Feb Recap

I feel like I am now closer with my old running self.

Yet the weighing scale says otherwise. :D

I ran my last 29-kilometer long run nicely at 5:58 min/km pace. The last few weeks dating back to January saw me running at 6:05++ pace on 17K and 27K long runs. The last three or four kilometers of a long run usually says a lot about your current endurance level and I really felt strong towards the end of the run. Somehow, someway I am getting back to marathon endurance level.

February 26 was the last Sunday of February, I targeted my longest long run of 2012 on this Sunday -- 29 kilometers. And I was able to execute the plan! Cheers!

Courtesy of Runner's World Training Log:

52-Week Graph from 2011-2012

Week starts Monday and ends on Sunday

12-Month Graph from February 2011 to February 2012

Noticeable on the graphs are the consistent Easy and Long runs and the absence of Speed Runs (Tempo and Interval) for the year 2012. The intention is to build the base endurance foundation and get comfortable with the longer long runs -- maybe up to 45 kilometers by May or June. Losing weight is more important to me than gaining speed at this point in time. (I know speed training can actually speed up the weight loss but for 2 reasons I decided to delay speed training: (1) we build endurance first (2) I find it hard to sustain my speed works with my current weight and endurance level)

Tomorrow, March 1, I will start building my March running mileage. A new month and a new start (monthly mileage resets to 0Km). For this month, Easy runs and Long runs will still abound and the absence of speed runs and perhaps even races will be my norm. Sunday long runs will now be as long as 35 kilometers (March 4: 31Km, March 11: 33Km, March 18: 35Km, March 25: 31Km). The target mileage for March is about 225 kilometers (about 57Km per week).

Fox International Channels (FIC) Run

FIC Run

Fox International Channels in cooperation with RunRio Inc. brings us the FIC Run this coming March 25, 2012 to be held at the Bonifacio Global City grounds in Taguig. 

Categories are 500m (P150), 3K (P550), 5K (P650) and 10K (P750).

See race routes below courtesy of Ms. Kulit Runner.

10Km

5Km

3Km

Register now! Only 3500 slots are allotted for this fun run. Registration start February 22 and ends one week prior to the event. The not so long distance of 10Km can be a nice Tempo run or an easy recovery run for the seasoned long distance runners. While the 5Km distance or shorter can be best for a fast run challenge. Whatever your goal may be, FIC run might just suit your needs this coming March 25.

• Riovanna Store, BGC
• Riovanna Store, Katipunan
• Athlete's Foot, Robinson's Galleria
• Toby's, SM Mall of Asia

Firm February Foundation

Everyone who wants to build something should know the importance of a foundation. For the foundation keeps together everything put on top of it -- be it the Church of Christ, a house, a high-rise tower or a running base. And this month of February, I am all about the business of building a firm foundation for my running goals later this year.

Tuesdays and Thursdays nights are my regular time for Easy runs at the park after office hours. If time and body still permits, I try to squeeze out a 5 to 6Km run on Wednesday nights.

Then come Sunday mornings, you'll find me sweating it out on the uphills of Silang to Tagaytay City for my long runs --- 25 to 29 kilometers for this month of February.

I lost 3 pounds in the last few weeks of this training schedule. I am still over the healthy scale limits by the way. Little by little, stride by stride I will be able to bring my weight back to where it has been -- 154 pounds or less. God willing, I will be running marathons in the month of May and perhaps try another Milo Marathon Qualifying run by July.

But I can't be overly excited for now, the extra pounds still cleave and the going is still tough. Still in the building the foundation mode. Still piling up the mileage base. Little by little. Stride by stride. Patience is key. Discipline is a must. This is really taking too slow and is taking too much time. But I am taking it anyway. 

Little by little. Stride by stride.

Slowly Coming Back to Running Form

You cannot fix a problem you do not see. Lucky for me, I have bloated so big I clearly see myself now. And that's part of my problems why I seem to regress and produce slower and slower finish times.

Last time I checked with the scale, I already am at a whopping 162 pounds. About 5 pounds heavier when I ran the Milo Finals, and more than 15 pounds heavier when I first ran a full marathon. 

And I am not complaining. As a matter of fact, by accepting the fact that I am now overweight, I am slowly getting back the fire within to keep on running. Had I dismiss the fact that I have gone so much bigger, I would have continued with my lackadaisical running routines producing mediocre race results.

And that's another part of my problems. I had focused so much on race results I had forgotten to build a solid mileage base. I kept on running the Tempos and the Intervals and set aside the Easy maintenance runs.

But I have slowly gone back to basics and I am loving the renewed passion and self-discipline. I think I need three more months to bring myself back to my best running form. Weight loss is the goal and 15 pounds is my target by late March or early April, right on time for the summer beach outing. More importantly, I am just taking it a lot more relaxed and a bit more purposeful on doing road works consistently. Come to think of it, that's really how I enjoyed this sports. In a world that dictates so many different ideas, techniques, fashion and all sorts of other stuffs, sometimes you just got to be yourself doing your own thing.

And that's where I'm at right now. Overweight and slowly running consistently to get back to form, doing my own thing.