am still extremely anxious and worried until I can hold her safely in my arms.
Coupled with these worries is the task of juggling my load of work. I am struggling to make my deadlines for projects that have come at me all at the same time. Are there enough hours in a day for me to get all these done?
My fears are nothing compared to others, but there is nothing that makes a mother more anxious than to see her child in pain. Work issues can be set aside, but no, not my children.
During these times, I recall seeing the flyover ahead of me during the Adidas KOTR. It was an uphill climb that, I thought, would be utterly tiring and difficult. Ugh, I muttered. But, after plodding my way up, I found it to be surprisingly easy and effortless. It was all in the mind, really.
Last night, I literally ran my stress away. Most of you will agree that it is truly a great pain reliever. I ran 10k on my treadmill at full speed leaving my worries behind. That hour of running gave me strength to face this day. It hasn’t completely alleviated the anxiety, but it has helped me gain a more positive outlook. Even if the weather is gloomy outside, the sun shines brighter on my front. Everything is gonna be alright.
I could not wait to run. Work had been weighing down on me for the past week or so (hence the lack of posts…and worse runs!) so I blocked Thursday evening as a “must run” on my planner. When the rain started pouring in the afternoon, I prayed to God He’d make it stop if only from 7 to 8 that evening. He heard me alright. It was clear skies by the time I arrived at Bonifacio High Street.
As always, Coach Ige briefed us before we sped off. The elite runners would run the larger laps around High Street, while beginners and intermediate runners would take the inner circle. Before I knew it, we were going our separate ways. Goodbye Elite Runners, I thought, I shall only see your dust from hereon!
Coach Ige led our group with Marga and I by his side. He announced the plan for that night: a progressive run of 8 laps; we would run at an easy pace for the first 2 laps, increase pace for the next 2 laps, and run race pace for the last 4 laps. Wooohooo! This was definitely my idea of fun!
During the first lap, Coach Ige corrected my form. He said I was moving my upper body too much. (That was a big surprise as I thought I only did that when I listened to Maroon 5 on my ipod!) Secondly, he said I should stick my pelvis out. “Huh? Like how,” I asked? He answered, “Just imagine you have a coin up your butt.” Oh, okay! If I had a P10 coin, I would’ve done it for real if only to get the perfect running form…NOT!
It was smooth running for the first 4 laps along with Coach Ige. Marga had slowed down after suffering from side stitches. Before the 2nd half of the run, Coach Ige bid me farewell with one last direction: “Remember: race pace. Do not slow down.” Yes, sir! Like a good little soldier, I took his commands to heart and went as fast as possible as I watched him speed up leaving me by my lonesome. Then, from out of nowhere, Renz appeared. I told him between breaths “You’re late. 8 laps. Last 4: race pace.” And, with that, we ran with barely any words between us.
I finished at 9 laps (8.3 km) in 46 mins at 5:34 min/km. Aaaw, a little bit slow but I forgave myself as I was still feeling the exhaustion from work and lack of sleep. After chatting with friends, Ben and Marga (Renz was still running), meeting Gelo and Cris anew (Drew where were you?), and meeting Raymond for the first time, I headed home and greeted my mac “I’m back. Where did we end?”
– with Gelo and Cris –
– with Photographer Ben and Marga –
– All kinds of runners meet at Mizuno Run Club –
