The Edsa Run

Wednesday, 2 March 2011  |  Race Reports

It was a double run weekend for me.  We had our long slow 30k run with TBR Dream Marathoners on Saturday, then I signed up for a hilly 10k race on Sunday: The Edsa Run.  Of course, I couldn’t miss this for the world.  And, I am so glad I didn’t.  It was one fun yet challenging race!

The Edsa Run started near the People Power Monument, not very far from the area where I had stood on EDSA as a 10 year old wearing my yellow Laban styrofoam hat and yellow shirt with my older brothers and sisters.  25 years ago, I knew I was there to make a stand against the dictatorship and for People Power (serious stuff for a 10 year old!), but I also had a grand time devouring fish balls and dirty ice cream along the way.

PP
– February 1986: My three older brothers and my sister –

When the gun went off, it was surreal to start off the race running on Edsa in the dark along with all the other runners in yellow.  For a moment, I forgot I was in a race and I felt like I was tossed back in time making a stand for the country once again—only this time for education.

There were buses and cars everywhere, but it was managed well.  I guess you can never expect an Edsa Run to be completely vehicle free.  We ran past Robinsons Galleria and down towards Ortigas.  The downhills were a blast.  I thought I was going fast enough, but I noticed a lot of runners overtake me here.  I guess I’m still pretty conservative after all.

From Ortigas, we went towards Greenmeadows and E. Rodriguez then back up again towards Temple Drive.  Oh boy, it was a killer route.  The ascents were long and lung-busting, especially the ascent by Christ the King Church where I said a silent prayer for God to help me survive the climb!

The highlight of the run was the confetti that dropped from a crane at the corner of Temple Drive.  It was a nice touch for runners to remember People Power by.  I contemplated on running under it, having the confetti drop on my head as I jumped up and down yelling “Laban Kami!” but, after realizing I could slip and sprain my ankle plus lose a chunk of time doing this, I decided otherwise.

I crossed the finish line at 53 min and 10 sec. according to my Garmin.  Average pace was 5:16/km.  4th Place for Female category.

Greeting runners at the finish were fellow iamNinoy members and very good friends.  It was so nice to see all of us together again.  It wasn’t that bad to see Phil Younghusband and the rest of the Azkals there, too!

Jake
– Loved seeing these guys at the finish line! –

JordanaQueddeng
– with Maricel, Mimi, and Nina. Photo courtesy of Jordana Queddeng –

Watch this great video of The Edsa Run by Jake de Guzman. Hilarious and touching at the same time. I’m an extra near the end…hah!

Congrats to iamNinoy Runners especially Jamike and Mayi Lopa and ExTribe for a successful event!

Running at Sports Loop

Wednesday, 2 March 2011  |  News + Promos

Robinsons Galleria has a new sports area at their mall.  I’ll be there this coming Saturday to check it out and give an inspirational talk on running.  (You know I could go on and on about running to anyone who cares to listen!) Hope to see you there at 4 PM.

You can also drop by on the following weeks for the talks of Hec Yuzon and Ani de Leon.  Heck, you can visit every single weekend if you wish!

Thanks to Robinsons Galleria for allowing us to share our love for the sport!

RobinsonsTalk

Tiger Tail

Wednesday, 23 February 2011  |  Gear + Gadgets

I’m quite picky when it comes to my running gear.  It’s either I love the product, use it, and tell every running soul about it, or it gets stuck in a storage bin to never see the light of day.  This new piece of equipment, sent to me by Chris Sports, has found its rightful place in my bedroom, right beside another one of my faves, the foam roller and I was compelled to tell you about it, especially you ITBS sufferers!

WHAT IS IT?

Tiger Tail is a rolling muscle massager, a hand-held foam roller if you will.  In it’s brochure, they say the Tiger Tail will “turn sore muscles into happy muscles by helping relieve muscle knots, aches, cramping, spasms, and stiffness.”

Tigertail

I’ll be the first to admit that I knew of a similar and more popular product called The Stick.  In fact, I was pining for one for the longest time, especially after seeing people use it along the course of NYC Marathon, but never got around to actually purchasing one.  In New York, since my ITBS had acted up on race day, right after the race, I asked relatives for a rolling pin instead and used this daily to release the tight muscles.

Tiger Tail works the same way but—take it from me—it’s much more comfortable than a wooden rolling pin.  Using the Tiger Tail, you just apply pressure with both hands and roll gently over tight areas.  You should feel slight discomfort and occasional bumps which are those tiny muscle knots that you have to release. I personally try not to release this all in one rolling, especially if I know I’m going to run the following day.  I just make sure to massage daily as maintenance for my leg muscles.

Tiger Tail can be used, not just for the ITB, but for all the other tight muscles in a runner’s body, such as calves, hamstrings, glutes, quads, and feet.  Of course, you can use it for other tight areas such as the back, shoulders, arms and neck.

Click HERE to download the PDF brochure

TBR REVIEW

The past few weeks, I’ve been focused on training for Run United 21k on March 6.  So, I’ve had a lot of speedwork at the track, tempo runs at BGC, and long runs on weekends.  This automatically leads to a tight ITB for me, which if not managed well, will eventually lead to my left knee going sore.

It’s been a habit for me to foam roll almost everyday, especially after a workout.  But, now that I’ve got the Tiger Tail I use it instead on my ITB, quads, hamstrings, and VMO (inner thighs).  I’m almost embarrassed to admit that it really does lead to “happy muscles”!   As a side note, my foam roller has found a new role as my platform when I do my crunches.  Resourceful eh?!

PROS
– super useful
– smooth rolling, consistent pressure all throughout
– easy to use, no need to roll on the floor
– portable (it fits in my gym bag)
– washable
– value for money (equivalent to 1 deep tissue massage)

CONS
– none

WHERE TO BUY

Tiger Tail is available at all Chris Sports Outlets. Click HERE to view website.

HOW MUCH

18 inches: Php 1,089
22 inches: Php 1,289

To TBR Dream Marathoners, we asked Chris Sports to provide us with Tiger Tail for our race.  So we’ll have Tiger Tail in medical aid stations along the course!  Wooohooo!  Thanks to Chris Sports!

KSwiss Kwicky Blade Light

Thursday, 10 February 2011  |  Gear + Gadgets

I’ve been on a mad hunt for a new pair of running shoes. With my favorite Nike Lunar Glides upgraded to the Nike Lunar Glide 2 which my feet disagreed with, I was like an orphan jumping from home to home. I would test a new shoe almost every weekend and I would end up with blisters, dead toe nails (four to be exact), or worse, a minor injury. It was completely frustrating and tiring. Well, I am pleased to report that the search is over.  Finally, I’ve found a pair that fits me to a tee. A bonus: it looks great, too.

KSWISS KWICKY BLADE LIGHT

The Kwicky Blade-Light is K-Swiss’ top-of-the-range super-light, super-cushioned, training shoe and, need I say, it’s one of my favorite shoes now!  Yes, it’s super-light. Yes, it’s super-cushioned. And, yes, it’s a training shoe that feels as light as racing flats. How KSwiss managed to pull off a multi-tasking shoe as good as this one amazes me.

IMG_5773

IMG_5772

Since I received my Kwicky Blade-Light more than a month ago—shipped straight from KSwiss Singapore (thanks Steve!)—I haven’t used any other shoe for any of my runs.  I’ve racked up close to 100km in them, plus a handful of oohs and aahs from running friends. Aack, I am in love—and it’s not even Valentine’s yet.

TBR REVIEW

The name alone says it all: It’s quick and super light. The men’s shoe weighs in at 9 oz. It actually reminded me of my Mizuno Wave Precision, Asics Gel Trainer, or New Balance 801 which I reserve for only short runs, but I took a risk with the Kwicky Blade-Light and used it for runs from 5k to 21k, including my recent Condura Skyway Half Marathon.

IMG_5771

IMG_5770

The shoe provides superb stability and ample cushioning. Remember that I’m a flat footed overpronator so my feet are very choosy with shoes. This shoe felt close to the ground while keeping my feet extremely comfortable. I can imagine some runners being unhappy with how soft it is, but this is exactly how soft I like my shoes.

The toe box fit perfectly: not too tight nor too lose. The heel tab hugged my foot comfortably even if I was wearing low-cut socks; I had none of those painful blisters that come from ill-fitting shoes.

On the first day of use, it was pure luck for me that it rained. I got to test the ion-mask technology that was applied to this shoe. KSwiss put an invisible protective polymer layer to make the shoe practically water proof and almost dirt proof. Yup, my socks sure didn’t get wet, but I did feel terrible about seeing my brand spankin’ new shoes littered with dark spots all over.

Two little features that I loved that simply cannot go unnoticed were the 1) slip-free laces and 2) the heel grip, tongue at the heel that you can tug on for easy wearing. (Robocop triathlete Javy said its for easy transitions for triathletes. Well, this runner didn’t figure that out!)

IMG_5775
– Laces that don’t slip and slide –

IMG_5774
– Heel grip is a nice little feature –

The bonus: I love the color! I never pick out shoes because of aesthetics, but when you do find a shoe that fits perfectly well and looks great too, it’s almost like meeting your soulmate! (I know, strike 2 for cheezy Valentine’s line. Forgive me.) For men, the shoe is predominantly in gray and yellow. See HERE.

SUMMARY

Pros
– super light
– very stable
– ample cushioning
– water proof
– extremely comfortable
– slip-free shoelaces
– attractive colors

Cons
– ion-mask technology didn’t guard against stains

Price: P6,995
Available in Manila by first week of March in KSwiss Glorietta, Planet Sports, Runnr & Secondwind

I am Flat Footed and I am Proud of It

Tuesday, 18 January 2011  |  Gear + Gadgets

To all flat footed runners out there, repeat after me:  “I am flat footed and I am proud of it!”

I read an article on New York times today that ends this way:

“Dr. Nigg says he always wondered what was wrong with having flat feet. Arches, he explains, are an evolutionary remnant, needed by primates that gripped trees with their feet.

“Since we don’t do that anymore, we don’t really need an arch,” he wrote in an e-mail. “Why would we? For landing — no need. For the stance phase — no need. For the takeoff phase — no need. Thus a flat foot is not something that is bad per se.”

You said it, Dr. Nigg!

As for the rest of the article, it reveals that scientists know that orthotics work, but they don’t exactly know how. It actually raises more questions than it provides answers.  I’ve been a user of Spenco insoles for years now and I cannot live without it.  No doubt in my mind that it has helped me cope with my runner’s knee and ITBS.  Now, the big question is: Should I start weaning myself away from it?  Hmmm….

Click HERE to read the full article.