Running is a Mind Sport

The last time I ran was in January 10, 2010. Had I not blogged about it in my other blogspot at http://sentimentsmd.blogspot.com/2010/01/winter-running.html, I would not have remembered the date. It seemed so long ago.

Because of the nurses who left the acute dialysis team, we had to spend long, gruelling hours at work spending 16-17 hours a day on the average in the hospital. I worked 4 times a week this time and the remaining 3 days were spent in recuperation. I did not have the energy to do anything else. I felt my body just endured a battering after every work day pulling the heavy dialysis machine and bringing the gallons of bicarbonate and acid with it. The winter weather did not help a bit. Just the feel of the stinging cold air totally dissolved whatever small good intentions I had of running.

However, after dreaming about running last night, I knew I had to get into those running shoes again. I found it amusing that my mind actually had to resort to dreams just to convince my body that it needed to get into running again. So I went to the clubhouse and tried the treadmill for the first time after 7 months of living in this apartment complex.

The place was deserted. The sun shone through the huge windows and I looked at the covered pool across the treadmill. The jacuzzi whirled not so far to my left, outside the glass door. I studied the treadmill and tinkered with it. I started with 2.5 speed then gradually climbed to 4 and stayed there for 50 minutes. I did not bother studying all the other features of the treadmill. I just wanted to get on to my work-out immediately. After 50 minutes and 5 miles, as I stared at the digital screen in front of me, mesmerized by the small rectangles lining up, increasing in number until it formed a loop to indicate a completed cycle, I suddenly switched to brisk walking. I was amazed that I "ran" at the pace of a brisk walk. No wonder I felt so relaxed! I could actually "walk" at this pace. I then pushed for speed 5 and finished my work-out in an hour.

Then I realized that in running, as with any endeavor, it is always the initial part that proves to be very challenging. But as soon as you get through the hurdle and you are able to move past the first stages of learning, you realize that you are capable of so much more. Your baseline moves up and you know that you have improved. Even though I have not ran for more than a month, when I got back to it again, it was just like riding a bike. Your body remembers everything. It does not reset to zero and I'm so happy to realize that. At least it is "forgiving". For someone who has not been very faithful to the sport, the sport did not totally abandon me. And now that I have "broken through" treadmill running in the clubhouse, hopefully, it will not be as difficult to drag my body the second time and the third time. Because I heard that as spring is looming ahead with promises of more sunshine and a fairer weather, rain can still dampen the day and keep you away from the running trail.

Hello Readrunner!

It's been 10 months since I last logged on to this blogsite as I got busy with my other blogsite (www.sentimentsmd.blogspot.com) on migrating to the US. But visiting it tonight, memories came rushing back. And I am filled with excitement and joy again as I pour words to this blank page. I may have missed 10 months of posting on this blog, but I have not missed on my running.

Having migrated to the US last June, I had to adjust to a lot of changes. It was only after three months that finally, we got our routine and have incorporated running in our schedule. The first agenda was to get rid of my Nike shoes which caused more harm than good. I had to accept the fact that I bought the wrong kind of shoes, much to my husband's chagrin (remember, it was his Christmas gift for me in 2008). It was too narrow which caused the "numbness" on my third toe whenever I ran and the size was too long, causing the back of the shoes to rub against the back of my ankle which led to blisters. I guess I have been in denial for a long time and thought that this shoes only needs breaking in. Well, no amount of breaking in will make this shoes comfortable. I might as well break my feet.

This time, I did not want to waste money on the wrong pair of running shoes so we visited the specialty store Bob Roncker and had my foot "diagnosed". I was a slight pronator, much to my surprise. The guy recommended three different brands and had me walk/run on them. The best fit was a Mizuno Wave Inspire - US9-wide. It felt like I was running barefoot with it. That's how comfortable it was. The best part of the deal was that I could break in the shoes and if I find problems with it, I can bring it back to the store within 30 days to be replaced with a different kind of running shoes.

The next agenda was finding the running spot. We found the perfect running trail, between a private airport and a golf course. It was a 5-mile trail (8-km). The perfect timing was after bringing the two kids to school. As warm-up, my husband and I pray the rosary first while we do briskwalking. After 5 decades and less than a mile covered, we go for a relaxed pace.

It was our quality time together as husband and wife. In the US, it is a luxury to go on a date. Restaurants are expensive. Timing is tricky, with no maids to look after the kids. This is just the perfect, cheap date for me and my husband. Not only will running nurture our spirit, it will also nourish our relationship.

But that was during the season of Fall. It's now Winter time and the ground is covered with snow. I have to motivate myself to run on the treadmill in order to keep on running. It's funny that I was just thinking of making a running program for myself when I read this blogsite and caught sight of the program I made supposedly for January 2009. I never got to adhere to that program because we were taken by surprise by the appointment from the US embassy in January of 2009. Little did we expect that this year would bring a lot of changes in our lives. I got so caught up with the hectic schedule that running was dumped into the backseat.

I was just so thankful that when I got into it again last October, I discovered that it's just like biking. Once you know how to run, it's not too difficult to pick up where you started. I had some awkward start but it did not take long for me to get accustomed to running 8km for my relaxed pace. The year 2009 is ending. I received so much blessings. Having published my first book on running, it's about time to move on, move up and aim for the next goal. Because there is nothing static about running. It is a dynamic endeavor. It only gets better and better. And I look forward to a more fruitful run and a more fruitful year ahead as I welcome 2010 with enthusiasm and delight. Happy running everyone!

Running is a Form of Play

I have read too many philosophy books on running that I now look at running as a purely philosophical thing. It is the body's way of challenging the mind to think beyond the mundane stuff. Or perhaps the reason why my mind is not yet occupied with the mundane stuff is because I have not yet gone beyond 12km in my runs. They say that when you go beyond the 21km or 42km, then you will cross the border. Whatever that border is, still remains a mystery to me which I hope to solve in the not-so-distant future.

I like Dr. George Sheehan's way of writing. I am reading his book "Running and Being" in a leisurely fashion. Meaning, I have no intention of finishing it soon. I find it more palatable to pick it up on occasions, leaf through just one or two pages and put it down again. I am also reading Dr. Tim Noakes 3rd edition of "The Lore of Running". Note the emphasis on the edition because he updates his work and even challenges previous concepts of running. But unfortunately, the 3rd edition is not the latest edition. This was written in 1991. I have just found out that there is already a 2002 edition. Most likely, he has discovered newer stuff about running.

I have a particular bias for doctor-authors. Perhaps because it is also a wish of mine to become a known doctor-author someday. I wrote my first book when I was 16 years old. It was a love story written on a folded bond paper, typewritten and stapled at the middle. I did the illlustration for the cover as well. My high school classmates were very fond of exchanging pocketbooks like Sweet Dreams, Mills&Boon, Harlequin Romance and Barbara Cartland. I was even the president of the Booklovers' Club and I set up a project of a cabinet which only contained love story pocketbooks. These were not available in our school library so my little "library" became famous. The members handed over their pocketbooks to be borrowed, but I swear I think I owned 90% of the books inside that cabinet. Anyway, amidst all these pocketbook exchanges, my own "pocketbook" also became a material which circulated in our classroom. It really got into the circulation that I soon lost track of who borrowed the book last. It got lost. I just have no idea whether the reader kept it because she really liked it or she threw it away to keep other people from wasting their time reading my book. My second attempt did not meet its happy ending. I simply lost interest in my characters and abandoned the book after finishing the first three chapters. Now, that love for writing was rekindled when I ventured into running.

I have finished a book on running and wealth. And that same sense of fulfilment is back. It does not matter if this book ever meets a publisher or not. I have it neatly printed again on half-sized bond papers and once more did the illustration myself. Now, I got to appreciate what Dr. George Sheehan meant when he said that running as a form of play brings out the child in you. Yes. It did bring back the child in me, the child who loved to write... the child who loved to draw... the child who forgot to play because she got so immersed in the world where a small mistake can mean the death of a patient. The child is back and running brought back this child. This child will always seek again to play. When the adult imposes her busy schedule, her unending family responsibilities, her stressful medical life, the child will run out to play. And the child, being a child may throw an occasional tantrum when not allowed to play. And the child, being a child will enjoy life simply because she was allowed to play. Running and playing... these are synonymous in the mind of the child.

A Love Affair Called Running

What does one do when one fails to stick to his resolution? Fall into despair? Heave out a sigh and accept that it can never be done? Or realize his own weakness, pick up the pieces and try again?

I have shamefully succumbed and gave in to sloth. And because much of what I write comes from the inspiration I get from running, I have also ceased to drop a line on my blogsite. That is how bad my state of affairs has become with my running program. And when I finally got the grace to pick up my running shoes and hit the track, I found myself totally out of form. I was back to square one. Sadly, all the milestones I have achieved these past few months have been buried and needed a lot of unearthing. After my pathetic run after an hour, I ended my work out feeling so tired and drained and regretful that I have allowed myself to fall back this far.

That night my body gave in to fatigue and my immune system gave way to respiratory illness. I have learned an important lesson. The body can be your strongest friend or foe in this love affair called running. You must be consistent in your courtship to maintain the interest, the fervor, the vigor. The moment you falter and distance yourself from the exercise, the body will be very quick in forgetting about all your initial efforts. As a beginner, the period of courtship between running and the body is very fragile. Consistency is imperative. But if you find true love in running, you will go back. Ask for absolution and suffer the consequences and try again. Let the body be wooed once more. It is only in consistency and the assurance of fidelity to the program will the body once again give in. With love rekindled, the beginner will be transformed. He will learn that for this love to end in marriage... in complete union where the body finds utter joy and fulfillment in being able to perform the exercise called running, commitment is needed. This means standing up after every fall. For in every relationship that is good, forgiveness is easily extended. Thus is the love affair of running.

Discipline and Running

My body prevailed. I failed to run today. But it was not because of the friction between my blisters and my new shoes. It was simply because of lack of discipline. I failed to discipline myself to take the needed rest while on training. I did not wake up to the sound of the alarm clock because I did not sleep early. I broke the one rule of training which is adequate sleep and rest. It is a must that as one increases distance or speed of training, one also adjusts the hours of sleep. I still have to find my right formula. With the responsibilities of family and work, it is a great challenge to squeeze in training as well. But I will adhere to my goal of keeping a healthy balance of nourishment for my body by running regularly, my mind by reading regularly and my soul by praying regularly. And I must not forget that my body also need rest, sleep and balanced diet for nourishment. This way I can say that I have been a good steward of me.

The Neurosis of Running

Running using the podrunner program of 150 bpm made me realize I preferred to switch back to the interval training once again. Somehow, the variety adds more spice to my running. Though I am somewhat of the obsessive-compulsive type, wanting predictability in my run therefore preferring to run in the same route over and over again, another part of me also gets easily bored with routine. That is the kind of neurosis that running has unearthed from me. A lot more is emerging.

Halfway through my one-hour slow run this morning, I began to feel the pain behind my ankles again. My new shoes still needs a lot of breaking in. I got blisters on the same spot just two days before. The other time, I failed to lace one hole at the topmost part and this caused the rubbing of the shoe on my skin. Now, I think I really need to buy the ankle protector until this part of the shoe gets softer.

I struggled with the stinging sensation on my feet and the desire to run. I endured it to the end. I recalled how author-runners relate their own experience of masochistic tendencies which they claim is common to all runners. I guess that's the kind of neurosis that a lot could identify with. Though I sighed a lot of times and missed my old Nike free shoes, I vowed I will not stop running with these new shoes until these bend and mold to the condition that I desire. This tug of war of some sort has become fairly common to me. I had this tug-of-war before with myself, pushing my body to do what it does not want to do. I just do not know if my shoe is as obedient as my body. One hour and 8 km after, I limped my way back to my car. My double band-aid, already half-stripped as well as the skin it used to protect, exposing the nasty fresh wound. No skirts and exposure of ankles for now, I suppose. Even my vanity is suppressed with this exercise. Tomorrow I will try running with a much adherent band-aid. My husband warned me that the skin may darken and thicken from the constant trauma. Should that deter me from running tomorrow? Let's see which part of me will win the battle.

Building Up for Endurance

For me, the holiday is over. I need to get back in shape, not that I have totally lost it. Just a 3-pound gain which I can easily lose. The holidays gave me a lot of excuses to miss running three times a week. But today, I have decided to break in my new shoes... a Christmas gift from my husband. Yeey!

I looked at the sky and smiled. It was casted with thick clouds. Getting back to the stadium gave me a sense of coming home. There were the usual morning runners occupying the tracks. The air was cool and the occasional blowing of the wind brought a refreshing touch to my face. Wearing my new Nike plus zoom with the nike i-pod+ sensor neatly tucked in my left shoe, I began to run and pray.

I have just finished Haruku Murakami's book and a new resolution has evolved. Running has brought me a clearer perspective of my life and where God is leading me and my family. When you run in circles in a track filled with strangers with only your i-pod as your companion and you do that for an hour, you are left with nothing but your thoughts. Most of the time, these thoughts would also desert you, bored with what you are doing and you are left with nothing in your mind. The blankness and the silence is just the perfect environment that awakens the spirit within. Then you hear the Voice that whispers so softly. Then you realize why there are some runners who prefer to do long-distance running.

After an hour of running slowly on the track, I pushed 'work out completed' in my i-pod and shifted to walking. Covering a distance of 7.96km, I have awakened my slackened body to embrace the 2009 training I have set out for it to do. For week 1 of January, I need to cover 26-km broken down as follows, at least 6-km done 3x a week for Build Up and one LSD of 9k for endurance. My ultimate weekly distance target for base training is 33-km per week which I hope to achieve sometime in April.

The basis is the recommended training program for a beginner who wish to run a half-marathon and this is to run a total distance of 20-30 miles per week (32.2 - 48.3 km/ week), with a frequency of 3-4x a week for base training. From my previous weekly distance of 15-20km/week, I am building up my mileage to that of the target. This build up should be done gradually, following the rule of not greater than 2 miles/ week (3.2 km per week) or 10% of current distance whichever is greater. Every forth week, I also incorporated an Easy Week which is equivalent to 75% of the current distance being ran.

This slow build up is done in order to teach my bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons to strengthen and adapt to the distance. This build up is a sense of programming so that normal adaptation occurs and the body does not succumb to injury. Training requires a lot of patience, consistency and discipline. There is no shortcut to my half-marathon. Cramming will not work.

I ended my morning work-out with a prayer: Lord, help me to carry my crosses daily but let it be the cross that you give me and not crosses I make for myself, for Your yoke is easy and Your burden light. May I go about my business doing things Your way because Your ways are not my ways. Your ways are better than mine.

Then I hear His voice ever so faint:

"I have plans for you... plans to prosper and bless you and not harm you. Because I have come so that you may have life and have it abundantly."

My spirit expanded. A new year is ahead of me, filled with hope and so much promise. I went home to a new book waiting for its pages to be devoured... Running and Philosophy - a marathon for the mind, edited by Michael W. Austin. This is a promising companion for my build up to base training. As I discipline my body, so will I discipline my mind and soul and feed it with healthy stuff as well.

Read, Run and Write

Twenty days have gone by and this is the only time that I once more got to sit and write. The holiday rush has taken its toll. My running activity has diminished to once or twice weekly but I have increased my distance to at least 10k per run. This is not to compensate for the decrease in frequency. I just realized I liked running long slow distances more than short and fast ones.

Yesterday, I once more stepped inside Fully Booked in Serendra and inhaled that delightful scent of fresh, new books that I just love as soon as my 8-year old daughter and I entered the glass door. I was holding her small hand and instructed her to take deep breaths with me. We shared a love for books and the smell was just pure bliss. I left her at the kids' section on the second floor with my 3-year-old kid and their nannies and I went to the third floor, scanning the book shelves along the way.

Just as I turned the corner, I caught sight of this hard-bound book titled "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" by Haruki Murakami. I took it out of the bookshelf and sat on the nearby single-seater black leather sofa. As I read the first few pages, I started to get excited. I suddenly felt the urge to write. Suddenly the vision of the Moleskine flashed in my mind. I hurried to the ground floor, took one Moleskine out of the rack, looked at the price, gave out a big sigh and went straight to the cashier before I get cold feet. I have tried to write in various cheap, small notebooks before but somehow never found inspiration in them. Whether it's pure marketing or some sort of spell casted by Hemingway and other great artists to this so-called legendary notebook, the moment I sat down on the sofa again, I began to write instantaneously. Before long, I have completed what looked to be a query letter for the book that I have completed the past 3 months that I have been running.

The reason why I am so hooked into running is because of my Eureka... the discovery that all these years I've always wanted to write a book. And ever since I have done that, I felt a sense of peace and contentment like no other. It's as though I have found my place in this world. I can read, run and write the whole day, the whole week or the whole year for all I care. Everything else that truly mattered in my life became more meaningful and more significant and the things that were superfluous and superficial just lost their colors because I have found what I truly love to do. Such is the sweet discovery that I made because I took the time to run.... not to lose weight, not to stay fit., nor to compete but simply to spend more time with myself and in the process discovered more of me and my Maker.

Long, Slow Distance Runs to Prayer

Now that I am comfortable running 10 kilometers, I have decided to start with my base training. My plan is to enter a half-marathon next year, perhaps on my first year anniversary into running sometime in September-October 2009. To prepare for this, the recommended training for a beginner like me is to do base training for at least 8-12 weeks, strength training for 4-8 weeks, speed training for 4-8 weeks, and peaking/tapering for 2-14 days. But I need to adjust my training depending on when the 21k event will be. For now, I will use the 2nd International Subic Marathon on October 24, 2009 as basis of my training program because there is a 21k event listed there. I will not aim for the marathon yet because experts would advise that in order to train for a marathon, you should have been running for at least a year already, which is definitely not the case for me.

For the base training this afternoon, I started with the LSD (Long, Slow Distance). This means running at a relaxed, conversational pace lasting for at least an hour to an hour and a half. The heart rate is approximately 70-78% of your maximum heart rate. How to compute for your maximum heart rate? There are many ways:

Running for Fitness gives a formula to predict for this: For men - MHR = 214 - (0.8 x age) while for women - MHR = 209 - (0.9 x age).

If you want a more accurate way of determining your own maximum heart rate, you can do it on the track or on the treadmill. You must do your warm up first and then run at an even pace, as fast as you can. Do this for three minutes then recover by jogging for two minutes and then do the fast paced three-minute run again. Your maximum heart rate is the one taken during the second three-minute run. But please don't do this latter exercise without medical clearance especially if you are overweight or have problems with high blood pressure or hypercholesterolemia.

Anyway, it was much of an effort for me not to look at my stopwatch and note my distance because this only tempts me to increase my speed. So, I decided to enjoy the music and the cool evening air. Eventually I began to relax and to meditate. Yes, I have discovered that running is actually a form of prayer for me. While your body is busy doing the motion of running, your mind and your spirit can lift itself to heaven. I always found my running time so conducive to prayer except when I am conscious about my speed especially when am preparing for an upcoming race. But now that the race I am preparing for is still months ahead of me and I am forced to do long, slow distance (LSD) runs I am able to relax and switch to prayer mode. Running does not only refresh my body, it also refreshes my soul. LSD is the one that makes a runner addicted to running. Perhaps that is the reason behind the acronym.

Running Jargons

I guess until you've really ran your first marathon you will not be able to appreciate these jargons that I will be mentioning. But it is worth reading anyhow just in case, one of these days one of your running buddies would mention it and you would not want to be left totally in the dark. These running jargons are taken from the Complete Running Manual:

1) Bail - simply put, you dropped out of the race for a variety of reasons. You bail with composure when the reason is due to injury, illness or an emergency. You bail with embarassment when it is due to oversleeping or undertraining. You bail silently when you have diarrhea in the middle of the race.

2) Bomb - use the term when you feel you are underperforming or your personal expectations are not being met.

3) Bonk - imagine a huge rock hitting your head and creating that sound "bonk". Yup, that may just be the most appropriate term when you suddenly get depleted of energy. Most likely this is caused by hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. You should have brought a banana with you if your budget is too tight for an energy bar. Lately, I've been trying to save on grocery to accomodate extra Christmas expenditures, I had to sacrifice buying my energy drinks. To prevent bonking, I make sure I have something sweet and salty to eat after I drink my plain water. They all get mixed in the stomach anyway.

4) Bus - is when you run as a group. It can offer real support and camaraderie among yourselves but can also be a cause of irritation for other runners who want to overtake your group if you are running at a leisurely pace. Hmmn, reminds me of buses along EDSA. Totally irritating when they overtake you and then suddenly swerve and block you to unload a passenger.

5) In the zone - when you are at your best performance and everything is just as how you predicted your run to be. This is opium for the runner.

6) PB - never forget this jargon... your "personal best" because even if you finished last in the race, if you finished earlier than your previous race, it is still a cause for celebration. At least this time, you were not picked up by the sweeper anymore. (That's the special vehicle assigned to pick up runners who have gone beyond the decent time and are causing undue traffic and annoyance to the other motorists). PW is personal worst. Remove that in your vocabulary. Unless your PW is your enemy's personal best. You can freely brag about it then.

7) Split/negative split. - this pertains to the time you have covered between markers in a race. When you run faster after the designated marker, then you have a negative split.

8) Ultra - not the stadium in Pasig. In the runner's lingo, this means longer than the usual marathon distance (42 km or 26 miles). If it is 80 km or 100 km, then it is an ultramarathon. It's funny that for non-runners, a marathon is being used interchangeably with the word "race" even if it was just a 100-meter sprint. When I was new to running, I thought that too. Then when I started reading about running, I soon realized how terribly ignorant I have been. So now, whenever my friends would say that I just completed a marathon when in fact, I only joined a 5-km or 10-km race, I'd gracefully correct them. But I claim it in my mind at the same time. As much as running is a very physical activity, it is even more a mental activity.

Sports Experts

I am now reading about injuries again but this time from the Complete Running Manual. I like this book because it gives detailed but simplified explanation of basic topics on running.

Did you know that there are actually many sports experts with different specialization? There's the sports physician who is what you may refer to as the "general practitioner in sports". He can refer you to the right specialist after he assesses your problem. The physiotherapists are those who specializes on muscles and bone movements involving joints and spines. They can give therapy using various modalities such as ultrasound, massage, electrotherapy and the like. Locally, they are the physical therapists. No, they are not your regular masseaus at the spa. They've earned a bachelor of science degree in physical therapy and are licensed under the professional regulations commissions. The osteopaths are also trained in the anatomy and physiology of the musculoskeletal system but their focus is on the body's self-healing capacity. So they create a state of balance by touch and pressure. I just do not know if we can categorize our local "manghihilot" under this category. What about the chiropractor? They seem to function like the osteopaths but with more focus on the limb and spine and easing fluidity of movement in these areas. The biokineticists are those who will analyze a runner's move and relate it to how it can potentially cause injury. They can prescribe a training program to correct any muscle imbalances. The posture therapist on the other hand cuts the yellow pages of a telephone directory into wedges and puts it in the shoes of the patient to balance uneven posture. Hmmn, sounds weird to me. The orthopedic surgeon is the specialist who you want to avoid as a runner because he can charge you expensively and his treatment is really invasive. Recovery from his treatment is also long. And to avoid him, you should consult the earlier specialists that I have mentioned if you think you have a minor injury that is not relieved by the usual RICE self-treatment (rest, ice, compression and elevation). Oh, before I forget, there is one more specialist that I have not mentioned. It is the podiatrist. Contrary to what my husband suggested that this is a specialist closely related to the OB-gynecologists because of how the name sounds (my eyes are rolling), the podiatrists focus on the feet and foot-related conditions such as overpronation and supination and other biomechanics which may require the use of orthotics (those special foot accessories that may be inserted in the shoes, but not the yellow classified ads used by the posture therapists). There are many podiatrists in the US but I do not know of anyone in the Philippines. Perhaps I should get a special training for this particular specialty. It's good to diversify into something which you are particularly interested in, i.e. the foot of a runner.... not that other like-sounding part.

Have You Heard of Fartlek?

Does the word 'Fartlek' sound familiar to you or is it totally foreign? I can't blame you if you answered... 'totally foreign' because it is actually a Swedish word. What does it stands for?

If you've heard about intervals for speed then this concept is just related. When you do speed training and you do it in intervals, you follow a more structured course. This means you run as fast as you can at your planned distance, say 200-400 meters then you follow it up with a fixed recovery time, say 1-2km. You do this for a couple of repeats according to your speed training plan.

As for Fartlek, it is a much more flexible and fun way of doing speed training. There is no fixed interval of speed and recovery runs. Instead the speed runs is determined randomly. For instance, if you're running in an oval track, you will decide to run your fast pace whenever you pass by Mr. Grandpa Walker and return to recovery runs when you pass by him again. If you are running in a subdivision, you will decide to run fast whenever you pass by a red gate then proceed to recovery runs when you pass by a brown gate. You create your own rules to determine when to do your speedwork and when to do recovery runs. This adds excitement and variety to your runs. Try it!

Hill Training

I enjoyed the UNICEF run yesterday though we had quite a panicky start. We left the house rather late, 5:15 a.m. thinking that we would arrive on the site just in time. We did not anticipate that we would miss a road turn thereby spending additional minutes trying to find our way to McKinley Hill. And when we finally arrived in the area, further confusion ensued as we looked for the parking space. And when we finally got into the parking building, we had to run to the start line as this was still a couple of meters from the parking area. It was our first time to run in a race where the start off point is not in the vicinity of high street of The Fort so there was much disorientation for us. As soon as we arrived in the start line, the signal for the 10-km run just went off. I had to push my husband to join the group as he was not sure if he still needs to look for the man with a marker to mark his number off. There was no time to warm up nor to stretch. Five minutes after, the 5-km event started. The challenge was of course the hilly terrain of McKinley Hills. Since I did not really prepare for this, I am feeling a bit sore today though I just covered my usual 5-km run yesterday.

I figured that it is really essential to include uphill/downhill training in your weekly runs not just to prepare yourself for runs to McKinley hill or the flyover at Buendia, but because it is a very effective way of building your leg strength. Consequently leg strength can be transmitted to improvement in endurance and speed. From the Complete Running Manual, the recommended frequency is once or twice a week. However, there must be a day of flat running in between hill trainings in order to allow for recovery.

The way a hill repeat is described, you need to find a hill that is 400-600 meters long or a 100-200 meter steeper incline. You have to warm up for 15 minutes first before you tackle the hill. When tackling the hill, you run uphill in a fast, steady pace then slowly run or walk downhill. You have to maintain a form wherein your body is leaning into the incline and you can use your arms to pump yourself uphill. You do this 5 times then finish your hill training with a slow easy run. And the most important thing, do your stretches after your training because hillwork tends to shorten your muscles.

Keeping a Running Diary

My husband's running diary is his Nike+ kit, a small gadget which he puts on his shoes and is linked to his i-pod. This records his distance and his speed as he runs. He conveniently uploads his mileage to his PC at the end of his run and he is able to maintain a running log. As for me, since I just have an i-pod nuno (my MP4 player which resembles an i-pod nano in appearance) and am still waiting for my Nike+ kit December present, I am currently doing my training logs manually. I have this neat little notebook which serves as my running diary.

Keeping a training log is very helpful because you will be able to see patterns in your running and from there will be able to make adjustments for improvement. So what should be included in your training log so that it will provide you with the most information?

Basic information will include the date, length of the run, time you finished the run, your route and its description (if it is on flat oval track, hilly forest track, urban pavement, etc) , time of day, and weather conditions. The Complete Guide to Endurance Training has record sheets for an entire week and at the end of the week, a weekly summary can be done. The record sheets cover additional information like the feeling after the run, the benefit, nutrition, sleep, aim, intensity and other comments. Other books would also recommend taking note of your morning weight as well as your resting heart rate, average heart rate and maximum heart rate. The latter would require a heart rate monitor while you run. But you can also detect your heart rate manually, though it can be quite challenging while you run. Just feel for your pulse just below the angle of your jaw and count it using your stopwatch. No need to do a entire minute. Six seconds will do and this will provide you with a rough estimate of your heart rate. Multiply the heart rate taken in six seconds by 10 and you get your heart rate in beats per minute. Just a reminder though, do not rub your carotid pulse vigorously as this can lead to the immediate slowing of your heart rate which may cause you to feel dizzy and faint. This is what we call the carotid massage and we only employ this in emergency situations when a patient experiences severe sinus tachycardia.

Blister on my Foot!

I recalled my husband complaining about having a blister during the 10-km King of the Road Race which caused him to suffer on his last few kilometers to the finish line. The culprit, his thin socks!

A blister can be pretty nasty and painful. This is caused by pressure and friction which is exacerbated by moisture from water or sweat. How to prevent having a blister? Know which part of your feet is most prone to it so you will know what caused it. If it is thin socks, better invest in thicker once. Some books would advise wearing a thin sock under a thick sock. This would put the friction between the two socks instead of your feet with your socks. If the cause of the blister is an ill-fitting shoe, better buy a new pair which provides a snug fit and does not allow too much sliding of your toes inside your shoes. Others apply band-aid or plaster on the areas most prone to blistering.

What to do with your blisters? If it is small, ignore it. It usually heals by itself. If it is huge and painful, you can ease the pressure by pricking it with a sterile needle. Use alcohol to sterilize the needle, release the fluid from the blister and leave the skin on. Apply an antiseptic and cover it with sterile gauze. Keep the site clean and dry and always observe for any signs of infection like redness and swelling.

Running with a Stitch?

Remember that painful discomfort just under your ribcage? That is what you call the stitch. When we were still kids, I'd often hear adults warn us not to run right after a meal because we would get an "appendix" (a term commonly used to mean appendicitis). Of course, we never heeded the advise of the adults and would still proceed on running and then one of us would suddenly come crouched down with a stitch and he would be shouting, "I have an appendix!" Of course, he has an appendix. All human beings have an appendix unless you've gone through the surgical removal called appendectomy.

Anyway, we all knew that the stitch does fade away with rest and did not warrant any surgical intervention. It is just interesting to note that the actual physiology of a stitch is actually caused by spasm of the diaphragm. I never really encountered that in medical school. Perhaps it was too benign to be included in our discussions. But for a runner, this can be detrimental especially if it hits you when you are crucially competing and nearing the end of the race. So what can you possibly do about it? The Complete Running Manual advises that you take in deep breaths with your chest and stomach and blow it out deeply as well using your abdomen. If this does not work, you can raise your arms above your head and slow down to a walk. If still this does not work, you may press through the stitch with your fingers which may bring temporary relief. But it does go away in time and definitely it is not your appendix that's causing the problem.

Fine-tuning Running

I've missed blogging. The business has occupied me the past few weeks, I did not have time to write. Just glad I was still able to run thrice last week. The other week, when I was only able to run once and did an 8-km, I felt lousy. So this time, no more compromises. I will stick to my thrice a week routine and improve from there.

I have also concentrated on reading financial books lately that it was only by sheer chance that I picked up the Complete Running Manual again when I misplaced the financial book I was currently reading. Am so glad I did because I came across the section on Perfecting Running Style.

It is interesting to note that there is a difference between foot strikes of walkers and runners. The walkers hit the ground with the entire heel then rolls from heel to toes as they move whereas the runners, if you want a perfect form should "strike the ground with the outer edge of the heel, roll through the outer midfoot, then gently pronate through the forefoot to the big toe, which pushes off from the ground." I had to lift that out of the page since it was difficult paraphrasing the foot movement. Anyway, though many runners would differ in their movements, such basic principles may improve running performance.

So what are the other recommended stance? An upright posture, with open chest and shoulders at the back and not hunched forward is ideal. There is a slight forward lean and the hands are bent at roughly 90 degrees at the elbow and swinging in a relaxed way. It is also advised that arms should not move across the chest as this is energy-expending.

What about the stride? I always thought I must lengthen my strides in order to move faster ahead. No wonder my training log revealed slower, tiring runs lately. Shorter, lighter steps actually is less traumatic to your body and is more efficient. The way to determine if you are not over-striding is to look at your lower leg which should not extend out in front of your body. Your feet must remain under your body if you want to avoid injuries to your hamstrings and quadriceps. This way, you will also prevent bobbing up and down which also uses too much energy. Just remember, smaller steps close to the ground is the way to go...

Photo courtesy of: www.performancetrainingsystems.com

My Foot Type?

I wrote something about runners who are pronator, supinator and neutral in one of my previous blogs and a friend of mine still admitted being unable to totally comprehend the whole concept.

Then I got to read about this once again in The Complete Running Manual and learned a more practical way of finding out if you are a pronator, supinator or neutral.

Go to your bathroom, wet your feet and then leave an imprint on your bathmat. I have a bathmat which has the fabric of a bath towel just like those that you find in five-star hotels. Don't think I bought it for a fortune at Rustan's though or somewhere like Bed, Bath and Beyond. I bought these inexpensive bathmats from Puregold for less than P150. Anyway, before I get sidetracked, let me get back to the foot imprint. With your wet feet, leave an imprint on your bathmat and check from the images above which one resembles your imprint the most. The one on the extreme left is a pronator. The one in the middle is a neutral and the one on the extreme right is a supinator. Easy does it!

Now, let me get back to Puregold... my friend recently told me that they sell sports drinks there in packs at a discount. So you might want to drop by that big store one of these days. I have to stop making all these Puregold endorsements though before I get tagged as a discountrunner. But just between us, I don't mind being branded as one. The only thing that you can't make me buy is a P900 Nike-imitation at Greenhills. I am telling you, you may save a lot from that running shoes but getting an injury because of improper footwear will cost you more in rehabilitation or surgery.

The Ultramarathon Man

My husband and I went to R.O.X. Tuesday night to register for the UNICEF Walk on the Child's Side 2008. For the first time, we also registered other family members like my 8-year old daughter, my mother-in-law, my aunt and her son for the 2-km Walk. When I went to the Backpacker's area, I once again saw the book The Ultramarathon Man and urged my husband that we pass by Fully Booked to look for this particular book. We were to leave for Cagayan de Oro for a business meeting the next day and I wanted to have a reading material which will occupy me during the plane ride.

Fortunately, I found one copy of this book at Fully Booked. It was a such a lucky find. This is a one-of-a-kind book on running and will really inspire you to do more than what you are doing now. It opens your mind to your vast possibilities and potentials. It is just amazing. The one and a half plane ride passed by so quickly as I was caught up by the adventures of ultramarathonman Dean Karnazes. When we landed in CDO, I spent the short rest time in the hotel covering some more of the pages of this funny, heart-stopping and very inspiring book. After lunch, the business meeting 'interfered' with my reading and I was only able to pick up the book again to cover the final few pages after midnight when our hosts drove us back to the hotel. I still had a couple of minutes left while waiting for my turn to use the bathroom. What I missed in running, being unable to run for these past 3 days, I completely made up for with reading. I was able to finish the 292-paged book in just a few hours which I think, makes me an ultramarathon reader.

One of my favorite part in the book was when Dean participated in the California State Long-Distance Championship in junior high and won the race. When his coach-mentor asked him 'How'd it feel?' and he answered, 'going out hard was the right thing to do. It felt pretty good.' The reply of the coach-mentor was a simple, 'If it felt good, you didn't push hard enough. It's supposed to hurt like hell.' When I read out this part to my husband, he commented, "Sounds more like a tormentor than a mentor to me." ha, ha, ha. I just love the book! Now, my next book stop is the Complete Running Manual by Marielle Renssen. Expect to get some running nuggets from this reference in the next coming days.

How I Have Transformed from a Non-Runner to a Runner

The Isuzu Fun Run last night was one of a kind. Though it was drizzling at the beginning, the skies cleared up to accommodate the racers who were in costumes. It was fun running with angels, fairies, cows and chicken. I just got confused with the number of rounds that I had to do to complete the race. I thought I still needed to do another round and was pleasantly surprised to be informed that I have already completed the race. Though we ran for the 5-km event, my husband told me that the actual distance that we covered with our four rounds was actually 6.4 km. At least that explained in part why my time was much longer compared to that of the Octoberun Fest last Sunday.

I can't help but reminisce and look back on that day when I decided that I will take on running. That was 11 weeks ago. From a non-runner who was only able to run 200 meters of that 10-km Miracle Run event and walked the remaining distance, I can now run a 5-km event without stopping for a drink or a walk. There is something about such an experience that only someone who underwent what I have gone through would understand. I have the Podrunner Interval 1st Day to 5-km program to thank for. Just being patient with myself and closely following the weekly program saw me through the graduation mixes after 9 weeks of training.

When I saw this book, the Ultramarathon Man: The Confessions of an All-Night Runner and read its first two chapters, I realized that a huge transformation has happened in me these past weeks. It was unbelievable that I can now relate to the inner life of a runner. Indeed there are subtle differences between a jogger, a racer and a runner. I am not a jogger because I do not look at running as a form of exercise or a way to lose weight. I am simply a running addict. I race not to win but to evaluate my performance. It is something that breaks the routine of running and a device that helps me plan my next training program. Now I shall start with the Gateway to 8-km and delve more on different training programs to improve ones performance.

Running teaches you not to be satisfied with what you have accomplished but to continue on searching for challenges and overcome your weaknesses. It will teach you to celebrate your personal victories and unravel your potentials. Running is to the human spirit as fire is to gold. It serves to purify and strengthen. It exposes and reveals. In the end, it pushes you to soar beyond your limits. I am no longer quoting from some books I have read because you see, running has unlocked the writer in me.