St. Peter Life Plans and Chapels' Life Run- Oct. 24, 2010

photo taken from the official website of St. Peter Life Plan and Chapels

In celebration of their 40th anniversary, the St. Peter Life Plans and Chapels will have a "Life Run" this coming Oct. 24, 2010 in Ortigas (Metro Manila), Cebu and Davao. The registration fee is P50.00 (Believe it!), inclusive of singlet, race bib and race map. Your P50.00 registration fee, will go straight to Bantay Bata 168, a non-government organization for children.

One may register, at the following St. Peter Life Plans and Chapels branch listed on their website.

To the runners from Cebu who are interested to join the race, here is the race map. I got this from takbo.ph.

Click on the map to magnify.

 

7th World Heart Day Run: Playing Catch-up Yet Again

RACE: 7th World Heart Day Run

LOCATION: The Terraces-Ayala Center Cebu

DATE: 26 September 2010 5:00-8:00 AM

RACE CATEGORY: 5K

BIB NUMBER:0338

TIME: 33:39:56 (My Time)

To be honest, I am having my blogger's block right now. I am out of words, so I better go straight to my point.

I have sworn myself to never, ever have to play catch-up on a race. But guess, what, I have to play catch up on yesterday's race since of the unforeseen (Well, obviously I did not anticipate or totally forgot about the "Alay-Lakad" that morning.) situation I had been through. 

When I was just a block away from the starting corral, I heard the starting gun was already fired, and the elites were already running in blistering speed. I asked my cab driver that I'll just walk my way to the starting corral, then paid my cab. While walking I was thinking of not joining the race, but then again, I told myself, since I am already here, why not join it! Better late than never!

Good thing my grade school batch mate, Claudeline, who was manning the computers for the race, so I asked her to I just leave my bags with her. And I just jog my way to the starting corral, which was absolutely empty already, then started my timer.

I was running using positive splits. It's a good thing that the tail end of the pack was still about to make a left turn to Juana Osmena St. Great, I can still catch up those slowpokes (Read: I was in a meanie mode.)! The terrain is generally a gradual uphill, and mind you I haven't expose myself to hills training since coming back. This could be a bit of a challenge for me and my precious knees. I decided to skip water stations, since I have my reliable little bottle of Pocari Sweat at hand. 

This is quite interesting, the marshals halted a coaster full of professional basketball players from the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), as I made my turn at the turning point. Oh my gawsh! My crush was there (Clue: He is a southpaw point guard from the San Miguel Beermen and he wears jersey number 5.)! I can't let him see me all sweaty and grimy! Major, major "eww" moment for me!

Anyway, once I got to the turning point, I was already pushing myself! Now, that the gravity was now on my side. And the best part, my right knee did not hurt or had that hinging sensation. I have passed and overtook some enumerable number of people including my high school classmate, JM, who earlier greeted me as he passed by me at the race start.

I sped up at the last turning point on to the finish line (If my memory served me right, I overtook 2-3 people along the way.). The clock at the finish line was already at the 44th minute. But when I checked my watch my time was at 33 minutes, 39 seconds and 56 milliseconds. Woah! That was better than my last race! I was so happy!

I just hope that on my next race, I hope I will not play catch up, and hopefully (cross my fingers), I'll have a better time! :)

Pikermi Training Log Week 2: Sept. 20-26

Monday, September 20

- After skipping my Sunday Runs (since I ran on Saturday), I decided to go to the oval for my "recovery run". For the past two weeks, I have been running around the track for 12 times, non-stop. I was thinking to increase my mileage, and instead of 12, I decided to go 13 rounds. Since it's a "recover run", I took this in an easy pace. My time was 41 minutes and 44 seconds. 

Tuesday, September 21

- Weights. I kicked off this work out with a seven minute session with my uberly large hula hoops! I dropped it for like a couple of times, but it's a feat. Then I started doing shadow boxing with our 1 lb. weights., one on each hand. After a good 7 minutes of it, I used our 4 lb.weights, then work on my deltoids, trapezius, biceps and triceps for a good 7 minutes. Then cool down with stretches, and that included my legs.

- I registered myself to the next race this coming Saturday, I just registered to the 5K category. And also I purchased the latest copy of Women's Health Magazine and Runner's World Philippines.

Wednesday, September 22

-No workouts today. I had a continuing professional education seminar on heartworms in the evening. And since I am the secretary of our organization, I made some last minute printing of our certificates. NGARAG!

Thursday, September 23

-The moon was full, and so I was. Again I made 13 rounds around the oval. This time, I pushed myself to my brink. I came to realize, I love the monotony of the track! My recovery is so far, so good! My time was 33 minutes, 56 seconds and 53 milliseconds.

Friday, September 24

-Same as Tuesday! I did a seven minute hula hoop session, seven minute shadow boxing with weights, plus running simulation of both arms with weights, and strengthening of the arm delts, traps, biceps and triceps.
- My brother was admitted to the hospital because of severe abdominal pains. He was admitted in the 5th floor. When I visited him, I decided to use the stair instead of the elevator. I had 4 flights that night. This good for the quads and butt.

Saturday, September 25
-I visited my brother again this morning. Again, I used the stairs.


Saturday, September 26
-Since I registered in the World Heart Day Run 5K, I went up and atom. I arrived late, and the runners were already off. So I have to play catch-up. I just used my father's Timex watch and my time was 33 minutes, 39 seconds and 89 milliseconds. That's better than my last week's run! Yipee!

Pikermi Training Log Week 1: Sept. 13-19, 2010

Monday, 13 Sept.

-I had myself checked for my blood pressure by my Mother, who happens to be a nurse. My blood pressure is 90/70, which is already normal for my standards. Most of the nurses and physicians who always take my blood pressure would often ask if I am anemic or an athlete. I just smiled, and say, no I am not anemic, I am just blessed with a low blood pressure.

Tuesday, 14 September

- I was assigned at the Lahug main branch, so I weighed myself using the digital weighing scale.I did not eat my breakfast, and only drank a mug of coffee and 2 glasses of water. My weight is at 54.30 kg! And in pounds that is 119.46. Multiply my weight to 3, that's 358.38 pounds of pressure on my precious knees! Got to loose some weight!

-I was supposed to be going to the track that evening, but there as an emergency situation I have to attend to, and it was raining so hard.

Wednesday, 15 September

-Finally ran around the track that evening. I made 12 loops, covering 4.8 kilometers at 38 minutes and 44 seconds. That's 12 minutes better from the "recovery" run a week ago.

Thursday, 16 September 

- Stretching exercises in the morning. Continuous running contracts your leg muscles, thus loosing  their flexibility.

Friday, 17 September 2010

- Running drills in the morning. I think I should do this regularly, don't you think?

Saturday, 18 September

-Race day! My first race since recovering from an injury. It was a 5 km race, and I finished it in 34 minutes and 6 seconds, good enough for a third place finish! Woohoo! The best part of all, I was no longer limping!

Sunday, 19 September

-Rest day!

Total distance covered for the week was 9.8 kilometers. This week my target distance to be covered will be 10.78 km. Maybe 11 kilometers will do. Wink!

SSS FUN RUN: A Comeback and So Much More

RACE: Philippine Social Security Service 53rd Anniversary Fun Run

RACE DIRECTOR: Engr. Roel Militar

LOCATION: SSS-Cebu Compound

DATE: 18 September 2010 5:00-7:30 AM

RACE CATEGORY: 5K

BIB NUMBER: 249

TIME: 34:06 (Official Time)

PRAISES

- Early gun start

- Ample supply of water

- Marshalls were present especially in intersections

- Food and refreshments at the finish line

RANTS

- Water stations should be located in both sides of the road. Or someone should go near the center island to distribute water to the runners.

- Medals were given to the lower tier of the top ten finishers. Top three finishers were not given a medal.

Overall rating: 4 paws.

It's been close to three weeks since I ran a race (that was the Aboitiz Run to Reduce). I did not gave a review since it was more of a diagnostic race. I rested my legs for quite sometime. I ran/jog around the dilapidated  and wrinkled track oval for two weeks now. I haven't touched on the asphalt road since recovering from my injury.

The SSS Anniversary Fun Run was my comeback race. I was supposed to schedule my comeback to next week, but I might as well, give this a shot. The race was an intimate one, with only a few hundred participants, mostly employees of this government agency. There were a few walk-ins, and the best part, there were no elites! I guess, most of them were gearing up for this Sunday's race.

The gun was fired before the sun was up, I was just running at my own pace. Male runners try to outrace each other, but in the end they were huffing and puffing, and were overtook by me. Hehehehe! The first half of the course was a gradual uphill of Osmeña Blvd. (formerly Jones Ave.), then we went down hill to Gen. Maxilom Ave. (Mango Ave.) to a turning point in front of St. Teresa's College. Then on towards the provincial capitol and turn back to where we started. The course proved to be a challenge for my knees especially downhills. Good thing there was no pain!

Once I got out of the last junction, the P. del Rosario-Osmeña Blvd., I sprinted! When I cross the finish line, one of the volunteers put a necklace around my neck and it has the number 3 on it! This is a historic moment for me! My first ever podium finish! Hehehehehe! Who would have thought that my time of 34 minutes is good enough for a third place finish! Insert evil laugh here.

This is too good to be true!

Lucky 3: 3 of my running gears (shirt, shorts and shoes) are Adidas (three stripes) and I placed third.

Thanks Adidas! I am open for sponsorship now! Hehehehehe!

I was P750.00 richer yesterday, and I get to have two pieces of KFC chicken and rice gift voucher. Sadly, no medal (chuckles!). Those in the top 6-10 got the medal, but no cash prize, though.

But the best prize of all, I can now walk without limping! Woohoo!

Go Ion!

To those who greeted me through Facebook and Twitter, THANK YOU!

My Running Blog is Written by a Guy!

My super cool geek high school classmate, Frank, posted on his Facebook status about his blog, and what an artifical intelligence thinks about it. His blog, thirdworldwriter.com, is written by a female, between 18-25 years old.

So I tried my blog, if what the AI thinks about it, and here's the result:

Text analysis

mysundaespecial.blogspot.com is probably written by a male somewhere between 26-35 years old. The writing style is academic and happy most of the time. 

Oh, well everything is quite true, except for the sex. I guess me and Frank should swap. Hehehehehe!

You can give your blog a shot as well, just go to http://urlai.com.

SSS Fun Run-Sept. 18

In celebration of it's 53rd anniversary, the Philippine Social Security Systems will be having a fun run this coming Sept. 18, 2010. There are only two categories available: 3K and 5K. Registration fee is at P250.00, inclusive of singlet and race bib. Interested participants can register at the SSS Legal Department, Third Floor, SSS Building, Jones Ave. (Osmena Blvd.), Cebu City. Deadline for registration will be on Sept. 10, 2010.

For inquiries, you may call (032)505-9301 local 343, or (032) 255-3195.