Posts Tagged with: "Running"

There’s one race that the kids and I look forward to every year. It’s the Mommy Milkshake Run!

Yesterday, over 400 parents and kids trooped over to Mercato Centrale at Bonifacio High Street for some 3k and 5k running action and to show their support for breastfeeding.  Spotted there were active families and friends…

– Christine and Paco Sandejas and kids –

– Patricia and Vince Hizon and kids –

– breastfeeding advocate, Abbie Yabot, with husband Mike (not in pic) and her family –

Plus mommy friends and their kids…

– Mommy Power!  Gigi (Fit Mommy) and my “twin sis” Jaimie carrying their kids. That’s tougher than a 42k! –

– The Janeo Family: Gab, Mike, and Lola. Missing in pic: Mommy Macel! –

– The Jao Family (Missing in pic: Daddy Jayvee –

Last but not the least, race organizer and my dearest Sis (who really should start running already)…

– Janice, bro-in-law Gary V., and kids –

As for The Bull Runner family, oh, the kids and I were present too even if hubby was off to the beach over the weekend.

The morning started out a bit slow and gloomy for us.  It was quite tough to drag the kiddos out of bed, there was an eerie silence in the car and not the usual chatting and shouting, Li’l Miss Bull Runner got cranky after she complained that I was “taking too many photos of her,” and I was just too exhausted from the 21k in such hot and humid weather the day before.

– To think they were so excited about this race! Check out that fake smile and frown! –

– Could they have been any more irritable? –

Before we could rant any further, the race started.  There were a few who were serious about racing (my friend ultramarathoner, Toto, was keen on winning the 5k…and he did!) but most were out there to just have serious fun.

The Bull Runner family couldn’t have walked any slower. I was contemplating on replacing Bull with Turtles, Snails, or even Sloths when I had another idea. A few meters into the race, I declared to the kids: Finishers of this race gets a new cheap toy later! (Yes, the word cheap found its way in there!) I saw Li’l Miss Bull Runner’s eyes light up. Then, I made a second announcement: Winner of the race gets an extra cheap toy, too! Before I could finish, the two were gone and had charged ahead just like little bulls!

– Ready…Set…Go! –

– Li’l Miss TBR with her cousin –

– They had a blast… –

– …and a tough workout too –

– Bonding time! –

During the race, naughty Li’l Miss Bull Runner would entertain herself by taunting her kuya…

– Caught in the act –

Spin like crazy to make herself dizzy, and…

– Whooopeee! –

…Just like Mommy taught her, Li’l Miss Bull Runner would cool herself down at the water station just like the pros do…

…and again…

Both crossed the finish at the same time. (Thank God because this Mom plays no favorites so they both enjoyed the same reward later in the day!) This was truly a fun and memorable bonding experience for us.

We dropped by Mercato Centrale for Mommy Milkshake’s post race activities and to shop for food of course (brazo de mercedes and cupcakes…yum!), but had to leave before the mommy talks and kiddie activities which we heard were a lot of fun.

Congratulations to Mommy Milkshake Run! Until the next one!

You know how some of these running shops have this cool sign “Out Running” displayed on their doors when no staff is in sight.  Well, I took the liberty to make my own for TBR.  See above.  (Yes, I still have a lot of time to design completely useless stuff for your entertainment.)

You see, I spent most of the week catching up on lost time with my beloved running.  After two months of sorely missing my free, painless runs when I had Morton’s Neuroma, and now that I am fully recovered (woohoo!) and completely stoked over my NYC Training, I ran almost everyday of this week: Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  I ran a 10k Tempo yesterday (which I hadn’t done in months and I was panting like a dying dog out there but I loved every minute!) and I have a  29k long run pencilled in for tomorrow.

One of my friends told me last night after seeing me run: It was so nice to see you running strong again.  I only have one thing to reply: Oh baby, it feels great to be back!

Disclaimer: To the beginners, do not run daily as I did! Hah!  I really only run 4x a week to allocate time for recovery and to avoid injury.  I just HAD to run this often this week because I missed it too much.  Be back to my regular training program next week.  Be good!

The world knows I’m a huge Nike Lunar Glide fan. I was never a fan of Nike running shoes until the first Lunar Glide came along. I used the Nike Lunar Glide+ for all my five marathons so far. It has literally gone the distance with me.

The recently released Nike Lunar Glide+ 3 is very much like the Nike Lunar Glide+ and nothing like its predecessor, the Nike Lunar Glide+ 2. For that, I am extremely overjoyed; nothing quite sucks as to have your favorite running shoe massacred into what was coined an upgrade.

– From the 1st to the 3rd Nike Lunar Glide –

Back to Lunar Glide+ 3…

– Nike Lunar Glide+ 3 for Women –

I’ve used the Nike Lunar Glide+ 3 for the past couple of weeks at races and training runs.  Here’s what I think:

PROS:

• Comfort: Snug fit. Feels like the shoe wraps around your foot comfortably, like I’m wearing socks.
• Just-right cushioning: Perfect balance of cushioning and stiffness. Not too soft that I feel there’s no support, but not too stiff either that it feels like plywood
• Light: This is a lot lighter than other bulky stability shoes out there.  Great for those long slow distances.
• Dynamic Support System: Still has the Dynamic Support System which adapts to the runner’s gait so that with each step the runner gets cushioning and support to guard against overpronation
• Midfoot strap: The shoe has a strap on the side for additional support. This was a feature only for the Women’s shoe with the 1st Lunar Glide, then it completely disappeared with the Nike Lunar Glide+ 2, but I’m glad Nike revived it for both Men and Women’s shoes since it’s one of my favorite features.
• No need for break in: Okay, don’t quote me on this. But, I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’ve used brand new pairs of this shoe to run marathons and I had no problems! For any other shoe or model, I would never dare to do this. But, based on experience, this shoe needs no break in.
• Handsome shoe: Love the colors!

CONS:

• Lacks bounce: I’m yearning for that springy, bouncy feeling with each step, but I can’t find it with this shoe
• Durability is a concern: Since the shoe feels like a sock, I noticed that it expires much earlier than other shoes. After 4 months, cushioning significantly decreases.
• Too narrow for runners with bunions: Since the shoe is a bit narrow, I wouldn’t recommend this for runners with bunions. I have bunions so they start to hurt after over 5k distances in this shoe. I never experienced this with the 1st Lunar Glide, hence I’m not sure if this will be the marathon shoe for me this year. So sad.

THE VERDICT

I would highly recommend this shoe for runners with mild to moderate overpronation who are looking for a light stability shoe for training or long distance races.  Oh, and those that have no bunions!

Where to buy: Nike, Runnr

Retail price: P5,495

The rains didn’t stop me from running at the NBA Fit Run this morning and it turns out neither did it stop all 6,000 runners that showed up.  Organized by Runrio, the NBA Fit Run was another well-organized race event where everything from the course to marshals and hydration stations were provided.

This was definitely a memorable race for me for three reasons:

(1) First 21k after injury. It was the first time I reached 21k again after my injury last May 22.  Woohoo!  I still have a long way to go to get back into tiptop shape, but I’m quite satisfied with my performance.  After all, my goal was just to finish without pain!  According to my Garmin, my time was 2:20 for 21.3 km at a pace of 6:35/km.  Easy does it. Speed will come in time.

(2) Start of training. This was the first run which officially started my training for New York City Marathon.  If I just wasn’t stingy, I would’ve treated my friends for breakfast just because of this.  Too bad, I am. Hah!

Last but not the least…

(3) I met Coach Spo! I kid you not. I am Coach Erik Spoelstra‘s biggest fan.  And, any woman who contests this will  be challenged to a road race!  This isn’t a silly highschool crush.  I truly admire Coach Spo for his work ethic on the court and his efforts to go back to his Filipino roots and give back.  He inspires you to be a better person, a better Filipino.

After our 21k, Jun and I wasted no time in heading over to the awarding to just catch a glimpse of Coach Spo from afar.  I told Jun I’d be happy to just see him if it was too crowded. Sigh.

When we got to the stage, by some stroke of luck—and a lot of good connections (Thank you Coach Rio, Angel, and Ton of Gatorade!)—I got called up onstage.  It was a scene that made me want to burst out in laughter.  There I was, little ol’ me, squeezing my way into the awarding with the heads of NBA Fit, Coach Rio, Air 21, and Coach Spo. I bet the world was wondering what the hell I was doing there, but hey I didn’t mind: I was there to meet Coach Spo and if he didn’t come down from the stage to see me then I would go up!

With a huge grin on his face, Coach Rio introduced us. The rain stopped, clouds parted to let the sun shine in on us, and then Coach Spo and I shook hands.  After some quick chitchat, I left the stage feeling like I had won the race!  Who cares about pace and personal records when you’ve got Spo?!

Okay, I have to admit.  When we shook hands, I was screaming like a highschool girl in my mind!

What’s the best part of the marathon for you?

The common answer is, of course, the finish line. Words cannot explain the fulfillment one feels after running the long and arduous 42.195 kilometers of a marathon.  Other runners will answer the start or perhaps midway when they encountered a helping hand, a discovery of their inner strength, or simply feeling second wind when they were about to give up.

My answer? What I love most about the marathon is the training.  I love that raw, nervous feeling in your heart when you’ve found the perfect marathon training program, as you sign up for the race, or just day dream about the marathon.  I love waking up in the wee hours of the morning to meet friends for a long run, half of which will be done in the dark before the world awakes.  I love crossing out each run feeling like I deserve a medal for pushing myself hard each and every single time.  I love feeling fit and light and strong during the months leading up to the race and, even more, seeing how my body changes, how muscles suddenly pop out of nowhere, and the weight melts away.  Truth to tell, I love the journey—every single part of it, including sweat, tears, and pain—more than the destination itself.  The race is just icing on the cake.

Tomorrow, training officially begins for New York City Marathon 2011.  The program I’m using is from the FIRST program pulled out from the book Run Less, Run Faster (available at Runnr).  I am so ready!

– My marathon folder holds all my training programs from the past. It has my Nike Hood to Coast, Singapore 2009, Condura, HK, NYCM 2010, and now NYCM 2011 program. On the left is inspiration provided by Little Miss Bull Runner –