The Early Bird Registers for the takbo.ph Runfest Early!

Oh yes, you read it right! I just wanted to make sure that I'm one of those blessed 3000 who get the cool customized singlet and will run for takbo.ph's anniversary run!

I'm really excited about the singlet because I think it looks good on me *wink*. But what's more exciting is that my girlfriend Tey also registered for the 5k! This is her first ever race registration and I am happy that I have been a very good influence to her. >:P

On my way to the office (I work night shfit), I passed by New Balance Glorietta to register my girlfriend. Thanks to Noel Camarillo for the registration assistance. :P

Special thanks to the NB Glorietta staff (oh man, I forgot to get his name!) who took my picture when I tried on the sample singlets.

Here's a look at the sample singlet. This is XL. NB Glorietta only has S and XL samples.


Can't wait for my own!


Mabuhay takbo.ph! I'm sure this is so gonna be fun! :P Let's celebrate running!

The registration for the takbo.ph anniversary run opens today! For more details, please go to (where else?) takbo.ph.

P.S. I'm not Don but I sure wish I am one.

The Skyathon Bora Beach and Surf Run!

Who ever said going to the beach means you need to miss those runs?! Well, no one! :P So no one's stopping you either from joining Skycable and Bayan DSL's Skyathon Bora Beach and Surf Run! [They have a 5K and a 10K run along the white sands of Boracay].

Mabuhay! Register now!



Here's the map. Cool, huh?! :))


This really looks like a lot of fun! And you know what? If you register, you also help with the clean up of your favorite white beach! Oh yeah!

Start your healthy lifestyle the Skyathon way at Guilly's Island on April 24, 2010.

For more details, visit skyevents.multiply.com. The Skyathon Bora Beach and Surf Run will be officiated by Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP).

The Value of Being Early

It's often advised to arrive at the race venue at least an hour before gun start. And there are a number of reasons for this. For one, you have a buffer time in case you get lost (which has happened a couple of times already for me and Noel!). It also gives you enough time to be in thermal equilibrium with the environment [yeah yeah, I miss thermodynamics!].

You can plan your pace or review your game plan because of that extra time. You can also warm up/stretch better because you're not rushing (we even stretch as a group) and you get the chance to bond with friends/fellow runners who are difficult to find later after the race, especially big races!

If you're confident enough with your pace, being early means you can stay in front of the pack at the start line! This also means (if you are really speedy like Eugene "Ostrich" Yasay) that you do not have to overtake that much and you can focus on moving forward. [If you are a slow runner or a beginner, it's best to stay at the back at first. More than the confidence boost you get when passing others, it is your safety that matters. ;P]

And and and... if you're in front, you get good arc shots at the start line! Plus celebs of course! Hahaha... Thanks to the Green Miles photographers for these shots. Mabuhay kayo at si Piolo! ;)

That's Noel right on the line. I'm on his left. Click image to see full size.

Sir, Present, Sir! Click image to see full size.


Caught on Cam - Earl checking out Piolo! Click image to see full size.


Six guys are holding their watches but only Piolo was looking at the time. :)) Click image to see full size.


These shots are from the Race Day Facebook Album of The Green Miles Run page. Become a fan! :))

Early Runs 15K with Piolo Pascual - The Green Miles Experience

Yeah! Praise God for another PR! Well, it's my first 15K and the longest distance I have run so far. [So near yet so far!]. Unofficial time is 1:39:47 [or a pace of ~6:40]. My goal was 1:45 so it's sub-target! Yey!

I'm also very happy for my girlfriend who is a very big fan, nay, lover of Piolo Pascual. [She always sighs when she sees his poster/billboard and once she even wanted to sleep next to the big Piolo close-up in my copy of Men's Health]. Although I did miss the Photovendo, the timing chip, and that interesting facebook app of the Globe Run, may it be written down in stone that I would never trade my girlfriend's precious smiles and kiligs for any of those. [Yes guys, this is an awwwww moment]. She got so very close to Piolo that I could swear he noticed her!

Here's a sample of her Piolo shots.



See? She's that close!

Anyway, the run. I was at the front of the starting line because I know Piolo will be there. :P I was with teammates Eugene, Noel, and Geoff. At gun start, my teammates sped away leaving me to my humble pace. Since this is my first 15K [and my longest] I planned to do some sort of an interval training I read from Jinoe (takbo.ph) in his HK Marathon : Run 6 mins (me at 6:15) then walk [~9 min/km] 1 min [this interval x ~ 14]. In my computation, this will get me to 15K in 1 hr 38 mins.

That was the plan. But apparently I did not like following my own plans because I did not walk after 6 mins, nor after 13, not even after 20. I was looking at my watch and kept pushing it. "Ok, I'll start walking at 30." "I'll walk at the next water station." "Nah, I'll keep this up only until I reach Roxas boulevard."

So I just went on with my slow pace of 6:30, enjoying the sight of every building I see as if it was my first time seeing them. I never imagined myself being so excited passing by the MOA Globe, seeing HK Sun Plaza and Bangko Sentral, and traversing Roxas boulevard slowly.

I continued on and I think I smiled at every volunteer (I think I was smiling the whole time). At around 51 minutes, I saw Eugene already on his way back. Then came Noel at 52. At 53, I saw Patrick "Running Shield" Concepcion and made a mental note that I would get his autograph. :P And at 55, there was Geoff coming with a smile on his face and two necklaces around his neck. I was more than 20 minutes behind them.

At 1 hr 13, I finally decided to walk because I'm already at 11K and what comes next are the distances that I have not yet run ever. I walked for 2 minutes then went on to finish 24 minutes later.



The hardest part of the race? It was when I tried to eat energy beans! I brought some because 15k was long for me. As advised by Running Shield in the Condura Early Edition Philippine Star, I repacked my beans into small packets. I took one out after the 2nd turn and tried to open it but I couldn't. The beans were so sticky that they do not come out even though I already ripped the plastic. But I was determined to have my beans so I just put the plastic-covered beans in my mouth and (hopefully) filtered out the plastic. :P I did not try that again.

My girlfriend and my teammates were waiting for me at the finishline. Since my teammates were a good 20 minutes ahead of me, they already look fresh in this picture. :P


[L-R: Me, Noel Camarillo, Eugene Yasay, Geoff Factor]

It was a pretty good run. It's not as big time as my last 3 races but I enjoyed every minute of it. Every single step was a new discovery for me.

Let me share some other shots by Tey (my girlfriend :D) for Early Runs.

Here's me with Patrick "Running Shield" Concepcion and Geoff (Man, I forgot the autograph!).



Of course, other Piolo shots by my girlfriend.





The eOMS Running Team

[L-R: Patrick Carpio, Kristine Millano, Noel Camarillo, Chrissie Lim, me]

Run Early Run!









and last but not the least... The Superposition!

A Runner's Dream

No, not dream - the amibition. I mean dream - the series of mental images that occur to you involuntarily while you sleep...

I had a crazy one last night...

I'm in the office and I know that it's race day. I check my watch and it's already 530am. I think we're late.

I check the map, the race is scheduled at 930am. I go down with my cousin's lolo to buy water. We go to a police station to get water from the chief's refrigerator.

I look at my watch again. For some reason, it's already 915am. I'll be late. Good thing I'm already in my running attire. But boy oh boy I left my bib at the office! I phone my teammates to bring my bib but they are already at the start line.

I run back to the office. But where am I? Look again. I'm rushing to my high school classroom. And I have a big backpack. I need to get to that classroom to get my bib. I don't want to be late. I don't want to miss the gun start.

But my legs are heavy. Very stiff and very numb. It's like running in the pool. But you can't stop me. I run up to 6th floor. But our classroom is at the 2nd floor. I go down. I'm lost.

My heart beats fast. Fast and hard.

Then I wake up. My heart's still pounding. But I realize that it's only Friday. I have not yet missed the run. And I pray that I don't.

Ever.

“Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be...”

Half-Empty or Half-Full?

Half Marathon! To run or not to run, that is the question. I was really determined to run my first 21K on May 30 (RunRio Leg 2). However, one statement in Coach K's recent blog "There's Something About Half-Mary (Part 1)" made me somehow doubt my readiness. She said, "What it SHOULD mean is that you’ve been running consistently for over a year now..."

Come May 30, I would only have 5 months which is way below the recommendation of Coach K. I commented on her blog, asking if it's too early for me to run 21K on Leg 2. She said that from a coach's perspective, she would not advise that I do 21K that early so that I can "enjoy running for as long as humanly possible".

Her recommendation? Save my legs for RunRio Leg 3 or schedule one next year as a celebration of my first year of running.

What do you think? :))

Read the full article [with my comment and her reply] at http://runrio.com/2010/03/theres-something-about-half-mary/. See her blog at runrio.com at K's Corner.

My First Attempt at 15K on UP Acad Oval

I have a hypothetical math question for you. In how many rounds on an oval path of 2.2 km circumference will Eugene and Noel meet Earl again for the first time if Earl is on an average 1.5 min / km slower than Eugene and Noel? Hint: On a normal day, Eugene and Noel can finish 10km in 52 minutes 30 seconds.

I do not know the answer yet but last Sunday, it took them about 4.8 rounds at the UP Acad oval! I was able to keep up with them for 2 rounds but it felt like I already hit the wall after that. I just wanted to keep going, push further, and finish 7 rounds too (which was about 15.4 km).

However, I think I was really in bad training condition. I only completed 5 rounds for a total of 11 km. I guess I can say that my first attempt is simply what it was - an attempt!

Although I was 4.4 km short of my target, I positively consider it to be another milestone for me or to be more accurate - a kilometerstone! I added one more kilometer to my longest distance completed!

On Sunday, I intend to go beat that distance record again by completing the 15 km category of The Green Miles at MOA!

What should my average pace (min/km) be if I want to finish 15 km within 1 hr 45 mins? :P

Got a Timex 1440 Sports T5K276

I got myself an Adidas 5-inch running shorts so I had to buy a watch. [Huh?]


[This is my shot by the way :)]

I find the Timex 1440 Sports T5K276 a good sports watch for its sensible and practical price. It's a basic watch that a new runner like me needs - a chronograph (simply put, it tells time and it has stopwatch)!

It cannot do laps but it has Indiglo (used by Timex for years), tells you the date and day of the week, and gives you T2 - a second time zone for runners on the go. It also has an alarm so you won't be late for your races!

Truly a remarkable watch to watch out for.

I got mine in Black and Red resin but it's also available in Blue, Orange, and Silver in Timex stores nationwide (at least I think it is).

Time is running with you!

I'm Officially Registered for the National Geographic Earth Day Run!

Oh yes I am... In fact, I also registered my sister and my brother for the 5k run! Talk about family day! Woohoo!

I find the registration a bit pricey though - 700 Php for 10k and 600 Php for 5k. And to think I registered my sibs!

I can really relate to Clusivol : Sa panahon ng krisis, bawal magkapatid! :P

Anyway, I think this is gonna be another fun run (well, I enjoy all runs!). As Coach Noel says, "Do this for Earth!" And in addition, it's a different route so it's going to be a whole new different experience!

I'm so excited that I tried my shirt on immediately! I personally like the black and yellow theme of the 10k shirt. [Ah, so this is what a technical shirt looks like].

Front


Back


And I also like my bib number! Always open!


Guys, I'll see you on April 18! Let's run for mother earth! :P

Basic Speedwork Training

If you have completed a couple of races and you want to improve your personal record (like I do!), here's a basic training you can include in your routine.

It's quite simple. Just do alternating fast and slow runs, incrementing your time by 1 minute, from 1 to 5 minutes.

1 min fast / 1 min slow
2 mins fast / 2 mins slow
3 mins fast / 3 mins slow
4 mins fast / 4 mins slow
5 mins fast

As with other exercises, remember to include a warm-up jog and stretch before you start and a cool down jog and gentle stretch after.

For my fellow beginners, you may want to try this on a fairly flat surface (do your hill work separately).

I tried this yesterday with my teammate/coach/timekeeper at Ayala Triangle and we reached 5.93 km in 28 minutes! [25 mins plus 3 mins cool down]. And to think we were even walking the slow parts!

I believe this is a good training to develop your ability to run above your normal race pace and to hold that pace for an increasing amount of time. Mix this up with your long runs / endurance training and you're bound to give the pros a run for their money!

Is this too easy for you? Try this: When you reach 5, go back down to 1!
Good luck! Run for your lives!

Unilab 2010 RunPix and Photovendo!

The official race statistics of the Unilab run is out! Just go to the Unilab Results at runrio.com and input your bib number. It's that easy!

Here's a summary of my official result. Click picture to see full size.


Although I did not do sub-1, I made it to the top 100 of my division! Haha. Now how do I get that up to top 10?!

I hope I can do that gracefully and without looking like Shrek. Hehe.


Great capture by Photovendo by the way! Good job! But I hope next time they take shots from the left side (where my angle of confidence is)! ;)

What did I get for 20% off at New Balance?

The Condura Run New Balance discount card is only valid until March 9. However, my pay day is March 10 (read: no more money). So I bought what I can with my remaining cash (about 500). Sayang naman eh! :))

I planned to get a headband but NB Glorietta did not have stock. So... I got me new socks and a pair of sure laces instead! Yeah!

Team Shrek

Thanks to Unilab Run and that double-lamp post at the parking lot, Team Shrek was born!

Let's run Far Far Away! :))

Want a bigger picture of Team Shrek? Click here.

Unilab Run United for Welness 2010 - New 10k PR!

Waaaaaa.... No sub-1 for me! I'm still 2 minutes shy of breaking that barrier! (Come to think of it, it's only my 2nd 10k). But on the bright side, it's a new PR! Almost 7 minutes faster than my Century Superbods! And in addition, I'm sub-Aga! Hahaha... :))

Here's the cropped version of the result - with Top 10, teammates, Pia Cayetano, and Aga Muhlach.



My official time is 1:02:02! I think it changed a bit though. When Patricia Fernandez called my name as I crossed the finish line, I looked up the arc and saw that my time was 1:02:48. Either way, not sub-1!

I think I need to train to get my first 5k to sub-30. I believe I'm faster at the 2nd 5k. I almost always get cramps 2 km into the race. (Why?)

I wore red shorts for this run - hoping to get more attention from Photovendo. But anyway, I already got some great shots from Tey - good job darling! :))

Another fun run with my HP teammates. Good job to Mils for finishing her first 10k! You get Starbucks from Coach Noel! :))

Nice arc near the stage.

Great shot by my girlfriend! (Sorry, sidewalk shot!)

With my girlfriend at the nice map.

It was a great run really - not to mention I have a picture with Coach Rio! Hahaha...

I can't wait to run my next RunRio. Too bad I'm not joining the Globe Run. I will be running with Piolo at The Green Miles. ;)

Let me share some nice celebrity shots by my girlfriend. Good job! Magbukas na tayo ng studio!

Pia Cayetano

Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan

Diether Ocampo

Coach Rio

Sub-1 10K Target for Unilab Run

In less than 12 hours, I'll be running my 2nd 10k at the Unilab Run United for Wellness. My target is to break the 1 hour-mark, make it to the top 200, and claim my Starbucks from Noel.

I prepared for this and hopefully my training pays off. No cramps this time please!

See you later guys! :))

Century Superbods Run

Thanks to my girlfriend (who also gave me money to register), I ran 10k for the Century Superbods Run! [Btw, my girlfriend's not my sugar mom - wala pa nga lang sweldo when I registered and bought shoes].

Many from our team in HP joined Century. In this pic from left to right: Carmina, me, Mils, Chrissie, Charles, and Noel.



The gun starts were earlier than scheduled. I was still contemplating on going to the portalets again when the countdown for 10k started.

I was aiming to go top 15% again for this run. However, as early as 2k, I felt cramps on my left leg. I tried to push for a while but I just couldn't so I stopped in the mid-island for a while and stretched (it felt like my tibia will stick out of my skin).

After a few seconds of being a geek (thinking whether it was really tibia or fibula or if it was just lactic acid buildup), I went back on track, slowly at first then back to my race pace after about 2k again (I saw the markers).

A few distractions were helpful - like the models at the water stations who made me go even slower - to forget the pain and start going faster.

I was able to finish with an official chip time of 1:08:44. Not bad, considering I stopped for a while. However, I did not meet my top 15% goal. In fact, I was almost at 50%. Here's my Runpix (about 43% of runners ahead of me).



I'm targeting to do sub-1 next time. That should be enough to get me to top 15%. :))

Here's my only searchable photovendo pic.


I planned to get pictures with celebrities but I only got one - Manny Paksiw with Freddie Roots!


Yeah! I conquered 10K!


Nice arc, Coach Rio!


Big big tuna!


The Superposition - I think I finally got it right.


Runrio Leg 2 - I'm coming for you! [21k for the win!]

Condura Run for the Dolphins

I was really charged up for this run. I enjoyed reading the Special Early Edition of Philippine Star - especially the running tips. Even though I was only running 5k, I followed almost every advice in that paper like:

1. Wear slippers.
2. Eat a banana for breakfast.
3. Sleep with pillow under the legs.
4. Pray.

I was also very motivated by the quotes. One of my favorites is this: "The miracle is not that I finished but that I had the courage to start." I have to admit that getting a finisher's medal is also something that I looked forward to.

Since my Gibo running mates were doing 21k, I was left by myself, warming up and watching 3 sets of fireworks. (Here's me at the sidelines when they were about to begin).

This run was way way way better than my last one. There are bands playing and a crowd cheering (some chanting "Con-du-ra! Con-du-ra!"). It felt like I could go faster when I am in a good way distracted by them.

I thought however that I was slower than my training pace. I can go ~34mins for 5k in training. I was trying to remember the map in my head as I was running and at 26 minutes, I was pretty sure that I was only half-way through. I was pleasantly surprise to know that I was wrong.

After just a few steps, I saw the "1 km to go" marker. I was so excited I'm sure I was grinning. For the first time I took a cup from the water station (but just a sip this time) and sprinted on to the finish line.

I'm very proud of my official time which was 31:46, which puts me at 124th out of about 1000 for my age division. Not bad really (upper 15%). And I like the medal too.

The Condura Run was overall a positive experience for me except for one thing : they got my name wrong! My family name's Hugo, not Nugo. :))

Here's my solo superposition (still got it wrong)

Very proud of finishing better than the last (no walk!)!

I was so proud I took a cab wearing the 5k medal.

I was a champion for a moment.