Performance Review: My Fallible Running Mentality

Here We Go!! (Photo Courtesy of Photovendo.ph)

Wow! Sobrang Daming Runners!

Where am I?

A Photo of me (Bib #3191) approaching the Finish Line (from Photovendo)

Are we there yet?

Are we there yet?

Oops.. I'm going Right.. ;)

Season 2: The Road To Boston

Chapter 2. Road Work
2.10 A Performance Review: My Fallible Running Mentality

We end Chapter 2 of our Race to Boston running season with a performance review of the recently concluded Globe Run for Home 2010. I already have celebrated and enjoyed my winning moments. I have spent all of my cash prize already. It's about time to look back and analyze what went wrong and what went smoothly. What can we carry over to the next phase of our training? What can we improve on? What have I learned?

My Bad:

1. At top speed, I kept asking subconsciously.. Until when can I keep up this speed?

How many times have you heard the cliche "Break it down into smaller pieces."? It works. You have a huge problem, you just break the problem down into smaller sub problems until it becomes manageable. Otherwise, you get overwhelmed by the hugeness of the problem.

Instead of breaking down the 10K race into smaller segments,  I kept thinking of the huge 10K problem and how I would finish it under 40 minutes. At top speed, my focus was not dedicated to the kilometer at hand. My focus was the huge task of finishing the 10K in sub-40.

And I was overwhelmed by that thought when I was on my third kilometer and climbing up the Kalayaan flyover. Instead of marching on and conquering that segment of the race, my mind was like "Would I still finish this race in 40 with this uphill flyover"? Logically, I would slow down because of the difficulties presented by the race route going through that flyover. But my mindset was not logical at all. Mentally, my goal was defeated in that stretch of the race. I placed myself in an inevitable mental breakdown.

2. I was mentally devastated when I was overtaken and I had no answer.

So I was giving up on the sub-40 goal while climbing up the Kalayaan flyover on the 3rd kilometer mark. My legs were heavier. My lungs would explode. Little by little on each step of the uphill climb, I was getting out of control both physically and mentally.

But why? I chased about ten to twenty runners from gun start up to the foot of the flyover and claimed the Men's 2nd place position. I was 4th overall with the top two girls just about ten meters ahead of me. I should be more motivated to keep the chase right?

But not. When I was overtaken by Mr. Marc De Mesa on the flyover climb, I had no answer and I was rattled. I did not just gave up the sub-40 goal, I also let the 2nd position slip away. I was a bit weak mentally. I lacked the composure to just keep on going and rise to the challenge.

Whatever the reason is, I know I slowed down even more when I got overtaken on that flyover climb.

3. Untied shoelaces.

It's funny how I reminded Chris, a newbie racer, to tie his shoelace and his timing chip tight and steady. Yet it was me who got a shoelace untied. It was the left shoes where I placed the timing chip.

I really have no excuse for this one. From the flyover until I reached the chip sensor on the halfway mark of the race, I was running with a dangling shoelace and timing chip. It was bad enough that I got to surrender my sub-40 goal early. Worse when I got overtaken for the second position. And now I have to worry about my shoelaces.

4. I did not stop to drink and consume my Powerade effectively. I was still running and I choked.

Here comes another failure. I was not thinking smart enough on the race.

I was a bit thirsty. So I grabbed a cup of Powerade at the hydration station. But not wanting to lose any crucial tick of the clock upon drinking my cup of thirst quencher, I ran with the cup. And the liquid was shaking crazy like a tidal wave inside the cup.

I forced myself to drink it while running fast. And I choked.

It happened twice actually. Was I smart? Not only was I mentally weak, I was worse than a fool. Not funny.

5. Lack of Speed Endurance. I was strong enough on 5Kilometers. Not strong enough on 10Ks.

With all the above mini problems, this is the root cause. I doubted myself if I could sustain my 4:00 min/km pace for the duration of the race. I really had no 10K Tempo training to bolster my confidence that a sub-40 is really doable. And so the doubt.

And that doubt was magnified by the flyover. Never mind my speed from the starting line up to the foot of the flyover. Never mind my current position and the nearness of the leading runners at that point of the race. In my own mind, I was not that sure I could hold my speed for the full 10 kilometers. When Marc overtook me, the magnified doubt became a disbelief. I could no longer keep up to my goals.

But that's during the race. It should be much different now when I'm back to training. I should crash that doubt on training runs and come to my future races fully prepared mentally and physically. Sustaining my top speed for 10K and beyond must now be a crucial part of my preparations.


My Good:

1. Knowing I only had two kilometers more to go.. I stepped on the gas.

At the top of the Kalayaan flyover going back to Makati, I had the sense of urgency to at least redeem myself. I wished I had that mentality right from the start. To just go and play and run hard and have fun. Just run the race like my usual training run.

Nearing the end of the 10K race, whatever energy left within should be laid all on the line. Let everything all out. I watched Joshua Clottey fought Manny Pacquiao on several replays. I have downloaded the HBO copy of that boxing fight. Why did Clottey lost a one-sided decision? Not just Manny fought a brilliant fight. It's also because Joshua never really gave himself a chance to take the championship away from Manny. Lesson learned.. Just lay it all on the line and give yourself a chance to show what you're made of.

When I stepped on the gas and headed to the finish line, I just had one goal in mind. Go home fighting and possibly with a victory. With just a few kilometers away from the end, I found the focus I needed and give it my all.

2. Fast strides. The rhythm was memorized by my body even when fatigued.

Mentally, I was a little weak. Physically, I was getting tired and my legs were getting heavy. Luckily for me, my legs seem to remember the rhythm of my strides. Tired and all, my legs already knew when to step with the left and when with the right. The rate almost does not change.

Contrast that with power running. Previously, I put a lot of emphasis on leg power for my strides. Not stride rate. But the power on each stride to move the leg faster and to stride a little bit longer like power sprinting. Without much power, stride rate suffer.

After training with faster stride frequency, I was still fast enough even when tired and fatigued. The legs move almost automatically following the rhythm. I don't know.. I just feel it that way. Even on my easy runs after the Globe race, I can't slow down below 4:50 min/km. My feet just have it's own rhythm now.

3. Speed Control. I knew I could run faster but I chose to be conservative..

Maybe much more conservative than I needed to.

4. Heart and Competitiveness.

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. Yeah, I know I stumbled on past the 3rd, 4th and then 5th kilometer of the race. But I did not dwell on that fallible mentality. Halfway through the race and beyond, I had the heart to fight on and give a good fight.

It was not that easy though. When the two of us were battling for the third place, nobody wanted to give the other enough distance to take that third position. It was still a good 4 kilometers from the finish line, so I can't surge and then crash after. I needed to sustain a fast speed to compete. And when he tries to get ahead, I accelerate and won't let him achieve much separation. And by doing that, I was digging a little too deep on my energy reserves. I was feeling more tired but I just can't give up.

When we reached Kalayaan and he is still on my side.. I decided to make a move for the solo third. I would test his will and his energy. Could he still accelerate if I step on the gas? And so I made that move.

My first 4 kilometers were a little under 17 minutes. I reached the 5K mark in 22:16 minutes.
My last 4 kilometers were better, just a little over 16 minutes. I managed to will myself for a negative split and a strong finish. A little weak minded on the middle part of the race, yes. Thankfully though, I found the heart to compete when it mattered most.

5. Able to prepare myself for pacing, strategy and terrain.

Maybe not long enough to prepare for the 4:00 pace all throughout. But when it's all said and done, I believe I was strong enough to muster the 10K race route. Planning is half the battle. Preparations do play a huge role.

It wasn't perfect though. But good enough. The first 3 kilometers was covered at a fast controlled pace. The slow down on the Kalayaan flyover climb was expected. The last 4 kilometers of the race was ran at a very competitive fast pace.  

I also had a good and effective taper a few days before the race. Tapering is about maintaining fitness while allowing your body to recover from months of hard training. On the last week of my training, I only had the following runs: Easy runs on Tuesday morning and evening, and then a 10K easy run on Thursday morning. After these runs, I just decided to rest and let my legs be fresh on race day.

True enough, I was able to finish the last 4 kilometers of the race close to my top speed.

6. Good form. Arm Swing. Running tall. Forefoot strike.

See Applied Sprinting Techniques.

7. Gained Experience.

Each race I have joined this year has actually taught me something. This time around, the lessons are mostly mental. And like the previous lessons, they could only make me better for the future races. The important thing to do is to keep on gathering data and experiences, see what worked and what did not, and then move on to be a better runner.


Race Results

 Click Image for a Much Better View. ;)

• View Globe 10K Official Race Results 
• View Runpix Race Analysis for all Distance Categories (3/5/10/15/21K)

2009 vs 2010

I am very pleased with this Runpix Race Analysis.. I can compare my Globe 10K Race 2009 with the Globe 10K 2010 edition.

2009
Bib: 3560 (10K Event)
Date: 19 July 2009
Gun Time: 53:42
Chip Time: 52:42
Rank on Entire Field: 75th / 1232
Rank on Gender: 67th / 862
Rank on Age Group (Male 20-29): 24th / 277

2010
Bib: 3191 (10K Event)
Date: 21 March 2010
Gun Time: 43:55
Chip Time: 43:49
Rank on Entire Field: 5th / 1440
Rank on Gender: 3rd / 1007
Rank on Age Group (Male 25-29): 1st / 236

Next Up..  we begin with Chapter 3: Training for the Milo Marathon.

Globe 10K: Tale of a Podium Finish

Winner's Verification

The race was all over and another one was just starting. I was fighting for the 3rd place on the Winner's Verification booth of the Globe Run for Home race event. Why did I end up there? Long story.

Anyways, I was there. A little young guy in his early twenties assisted me and made me follow him back to the finish line where the race organizers took charge of giving out the Winners IDs to the top three winners for each race categories (gender and race distance).

S'ya daw yung third sa 10K (He claims he was third on the 10K). And I never really liked the tone of his voice which was somewhat both doubtful and accusing.

The manual list says I was 4th. It was listed by a girl on the finish line who waits for the top 10 fastest guys for each category and records their names on a sheet of paper. Somebody else was listed third. I knew I was third for I held that spot from the 3rd kilometer up to the finish line. So I just wanted to verify if I was really 4th as the manual list says or I was 3rd as I knew I should be.

They checked the chip times on their database and printed the Top 3 Finishers for each race category for the awarding ceremony. I waited until they checked for the Men's 10K. And a guy manning the race records on a laptop looked at me and smiled.. Yes you are 3rd!

Waiting For the Awarding

My running friends and I were gathered near the stage waiting for the awarding ceremony. They were happy for me and I was so delighted to have won. My first ever top 3 finish.

Then the gorgeous Reema Chanco called the winners names to go to the Winner's Verification booth just beside the stage for the awarding ceremony. I tapped my running friends' hands just before I went there. Thank you guys for staying with me until this time of the day when most other runners have just gone home and probably taking their breakfast or have gone back to sleep to rest and recover.

There at the back of the stage, I talked with some of the winning runners. I met the 5K Winners and the 10K 2nd finisher. We shared our stories. We laughed together and expressed our joy and happiness. It was a glorious moment. A whole new experience. Something I want to experience again. Something I know I have to work hard to re-experience. It was magical, unbelievable, superb feeling.

I was like talking and daydreaming at the same time. It might never happen again. So I might as well enjoy it for as long as I possibly could.

The 5K champion won it in 17 minutes. He said he was thankful the much faster guys were not there on the field. He told us how he finished another 5K race last week at almost the same time as his winning time today. And yet only finished that race on 12th place. I feel the same way. Against elite competition, I would not be here right now. We were just lucky to have this opportunity. And maybe we all deserve this after all, because we fully took the chance and did our very best.

The 5K second placer was a bit more jolly and much more excited talking about his running experiences. He said the first time he raced on a Barangay Level, he was mocked by his friends. He was told he would never win a race (Tanga! Hindi ka mananalo!). He was a construction worker once upon a time and also a janitor. He loves to run though. And by looking at his old torn shoes, I bet he has been running a lot and been using that pair of shoes for the longest time. It might have been his first shoes ever. I believe he is just on his early to mid twenties. He told us how he tried to chase the champion but saw the gap between them only to become longer and longer. He finished his 5K in about 19 minutes.

Then the 10K second place finisher came. I remembered his face all too well. Not just because he overtook me from the 3rd kilometer and never relinquished the 2nd spot from then on. But because I also competed with him a week before on the Pocari Sweat Fun Run. He was 7th. I was 6th. Today though, he beat me by a 2-minute margin. He is in his mid thirties I believe. He has very strong legs and very bulky arms and shoulders. He does not have the runner's lean body type. He runs more with power than with efficient running strides. He told me he has been running since he was in high school. And that he often registers for races on foot! He usually trains at the running grounds around Mall of Asia and at The Fort. To register for race events, he would just don his running suit and shoes and stride to the registration areas usually in Makati or in Taguig. He trains a lot. He should have been in the 21K race but the registration for that category has already been closed. I told him it turned out for the better, he won!

The 10K champion said he was looking all over from the start of the race for the faster guys and found none. He finished it in 40 or 41 minutes. He led the 10K runners from start to finish. He was lean and he looks every inch a fast running guy. We all ran the 10K distance but against the hilly and treacherous Kalayaan flyover and the 500 or so meters in excess of 10 kilometers.. I believe his time is truly competitive enough on the 10K distance. He would have finished an exact 10K race on a flat route in about 36 to 37 minutes.

Talking with these runners was all worth the wait. Winning is not everything. It is just a happy treat and a great reward for those runners who work so hard and train so hard for what they like to do - their chosen sport. We won, yes. I think we all know we were not really the best there is.. But this day, on this race.. We just happened to be the most hardworking runners who just kept running and kept running until the finish line.

My First Ever on a Race Awarding Ceremony and Receiving a Huge Check

We waited for the awarding at the back of the stage. Lots of people cheering and clapping. I received a huge P3000 check. I was all smiles in front of the cameras. Moments like this does not come every so often. Might as well enjoy my moments.

I even remembered giving a thumbs up on stage while looking at my running friends Athan, Aiyan and Jir. Yehey! Just unbelievably unexpected. I received P3000 cash prize, a P2590-worth Timex Ironman watch, a Globe backpack, a Habitat for Humanity black cap, Alaska milk loot bag and a complimentary certificate worth P850 for an Athlete's Massage from Blue Water Spa. Yehey again!!

I was also interviewed for the globe.com.ph/run/ video streaming. I was asked my name, my finish time, my usual 10K time, the race beneficiaries if I was aware, how would I spend the cash prize and if I ever expected a win. I did not get her name but she was pretty, very professional and fun to talk to. The interview went smooth and though I was sweating and felt the sun's heat all over my face, I was not nervous at all. Just happy to talk about running that day. (Check it out on 2:10 - 2:11 hours part of the Race Video.)

I treated my running friends who waited and supported me during the winner's verification, the awarding ceremony and the queueing for the cash prize. They waited for a long long time so they deserved the breakfast treat. And that was my first Win so we did celebrate. Yahooo!

How did I spend the P3000 cash prize? First, our group's McDo breakfast. Next, it was my hon's birthday. I bought her a birthday cake, a teddy bear with three red roses and a simple sign that reads I Love You. Thank you for all the support as always. Happy happy birthday!

Neriz, the birthday girl, with my birthday gift

Run for Home Ramblings

"Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare."  – Japanese proverb

The Event

I could not help but be all psyched up and emotional leading to the upcoming Globe race this Sunday. In many ways than one, this race is an all important milestone of my second running season. This is it. It is fast approaching and it makes my heart stomp like an elephant.

First up on my ramblings.. The Preparations. When I took a long slumber from running, having a bad right knee after my maiden marathon last year, I took all the time to retreat and rethink. What would I do to come back stronger? What would I want to achieve in running? What would take me to the next level? What would motivate me to keep my legs on the road under the heat of the sun and over the hills and flyovers and bridges?

I came up with my dream Boston Marathon. There's no other way around my fears of another running related injury but facing it and planning to get better. And there's no other more thrilling and more demanding for me than taking little steps to tackle and hopefully qualify and run the prestigious Boston Marathon.

I filled my proverbial drawing board with plans and strategies. With obstacles and limitations. And with all that, I finally am back to running and road racing in 2010 with one single vision - Boston!

The Boston Qualifier Plan

How does the Globe race relate to Boston then?

We will use a 10K race to gauge our future performance on the Milo Marathon Eliminations this coming July. Doing that, we will hit three birds in one stone.

1. We will gradually train for the Milo Marathon by preparing for a 10K race first. Gradual training will help us build our running mileage. No rush, no injuries.
2. We will be able to predict our future marathon performance much earlier than actually running a marathon. Thus, we could adjust and improve as early as possible. If we meet the target finish time, great. We will just continue with our training methods. If not, then we need to reevaluate and rethink our methods.
3. A 10K race should help us improve our speed. That's a major boost to our qualifying chances. In short, we will be doing lots of speed training first before we jump on to our full marathon training.

So from January 1 up to March 18, I was in training mode for the Globe 10K race. I had this race marked on my 2010 calendar as early as December of 2009. I was locked up and focused on conquering this particular race. This is one of my major stepping stones to Boston.

My Training Log says I had run 358.5 kilometers this year. 27 Strength Training sessions and worked my core muscles for 19 different times since the first day of 2010. Looking at my Speed Table since Day 1, I can't help but bit my lips and utter This is all I've been waiting for.

The 10K Training Plan

I did my homework. My road work has been tough, tiring, tedious and tactical. I covered all my thoughts and plans for a sub-40 10K in Chapter 2.2 A Turbo-Injected 10K Race Plan.

Boy was it tough?! For so many early mornings, I remembered myself standing up while still half asleep. Or in my hometown in Cavite where I just had to keep running for kilometers and kilometers of long runs. Or in Velazquez Park where I was really running like crazy to record my fastest 400s and 800s. Or in races where I was all out and done only to find the heart and the courage to keep running and keep my Boston dream alive. It was never easy even with those so called Easy Runs.

But Oh Boy was I having fun? When I first ran this year, I was screaming and thanking God for healing my injuries last year. I'm back. I'm really back. I love the sweat and I love the road and I love just being myself and doing my stuff and being someone I really am. At the road running, I feel like I'm the king of myself. Nothing's complicated. Nothing's too hard. Everything's so simple. I have a full grasp of who I am and what is life.

I celebrated when I got my sub-20 5K at the race and then once again on a Tempo training run. I was telling and narrating to Nerissa how I was so happy to break that barrier. And we shared the triumphs. I want to have those smiles and hugs and celebrations and stories after my sub-40 Globe 10K race. I could just feel it under my feet and I could see it in my eyes. I had that vision and come Sunday's race.. It's all coming down into fruition. I just can't wait.

a.k.a. Suicides

1. 8x400 (400m recoveries)
2. 6x800 (400m and 200m recoveries)
3. 5x1K (200m recoveries)

They call them Interval Runs. After I did run them, I might as well call them Suicidal Runs.. Suicides. I love running with the speed and feels like The Flash from the Marvel cartoon series. But those were the 400s. When I did the 800s and the 1000s, it got a lot tougher. And tough may not really be descriptive enough of this punishing workout run. I would gladly admit that I really not am The Flash, I'm nothing like him in terms of speed. If only that admittance would relieve me of all the physical sprinting punishments.

I remember a dear friend named Katherine and simply called Kage. She used to always say What does not kill you only makes you stronger. And Suicides are just that. It tries to often kill me in training.. and though it only failed by a narrow margin.. it does makes me stronger.. and a lot faster too.

How? First, as was told by the more scientifically inclined men.. High intensity intervals raise our maximum oxygen threshold higher. It increase our anaerobic capacity. For us laymen, the interval runs make us adapt to high speed running longer than the untrained runners. So even though my stomach turns upside down after my last interval split, at the end of the day.. I just got faster than I was prior to the interval training session.

Second, the longer interval runs (800s and 1000s) do pushed me to my cardiovascular limits. They do leave me with an empty tank after a few minutes of running in full speed. It is crazy. Insane maybe. But Suicides did teach me one important thing about sprint running - speed control. After the 400s, the 800s and the 1000s demanded a lot more from my lungs and legs. At my first 800s, I gave up. I could not run at full speed for the entire 800 meters.

And that was the key. Failure leads to drawing solutions. And the next time I did the 800s and 1000s, I knew how to conserve my energy and control my speed and still be able to run my fastest interval splits. The suicides taught me a valuable lesson about energy conservation. After the 400s taught me about my top speed, the Suicides taught me to control them.

What really is control? I believe it is about knowing your full (100%) speed limit and going at about 85-90% of it which is the sustainable speed over long distances. I learned that painfully after consecutive unfinished and failed attempts to conquer my 800s at full speed.

Third and last, Suicides taught me to run efficiently. Speed is only about half of long distance running. Stamina and strength fill the other half. As we already know, we could only generate limited strength and power. Our energy aint bottomless. We have our own different energy thresholds and so we get fatigued and tired and stop and crash. To help slow down fatigue and run longer at our top speed, we must efficiently unleash our energy. Use as little of it as possible in every stride so we could sustain our top speed over much longer distances (See Applied Sprinting Techniques for more about running efficiency).

Tempo Run: Our Expense-Free Road Race

With road races getting more and more expensive these days, I appreciate Tempo training runs more and more. Tempo runs are my wallet's best friends. And they keep me sharp too.

Jir and I train together and I run with him around Velazquez Park for 3 kilometers. He finds the 5:00 min/km his current speed limit for that distance. And I do race with him at this pace so he could be familiar with the speed and adapt it on race day.

On my own morning Tempo runs, I do 3Ks in 3:59 min/km pace. And later on, as I get more comfortable with the pace, I did 5Ks in 3:59 pace. It's almost as hard as the Suicides since I get to run much longer with no recoveries. But that's how races are suppose to be right? No timeouts.

The Race: Did We Meet the Target?

Pre-Flyover: I got the 2nd place on Men's. 4th overall. Nice start. I felt the short uphill climb on Greenbelt park. Thereafter I gave it a strong fast run till I reach the Kalayaan flyover.

Flyover: Was I ready? I thought I was. For the most part I was. Mentally, I just gave in to fatigue and the difficult uphill climb. When I slid down to 3rd place on Men's and 5th overall, I panicked.. I lost composure and it was a heart breaker and mental break down.

Post-Flyover: I was trying to catch up and regain the 2nd place. He was just about 50-75 meters away. The more I chase, the longer the gap becomes. So I was tired a little faster than I used to. At the halfway mark, I ticked my Nike Triax Fury in 22:10 minutes. I doubted the sub-40 10K finish.

My hydration strategy did not work. I'm not used to drinking Powerade and it choked me twice. First was right after I passed the 5K point and then the next was on the 6th hydration station at The Fort. After that, I decided to just pour cold water atop my head. After all, I'm used to hydrating late on my runs. As matter of fact, I trained myself to run without any hydration for my 10K runs. I drink after my run.

I also got my shoelace untied. Coupled with my minor Powerade drinking problem and the mental pressure of being unable to chase the 2nd placer, the shoelace problem was irritating. And for a few seconds I could not bring it back to how it should be tied. I gave up and just placed the laces inside the shoes. And then I got back to running again. I found myself at 4th place.

From the 6th to the 9th kilometer, I was side-by-side with another runner fighting for the Men's 3rd spot. He was talking to me while at race pace. Hehe. Unbelievable. I could just utter a word that is either a Yes or a No. I was breathing hard and I'm getting tired with each step of the race.

Then a Kenyan overtook the two of us at the flyover. I know we were sent out full 10 minutes after the 15K runners and here he is overtaking us at about 7kilometers into our 10K race. What speed!

A much shorter Filipino runner was chasing and fighting for the top spot against that Kenyan (Willy Tanui). The fighting Pinoy chasing the Kenyan inspired me to compete at a much higher level. This is racing at its best. You just lay it all on the line and fight to the finish. So on top of the flyover, I stepped on the gas and accelerated. I made a move to get past my competitor and head to the finish line for a solo 3rd.

At the last kilometer, I was running fast and I was able to break away for the solo third. Or so I thought. Somebody else was listed third. When all my running mates finished their races, we went inside the booths near the Ayala Trade Center. I went to the Winner's Verification booth to check if I did win the 3rd place. After all the necessary checks and back-and-forth counter checks from the Winner's Verification booth to the "Data Center" where the chip times were recorded in one database. I was indeed verified as the 3rd finisher with a finish time of 43:55 minutes.

No sub-40 for me yet. The 10K route was about 500 meters in excess of 10 kilometers. Moreover, the Kalayaan flyover was, is and will continue to be a leg buster for runners. Most of all, I really lacked the speed endurance for the full 10 kilometers. I felt strong all throughout my 5K runs. For 10Ks it was just not the case.

More training. More practice. Let's keep on running.

Pocari Fun Run and a 3-Man Pack

The Night Before Race Day
(Di Makatulog sa Gabi sa Kaiisip)

Friday night, a few hours before Pocari's Saturday morning race, I was busy thinking about my small talk to be delivered in front of my fellow company employees. Come April, we will have a company outing in Pangasinan and I will have to talk about my running and marathon experience. What exactly would I be talking about that would interest my colleagues?

I spent a lot of hours thinking about my possible topics.

Behind the Scenes of my Marathon Run. I would be sharing how the concept of family pushed and inspired me to finish my marathon. I would not be talking much about how I run it (for it might bore them to death.. I mean the excitement and thrills of the marathon are best experienced on the road and actually running it). I would be talking about five persons who carried me to the finish line - my parents, Nerissa, her sister and Athan. I would want to relate how family bonds (a family isn't necessarily about blood and DNA links, it's more of the ones you love and loves you in return) ignited a sense of responsibility in me. And how that responsibility propelled me to the finish line.

For several hours, I was talking to myself and conceptualizing how to deliver this train of thoughts. Family, responsibility, marathon. What did my parents say when I finished the marathon limping in pains and barely able to walk? What was my mother and father doing while I was away running for hours? How Nerissa was so worried when it was 3:30 hours after gun start and I was still nowhere near the finish line (I told her I'd be aiming for a 3 and a half hour finish). What was her sister thinking of the race? How did these non-runners find running and road racing? How Athan spent some of his rest day hours just to help me run the last few kilometers of the marathon. I was talking to myself about relationships and my thought processes knowing these people were all there waiting, cheering and supporting me.

I would like to finish my talk by relating my family experience and support during the marathon to our being a family in the company. How each one of us could inspire, motivate and support each other. And how that sense of having a family support could translate into a feeling of responsibility and want to deliver.

Needless to say, I stayed awake until about 11 in the evening when I was suppose to get a decent amount of sleep hours to prepare for the next day's race.

About 4:20 AM, I was up but still sleepy. And still sleepy even after a quick shower and a quick run to the bakery for a few pieces of hot pandesal and a bottle of Minute Maid orange juice. And I was still sleepy even after Athan and I rode a taxi cab to The Fort for our scheduled 5:30 AM gun start.

Late Start 
(Bakit Ngayon ka lang?)

We reached the venue at about 5AM. After I dropped my backpack (with water, T-shirt, Diatabs, Salonpas, etc.) at the baggage counter, I left Athan who was waiting for Jir, our colleague who will run a 5K race for a new PR. I wanted to shake off my sleepy feeling and get warmed up.

An elite runner from Team Bald Runner approached us and asked if we could exchange bibs. He wanted to run the 10K instead of the 5K and said he would compete and try to win in the 10K category. We had to respectfully refuse the offer. We are training for the upcoming Globe 10K race and I was also hoping to land in the Top 10 of the 10K race.

I jogged for about ten minutes and got back near the stage with Athan and did some stretching drills. Minutes later, Jir arrived. While I was sleepy, Jir overslept and would have missed the race had Athan not called him by phone.

By 5:20 AM, I invited Athan to join the runners at the starting line. It's just a few minutes before the scheduled 5:30AM 10K gun start.

There were only about a thousand runners on this Pocari "Ready, Get Sweat, Go" Fun Run. I thought it would not be too hard to control and organize this crowd not like the Century Superbods Run where less than 12 thousand runners participated. I was also hopeful to finish this one a lot better than my 27:04 5K Finish at the Superbods Run. The Pocari 10K Run would be two loops of the same 5K race route used at the Superbods Run (where I got lost and ran about 6.5 kilometers).

The Century Superbods 5K Race Route

By 5:30AM, when the emcees climbed up the stage.. I thought it was about to start as scheduled. But then it was not.

The emcees did what they do best - talk. To the dismay of a few 10K runners who were witnessing and fearing the possible effects of the approaching sunrise. For about thirty minutes, we waited for gun start. After a lot of talks, a prayer, a national anthem and a warm up led by three dance instructors on the stage.. The gun was fired by about 6:00 AM and we were ready to rumble.

Racing with a Competitive Pack of Runners
(Hinihingal ka lang, kahit parang ang layo pa.. habol.)
(At 'wag na 'wag kang lalayo..)

This should be lots of fun. That's what I was thinking as the gun started and the Pocari van, the race motorcycles and the elite runners led the all the 10K runners. Woohoo.. Here we go!

With about 10++ races joined and started over a span of a year and a few months, I am now able to control the adrenaline rush and the excitements and thrills of the sound of a race gun start. (That or I was still a bit sleepy.. Hehehe)

I took control of my speed and let the more eager runners dash ahead. My 10K race strategy is a simplified extension of my 5K strategy.

For my 5K races (Goal: sub20):

• First 2K at a controlled 4:01 min/km
• Next K at a fast pace of 3:55 min/km
• Next K at a breather pace of 4:03 min/km
• Last K at a fast pace of 3:50 - 3:55 min/km

For my 10K races (Goal: sub40):

• First 3K at a controlled 4:01 min/km
• Next K at a fast pace of 3:55 min/km
• Next K at a breather pace of 4:03 min/km
• Next K at a fast pace of 3:55 min/km
• Next 2K at a breather pace of 4:03 min/km
• Last 2K at a fast pace of 3:55 min/km

After the corner at Lawton Avenue, I was fully in control of my speed and I was not breathing as hard as I was at the 5K Superbods Run. That was mission accomplished in terms of speed control.

As I look at my competition, I found 4 elite runners leading us all at about 100meters ahead, and then 6 runners just in front of me. This is looking good, I thought. I can give a good fight against the 6 runners just in front.

At Lawton Avenue going into the Old Lawton Avenue and into the Rotonda at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, I kept my fast and steady strides. It is so much easy to control a fast pace on my training runs at Velazquez Park. At the uphills of Lawton Avenue, I felt running slower than my usual controlled fast pace. I just kept on battling and going up the hilly Lawton Avenue.

I was at 11th place and I was able to keep steadily fast at the uphills and remain strong going into the Memorial park. Just before I reached the Rotonda, my steady fast pace was able to overtake four runners. I was now at 7th place. More importantly, I was still running at a controlled fast pace.

At about 40meters ahead, the 5th and 6th place runners were within my running pace. With my 10K race strategy, I could launch an attack when the three of us got back to Lawton Avenue and then at the more friendly flat roads of the 5th Avenue.

The two of them came closer and closer until I joined them in 3-man pack. I waited for the uphills to end before I make my move to break away from the pack and reach my sub-40 goal if possible. It was lots of fun. I was so excited. I was really enjoying the thrills and the demands of running with a fast paced pack of runners. This was the first time I have ran with a very competitive pack. We were literally shoulders-to-shoulders at one point in the race.

A tall runner with a "Beep Beep" imprinted on the back of his running shorts was leading the three of us. An older and shorter runner run behinds him and I was chasing them from behind. When the uphills ended and I still have a strong set of legs under me, I tried to attack the next runner in front of me.

To my thrill, he did not allow it. He tried to run side-by-side and cover my move. He was there to compete. And so I was more eager to run faster and sustain my attack. As we battle for the 6th place, we found ourselves overtaking Beep Beep. And then I still tried to eke out the lead and run ahead solo. Just before the right turn at the 32nd street, I succeeded and gained the solo 5th place.

Then I took my breather. I stopped to grab a plastic of cold water, drank it and enjoyed the cold feeling of pouring it over my head. I was back at 7th place. Hehehe. But I know I was having tremendous amounts of fun. I began to run back to my controlled fast pace.

The joy of it all began to wane when my Superbods experience started to haunt me. Where in this 32nd Street do we make a right turn to be back at the starting line? It was supposed to be at the 7th Avenue but noone turned right at that corner. So I just followed all the runners still going straight ahead at the 32nd Street. The confusion got magnified when Beep Beep and the 5th place runner still run straight ahead at the corner of the 11th Avenue. Oh no! We're drifting away from the race route, I thought.

At that point, I gambled. I turned right and some other runners also turned right with me. After a few hundred meters, I saw the Pocari van up ahead. I made the right turn! Yehey!! But where are the race marshals?

Slowing Down
(Let's take it slow.. so slow.)

When I was running with the 3-man pack, I was running like a horse. Going back to my first 5K loop and alone, I started to feel the fatigue and my legs felt heavier. I was slowing down. And feeling lonely. I reached the 5K mark in 21:20 minutes on my Nike Triax Fury.

Running back to Lawton Avenue and the uphills, my fatigue rised exponentially and I slowed down more and more until I reached the Rotonda at the Manila American Memorial. At the U-turn, I saw Beep Beep and the other fast runner about 50meters behind me and going into the U-turn part of the race. It reenergized my heavy legs and my desire to defend the 5th place.

Going back to the rolling hills of Lawton Avenue, I was excited, thrilled and a little pressured to keep the lead. I know they had to run a few more meters because they were lost at the 32nd street. I reminded myself that even though they are running fast to catch up, they must be a little more tired than I am. And because I have that advantage, I should use it and create a lot more distance between us. I should be running fast again and I should be keeping close to my sub-40 goal.

Even it was uphills, I ran fast. When it was the flat roads of the 5th Avenue, I ran even faster. At the 32nd Avenue, I felt them moving closer and closer but I just kept on going. I did not stop at the hydration stations, it's just about a little more than a kilometer more and I know I can do this. I kept on running fast.

Looking back at the pack scenarios, I wished I was running more with a competitive pack of runners in my future races. They really pushed me to keep the pace and to keep within the pack. Like a pack of wolves attacking their prey, they are much more deadly. The competitive spirit that drives the members of the pack to keep running together makes the race distance a lot shorter than it really is. When I joined the pack from the 2.5 kilometer up to the 4th kilometer, I was running as fresh as the race started and it felt like I was have just ran a few hundred meters.

I believe it has something to do with the focus and concentration that I had when I was running with them. Every stride counts and you really feel like you have to step up to keep up else the pack leaves you behind. I was locked in and I wanted to run with the pack for as long as I could. It motivated me to be at the top of my game.

At the Finish Line
(I don't care how you get here, just get here if you can.)

At the 11th Avenue, I was tired again. I was so tired I was wishing so hard I would see the finish line already.

And when I saw a Pocari banner at about 300meters ahead, I sprinted and ran much faster. At about 200meters away from the banner, I sprinted faster. And so much faster when it was just about 100meters away from me. When I reached the banner, the Finish Line is not in sight. What???

It cannot be. I am so near my limits and was about to give up running. My cardio vascular tank was almost empty. My desire to keep running fast and finish strong was fading. Just where the heck is the Finish Line? I was running and looking everywhere to find the finish line. There was no race arc nor signs nor anything. The race turned into a maze. Oh no!

Thankfully, after a few more meters of running I found blue tents with the Pocari word on them. I unlocked the maze. And I found it hard to sprint again, I was so tired already.

I was about to get my second loop cord and proceed to the finish line. Unfortunately, the lady holding a bunch of loop cords refused to give one and said I can proceed.. I already have one cord loop that I got on my first 5K loop. I wasted a few seconds on trying to secure a second loop cord. I can't believe I'm losing such important times when I am so near the finish line.

The 6th placer overtook me at about a hundred meters away from the finish line. I tried to fight back.

But a lady 5K runner blocked my path. I waited for her to cross first before I get to challenge the 10K runner who overtook me. At about twenty meters away from the finish line, he was all empty and just plodding his way to cross the finish. I happily retook the 5th spot by sprinting mad. I was fifth! I was fifth!

Soaked in sweat all over my body, Jir asked for my finish time. Not fully understanding the query, I raised my hand and signaled the number 5. I was fifth! I was fifth!

He repeated the question and only then was I able to understand him. I looked at my Nike Triax Fury and said "43:58".

When the race officials listed me at the 13th place. I could not believe it. It could not be, I thought. I told Jir I was fifth, I told him how I saw the race unfolded and how I knew I was supposed to be fifth. Not 13th.

Then I felt thirsty. Yeah.. I was suppose to be rehydrating.

Unfortunately, the distribution of Pocari Sweat drinks was disorganized. Only much of the finishers of the 3K and 5K races were able to get their drinks after finishing their races. Most runners or even non-runners employed the "singit-system" at the queue and some got about 4 or more bottles for themselves. I was so tired to be angry. But hey.. Can't runners think of their fellow runners who will be in need of those drinks after finishing their races? Can't we think beyond ourselves? And for the race organizers, Can't we ensure that we meet each participant's need for hydration after their own respective finishes? Or signing wavers enough for the organizers to turn their back on each and every runner's basic need?

Fortunately for me, I did bring a bottle of water on my back pack. And to Pocari's credit, lots of Pocari Sweat drinks were provided after several minutes passed by when Jir and I were waiting for Athan to finish his 10K race. But again, it was still so disorganizedly provided. And some runners attacked the booth and got away with 4 or more bottles.

Jir finished his 5K in 28 minutes. Athan duplicated his 10K best time of 1:03 hours. When the awarding ceremony started, I requested for them to stay. If I was 13th, maybe 3 of those were women and so I would be able to finish at the Men's Top 10. Just maybe.

Awarding Ceremony
(And we are the Champions my friend.. And we'll keep on fighting till the end..Coz we are the Champions.. We are the Champions!)

P150,000 was raised by this race event for the benefit of the crippled and support for some of our national athletes. The beneficiaries of the event were personally given with the huge check. A few runners stayed to witness the awarding ceremony for the fastest runners that day.

10 Males and 10 Females were called to the stage for each race category (3/5/10K). A Pocari Sweat squirt drinking bottle was awarded to the Top 10s and cash prizes awaited for the Top 3s.

Beep Beep finished 8th and right when he received his award (a plastic squirt drinking bottle), I knew I made it to the Top 10. At the heat of the rising sun, I was so happy to present my race bib #1378 when I was called to the stage for my 6th place finish. The runner from the highly respected Team Bald Runner won the 10K event.

We then went back to our office in Makati to eat our breakfast consisting of pizza and palabok left overs. Later that day, I went home in Cavite and told Nerissa of this enjoyable race. I did not get my sub-40 goal but I did get a lovely hug for my decent finish. At the end of the day, her hug and affirmation summed up all I really ever wanted.

Till next race buddies!

 I left my blue Pocari Sweat singlet in Cavite.. I used this blue Rota Run singlet as replacement.

 I finished the Pocari Sweat 10K Race in 6th place and won a blue plastic squirt drinking bottle.

The Power of TWO

Pandesal Training Updates

I have lost some of my fire and intensity after a couple of sub-20 5K runs. I was a little proud and I was little complacent about my upcoming 10K races. It has been three consecutive runs already that I was somewhat flat and lazy. I was also missing in action for my last few scheduled Sunday long runs. I was in deep sleep after shutting off my morning run alarm clock.

Please forgive me and my shortcomings.

Lately though, I'm regaining the spark. That magic and fire to train relentlessly in pursuit of a wild dream. I only have a few days left to tackle a sub-40 10K goal. And with time ticking tirelessly, do I still have the chance to regain my speed and form for this week's Pocari Sweat 10K race and next week's Globe 10K run?

I would very much like to think positively. For 2010, I have adapted the two-week training principle to guide me on my running quests. How this principle allowed me to recover after a flat and lazy week? Kindly read on.

Season 2: The Road To Boston

Chapter 2. Road Work
2.7 Two-Week Wonders

The thinking must be done first, before training begins. - Peter Coe, Father of Olympic Gold Medalist Sebastian Coe

The Usual Training Schedule

This entry right here will expose one of my personal traits - I am a running addict.

I am a running addict. Addicted enough and serious enough as a runner, I wanted a structured running schedule to track my progress and prepare for a race. It has not been that way from the start.

I took my first race last 2008 and did not have any training schedule to prepare for it. The next one, Milo 2009, same thing. I just ran a few times before the race and that's it. I did not have any training schedule.

I used to follow what my body told me - to rest and sleep after long office works.

I saw the need to train when I joined a half marathon. I reckoned that a 21kiometer run isn't something I could just do without sufficient training. Here is my very first 21-kilometer training schedule.

After that very successful half marathon, I realized the significance of good training schedule. The need to plan and prepare properly. It was an eye opener.

Analyzing that training schedule, I found a few little points and principles that apply:

1. The schedule begins on a week of short runs aimed to accustom the body to running.
2. The schedule slowly increases in length and intensity as weeks progress.
3. As weeks progress, I should also be progressing and improving in terms of kilometers run and speed work.
4. It predicts that I will be at peak form a few days before the race.
5. It does not address the possibility of injuries or a tight busy schedule (emergencies, busy work load).

We do see this common type of running schedule. It guides us to train us and prepare us for our future races. Great!

But what if something happens on the middle of that schedule and you were not able to strictly follow the scheduled runs? These things happen right? Like we runners do suffer from injuries. We also experience some off days and some laziness wherein we could not run as much as what the schedule requires us to run.

The schedule might say a Tuesday morning 10K Tempo and your body says I can only run 5K and I want to be back in bed to nurse and rest my sore left foot. Then we go on and rest and still try to stick to the schedule on the following days.

We might be able to get away with it and still be lucky to be in peak form come race day. But more probably, we won't as our schedule assumed that we have followed it by the numbers.

The Power of Two

WARNING: This may not apply to all runners. Careful thoughts and consideration required. Thank you.

When I watched Ryan Hall, the fastest American marathoner today, discussed about his marathon training methods and schedule, I was jumping up and down in excitement. No I did not literally jump up and down, but I was indeed excited. He explained the benefits of the two-week principle and I did jump on this idea.

What exactly is the two-week training principle?

I copied and pasted here a section of our discussion from Chapter 2.2.

(7) Seventh, follow the 2-week training principle. My usual training schedule last year consisted of weekly progressive running. I increase my weekly mileage from week to week trying to get stronger and building my stamina. Week2 is slightly longer in mileage than week1. Week3 is then longer and harder than week2 and so on and so forth.

The 2-week training principle is still a progressive schedule. The major difference is that we will have to repeat the same routine stronger on the following week. For illustration purposes, check the speed work training schedule below. Week2 and Week3 are the same. Then Week4 and Week5 are also same except that they are longer and harder than week2 and week3. The repeat week (Week3 and week5 on this simple example), requires that we get better and stronger as compared to the previous week. So while Week4 and Week5 both have the same 3K Tempo distance, we have got to run better on Week5 as compared to our performance on week4.

Working on this 2-week principle, we get to gauge our development in 2 weeks time. On the repeat week, we can already tell if we are getting better and faster by doing the same routines we did the previous week. Early feedback means a lot so we could adjust our schedule and tell how much we are progressing within each passing week. We would always want to beat ourseleves on the repeat week. This competitive attitude would then fuel us to improve and do better. (We still need to cutback on mileage from time to time to let the body recover.)

Alright then. What are the benefits of this type of running schedule?

1. It provides more flexibility than the usual training schedule. With this schedule, we can adjust easily on the following week since we do the same training runs for two weeks. If we missed or did not complete the 10K Tempo this week for whatever valid or invalid reason, we still have the same run next week to adjust and compensate.
2. We can gauge our performance by comparing the previous week with the improvements we made this week. On just two weeks time, we could tell if our training methods are effective. Are we improving much? Modern runners know the significance of analyzing each runs and what to improve on. With a two-week schedule, modern runners could quickly react to improve or reorganize the the training runs to suit their needs and goals.
3. With weak-strong weeks, the weekly runs will make ourselves much more competitive in training. Who runs as quick and as long as you can do? Who knows your strength, weaknesses and habits that they could exploit to beat you? Who runs at exactly your pace and knows and understands your strategy as much as you do? Yes! Correct! YOU. So who is your best competition then? Yes! YOU. With this schedule, you compete against yourself and you try to beat yourself on the repeat week.
4. It is a progressive training schedule. You progress in two weeks time.

Case Study

The two-week training principle is a nice idea. How does it perform on practice? In a real life situation?

In my recent case, I am still right on schedule after a lazy week enjoying my 5K success. That is a huge help for these desperate times. And I would like to close this topic with a case study of my successive 5K runs: The Century Tuna Superbods and then the Centena Run on the following week. I believe that these two-week races provide a strong case in favor of the two-week training schedule.

My Century Tuna Superbods Run: Bloopers and Results
My Centena 5K Run: A Sub-20 and a Top 10 Finish.

ABS-CBN Online: Questionnaire for a Runner

Dennis Gasgonia of ABS-CBN News Online will be doing an article on running, which will feature the most popular running coach in the Philippines today Coach Rio de la Cruz and a running enthusiast.

Believe it or not.. And I could not believe it.. 

I was given the opportunity to be that running enthusiast. I was requested to send my running photos and answer the following set of questions.

Questionnaire for runner:

1. Name and occupation.
2. How long have you been running?
3. Why did you pick running over other sports?
4. Tell us something about your first running experience.
5. What do you want to achieve in running?
6. What was your most memorable running event that you joined?
7. What have you reaped from the sport, so far?

  I wonder when Dennis can publish his article on ABS-CBN News Online.

Applied Sprinting Techniques

Season 2: The Road To Boston

Chapter 2. Road Work
2.6 Applied Sprinting Techniques

In Chapter 2.4, we talked about high intensity intervals and my fascination about the world's fastest men on track. I have been doing 8x400meter intervals and I was all too happy to run at a super fast pace of 2:40 minutes per kilometer.

My boldest theory was "It would shock the Philippine racing scene if I could carry my 400m speed to a 5Kilometer or longer races." That was an insane theory. But I did learn a lot from my 400meter sprints. Just lately, after about 8 weeks of training, I am able to run sub-20 5Ks.

So you grabbed your calculator or just your mathematically proficient minds and computed a 4:00 min/km. Hey Pandesal Runner, you failed. You weren't able to carry your 2:40 min/km pace! And you close this page with a huge grin and said -- I knew he would not be able to do that all along.

Neytiri of Avatar. This image is from ImageShack.

And I feel you. Like Jake Sully felt Neytiri.

But.. The insane theory was actually productive in a sense. The sprinting speed and the sprinting techniques I learned pushed me to trim my 21-minute 5K training best into just 19 minutes. And we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg here. Eight weeks of training. What if we continuously improve and apply what we have learned on our sprint runs? Could we really be able to do 2:40ish on a 5K race? Do you feel me? Suddenly, my insane theory isn't so insane after all. Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe nuts.

I did not carry my 2:40 sprinting speed to my 5K runs but here are my sprinting techniques that I was able to apply for a sub-20 5K.

Sprinting Techniques

1. Speed Form. On trying to record my best 400m interval split, my main concern was my speed form. I learned that running fast need not only require power coming from the legs. It's also about energy efficiency and being able to take advantage of nature - wind, gravity and ground reaction force.

These things were key to my more efficient sprinting speed:

• arm swing
• lean angle
• running tall and
• shoulder and face relaxation

I changed my arm swing from the arms moving across the front of my chest to moving them parallel to my legs (which is completely sidewards). Why? I have two basic reasons behind this. One, sprinters move their arms this way and it is said to be aero dynamic which is able to reduce the slow-down effect of wind friction. Two, this arm swing is more energy efficient. Previously, when my arm swings towards the front of my chest, my shoulder follows the movement. My shoulder expends wasted energy. With parallel arm swings, my shoulders do not move excessively to follow my arms. Hence, I was able to conserve energy.

By leaning slightly to the front when running, we are able to utiize the pull of gravity to push us forward. Try running for a few meters on an exaggerated forward lean. Your balance will be off your center of gravity and towards the front. To sustain forward motion with the help of natural gravity, I lean slightly forward.

Running tall and looking about 50 to 100 meters ahead keep my focus on achieving my goal of reaching that 50-100 meters. It inspires to move quicker and reach that point. More importantly, by running tall and looking ahead, I am able to reduce the stress that my upper body puts on my core muscles. The core muscles are working extra hard to keep me upright when running. Besides doing abdominal exercises three times a week to strengthen my core, I also have to run tall so as not to overwork my core muscles.

Lastly, it is so hard to relax when your sprinting. It is so uncomfortable and ironic to use relaxed and sprinting in one sentence, right? They don't seem to mix. But that's a key to sustaining our sprinting speed. We have to relax our shoulders and facial muscles and just let them move carefree. We should not force speed by stressing the shoulders and the face - they won't help us run faster, the legs and the arm swings do. Relaxing our shoulders and face also help conserve our energy. We should use every little energy we have to run efficiently fast.

2. Minimize the time your foot touches the ground. The less time our foot stay on the ground, the faster we move forward. Picture yourself running on barefoot on a super hot surface. That is how you should minimize the time your foot touches the surface.

On my part, I did months of training to learn and practice forefoot running. I used to land with my heels and then kick off with my toes near the front of my foot (forefoot). The heel lands and then the foot rolls and takes off the ground with the forefoot. To minimize this landing and take off time, what if I just land on the forefoot and strike with it immediately upon ground impact? Wouldn't that be much faster?

I thought so. It hurts to learn the forefoot running method and it takes a lot of time to practice and learn. I think it's worth it.

3. Faster Strides. How do you run fast? You run a measured distance in as less time as you could possibly do. How do you that? Fast or speed is measured in terms of distance over time. To run faster, either we increase the distance covered by each of our footstep or we increase the frequency of those steps.

In a mathematical equation, SPEED = DISTANCE / TIME. For computational purposes, let us have Ds to represent the Distance covered by our one stride and Dt to represent the Total Distance we need to run.

Dt = SPEED * TIME.
Example:
5000m = 1m/s * 5000s. (5000s equals 1:23 hours)

From this equation, it tells us that a 5000m distance can be covered in 5000 seconds if our running speed is about 1m/s. The distance is constant. The time it takes for us to cover that distance varies depending on our running speed. The faster we run, the less time we need to cover 5000m. Speed is therefore the factor in this equation that we could improve on.

Now, back to our original question. How do we run fast? How do we increase our speed. We modify 1m/s. If we stride longer per second, maybe twice the length we come up with 2m/s.

5000m = 2m/s * 2500s. (2500s equals 0:41 hours)

But increasing our stride length have two major issues: (1) Stride length depends largely on the length of our legs (measured from the hip to the heel). Although it's mathematically possible as in the above equation, it is not physically probable to grow our legs twice as long. Hehehe. (2) Forcing longer strides would risk us into injury. Over extending our legs over long distances would be both hard to sustain and injury prone.

Our next option is to increase the frequency of our strides. Suppose we could now do two 1meter strides in one second instead of our previous 1meter stride per second, what do we get?

SPEED = Ds / s = (2 *1m) / s
Dt = SPEED * TIME
5000 = 2m/s * 2500s. (2500s equals 0:41 hours)

By illustration, we run faster by increasing the frequency of our strides. We run with faster strides.

Others

It would be much helpful if you would practice the above techniques on your interval runs and on to your tempo runs up to actual races. If I may just add, high speed running over longer distances would require us to keep focused and to be in control of our speed. We have to focus on keeping our running form, foot landing and kick off and always going for faster strides. Focus on the techniques and your goals.

We must also be in control of our speed. Over long distances, it may not be enough to run efficiently on our top speed. We must find that right amount of speed that we could control and sustain for the duration of the race. In my case, I could run 2:40 min/km on 400 meters but I could only sustain 4:00 min/km for a 5kilometer run. So I must control myself to run within my limits and be able to finish the distance strong from start to finish.

It took a lot of heart and dedication on my part to keep on running and keep on trying to improve my speed over weeks and weeks of training. Don't get discouraged if you did not get it the first time. Try again. Then do it again. And again. It's not too hard if you really want it bad enough.

Lastly, I believe that there are two other factors that could help you and me run even faster. But I have not been able to do them yet. Which are? One, Lifting my back foot near my butt after kick off could actually propel me to run faster. The high back foot would create momentum to keep us running forward and then gravity would also aid in pulling that leg back and down to the ground. Two, the lighter we are the faster we could run. I haven't trimmed down to 140 pounds and under to test this and I haven't been able to lift my back foot as high as I need to.

Training Invitation
If you happen to be interested to train with me, the Pandesal Runner, and do a sub-20 minute 5K run one of these days.. You can drop an email to jayson.deuna@gmail.com and we could have a training session at Velazquez Park Makati on an early Tuesday morning. It's the running grounds for a lot of Makati runners as well as my company running group. See you there!

Warm Up Drills:

1. Dynamic stretching
2. Fast turnover - High Butt Kicks
3. Power - High knees
4. Balance - Toe Tapping

The Training Run:

1. 1K Warm Up Run at 6:00 min/km pace
2. 5K Tempo at 4:00 min/km
3. 1K Cool Down at 6:00 - 7:00 min/km

Centena Run: A Great 5K on A Simply Beautiful Race

Coming off the Century Superbods Run just a week before, I joined another 5K race last Saturday. I did not expect a lot from the PWU Centena Run and so I was not disappointed. In fact, I was so happy I stayed there about an hour after my race was over and marveled at how a simple race can be so beautiful.

Basics of a Road Race

I arrived early on the race venue and had lots of time to stretch and warm up. I did about a half kilometer jog before I came back near the starting line to witness the PWU cheering squad and the start of the 10Km race. 2009 Milo Marathon champion Chris Sabal participated as well as the first runner up Eric Panique. The 10K race started at exactly 5:45AM.

15 minutes later, the starting signal for the 5K race would be given.

The race officials and emcees did a great job of instructing the runners about the race route and calming down the very excited ones until the starting signal. There was no huge timer above the race arc. There was no huge screens in front to show running videos and instructional graphics. There was no stretching instructors dancing and rapping on stage. It was just two male emcees and a loud music background to pump up and entertain us runners.

It was a very organized run at the road. There were plenty of marshals positioned on the turnabouts and manning the critical points of the race. Race officials were manually recording the runners bib numbers on these points to ensure that no cheaters could win - you have to past all points and be recorded by the officials. It was a manual pen and paper method, no sensors and special equipments, yet it was equally effective.

The race marshals were very instructive and friendly. "10K runners turn left, 5K runners go straight." I did not have to ask. I heard the instructions right before I get to that critical point. The marshals knew their job and they did it well. They took control and the runners obediently and happily followed.

There was plenty of water supply past the third kilometer point of the 5K race. Water was also available right after you cross the finish line. Right there when you need it. There is also a medical station willing to take care of bruises and injuries suffered by any participating runners.

One more positive note about the race organization of the Centena run was the well separated route and finish line of the 5K and 10K runners. There was no congestion on the finish line. The wide road was all there for us runners for a mad dash to the finish line. The 5K runners and 10K runners took different roads towards their own finish lines.

At the finish line, free WaterPlus flavored water bottles await plus free towelettes. I had to pay for another bottle of WaterPlus flavored water but it's fine with me. (I was having an LBM so I need lots of hydration!)

The awarding ceremony proceeded as soon as most of the runners were done running and walking to the finish line. Elite runner Ben Alejandrino won the 5K race for the Male division while outstanding and consistent 5K winner Serenata Saluan took the Women's 5K. Surpsingly, Chris Sabal and Eric Panique only took 3rd and 2nd place accordingly. A new kid on the block has just beaten the two top rated and experienced elite runners of the last year's Milo Marathon.

It was a simple and yet very organized and enjoyable race event. I could only wished that the PWU cheering squad were also performing and cheering for the runners towards the finish line. That would have made it even more of a truly enjoyable race. It was just the first PWU Centena run and it was almost perfect. Way to go eXtribe for organizing the event. Thank you.

My Race

I came to win. Seriously.

And record my first sub-20 minutes on a 5K run.

I was confident enough on the sub-20 goal. I was unsure on the winning part. If there will be no elite runners on the field, I could take it. Otherwise, no way I could compete with 15-minute or 16-minute 5K runners. Just no way.

So I came to win with a huge 'IF' and came to run a sub-20 by hook or by crook. There would be no excuses on this race. No more blah blahs about an untied shoelace. No more this and that about the race route and getting lost. No more blaming the marshals. The first time I raced this year, I felt like I've let my readers down by under achieving on a 27-minute 5K race.

I mean, I blogged about running 20-minute Tempos and then came blogging a 5K race with a 27? I know, deep inside, I let my readers down. And to come back to them face-to-face and still having their eyes and ears open to any word I write about -- I have to raise my game up several notches higher. I have taken it seriously to run as intense as I could and give all my heart and efforts for a successful comeback race. It all comes down to one crucial race.

With about less than a thousand runners joining the5K race, it was a very festive and lively crowd. Most were students and alumni of PWU except for a few elite runners I had beside me on the front row. I knew I am in a tough race against the elites. And I wanted to keep up with them for as long as I could.

I had a fantastic start. My right foot was behind my left and my head was slightly bowed as if I was to sprint the whole race. At the first corner of the 5K race, I took the lead. So who's gonna step up and beat me before the 1K U-turn?

The answer came only a few seconds later after the first corner. Hehehe. And I was only able to keep up with elites on the first half kilometer of the race. After the 1K U-turn, five male elite 5K runners were all well ahead of me.

The next time I saw these runners again, they were up at the stage on the awarding ceremony.

I was at sixth place from the half kilometer up until the 1K U-turn at Macapagal Avenue. I was running too fast. I felt my throat and lungs working full time. When three lady runners suddenly came from behind at about the 1.5Km mark, I felt the pressure. I was now at 9th place. Am I going to come out flat, super exhausted and an under achiever over again? For a second or two, I thought about quitting already. I was ready to stop and call it quits.

Two days ago, I had an upset stomach. The day before the race, I was having an LBM. Prior to the race, I took Diatabs. I did not sleep well the night before. Just not my day today.

Then I did not stop.

The excuses pumped my spirit more this time around. I said to myself that if I had the courage to let myself down again for two consecutive races then go ahead and stop. On the other hand, If I had the heart to continue and battle this race out till the finish line then keep running.

I was about to puke at that point. I was having diarrhea. The food in my stomach won't go out from my behind because of the Diatabs I took prior to the race. It's finding its way out of my body through my throat and mouth.

I chose to hang on until maybe the third kilometer. Just hang on. Slow down a bit and hang on. I was fighting side by side with the third lady finisher. The other two ladies were about a hundred meters ahead of us past the second kilometer. The five other elite male runners were way too far ahead of me already at that point. I just wanted to hang on.

By the midway part of our run on the Seaside Boulevard, I found my second wind. I was running as strong again as my starting dash. I pulled away from the third lady finisher and began to look to attack the second one. Faster strides, quicker arm swings, deeper breaths.

When I reached the Globe monument in front of MOA, I felt the effects of dehydration and lack of energy brought about by my diarrhea. I was not as strong as my training runs. Then again, it's just a kilometer left till finish line. I can do this.

"10K runners turn left, 5K runners go straight."

This race is about to conclude. I started to pick up the pace. Just a little bit more. The second place lady runner was about a hundred meters away and the top female was about a minute or so away from me. I could still see the elites!!

At the last corner of the race, I chanted my diggies: Digie Digie Dong Dong Weh, Digie Digie. 'Di' for a left leg, 'gie' for the right leg and so on and so forth. I was singing and forcing faster strides. Digie Digie.

I gave it my all towards the finish line. And though I did not catch up with the second female finisher, I did stopped my Nike Triax Fury running watch at exactly 15:22 minutes. Why just 15 minutes? Well, I only started the timer after the 1Km point of the race. The last 4 kilometers in 15:22 minutes! Yehey!!
 
Post Race Report

I paid P300.00 for the 5K race and I had my money's worth and more. I got a very organized race, plenty of water when I crossed the finish line and a free towelette. They also had a baggage counter and some portable toilets. I knew great races need not be too expensive. Sometimes, you just have to be willing to try it out see for yourself.

Race organizer eXtribe just published the results this Tuesday morning. See? Manual race time recording could still be relatively fast if only people know exactly what to do. Yehey points again for the PWU race!
 
Check out the PWU 2010 Race Results Here:

1. 5K 
2. 10K

PWU Race Results: I finished the 5K race in 19:25 minutes.

I finished the 5K race in 19:25 minutes. I was 6th among 5K male runners and 8th among all 528 5K finishers. This fantastic performance just boosted my confidence going into my 10K races and ultimately on my upcoming marathon runs. And only this morning, I recorded my fastest 5K training time of 19:48 minutes in Velazquez Park. My 11-week training camp is working wonders and I'm starting to reap the benefits.