I am Still Alive

Am I still obliged to say, "Sorry" to my beloved readers for my absence on this blog? I guess so! I apologized to my dear fans for my no entries for quite some time. Since my injury (What an excuse, is it?), I kinda enjoy the comforts of not waking up at 4 am, wake up in the ungodliest hours in the morning just to catch European football, and eat out with friends. Such lifestyle made me lost my running and writing mojos.

Rest assured dear reader, that my days of couch potato-ness are numbered! Oh yes, I will be up-and-running...this JUNE.

35th Milo Marathon Eliminations Race- Cebu Leg Schedule

Hello there! It's been a while since i blogged about anything running. Anyways, I got some news for everyone! The prestigious Milo Marathon will be celebrating it's 35th year this year. So I am blogging to announce that the Cebu leg of the race will be held on OCT. 2, 2011. 

Mark it on your running calendars, boys and girls. For the complete schedule of the Milo Marathon 2011, click here.

Azkal Fever

I just reported to work today, and I am excited to share to you my experience watching the Philippine Men's National Football team match against Mongolia. Really it was an amazing and memorable experience for me as a football fan and as a Filipino. For my entry, it will be on my other blog.

Laban Azkals!

Detour

Dear Reader,

I am off to Bacolod this week with my folks to watch the AFC Challenge Cup match between the Philippines and Mongolia (first leg). Anything related to the Azkals, football, and other sports, please click here. That's my sports blog. I decided to keep this page, rather, devote this site for running and anything related about it. I am planning to change the site's title as well. But I am still thinking about it.

XoXo,
Ling

My CCM Half Marathon Story

I tried so hard to conceal the pain near the finish line.

It's been almost a month since my second half marathon, and I owe my dear readers my experience of what was it like to run another second half-marathon. For starters, I have a lot of respect for this distance, after all 21K is half of the 42K. This is not the type of distance where you can just slack and relax. To prepare for a half-marathon, one must prepare it in three to four months. The preparation includes a lot of long slow distance runs on weekend, intervals, recovery runs, hills training, just to name some of the preparation I did.

I must admit, I did slack in the middle of training for reasons that I burned out in mid-training or eternally lost a love one. But it did not deter my spirit, not even an injury I sustained barely two weeks before the big race.

I have to say, what I did was either courageous and stupid. I know that I was injured but still had the guts to run. And since this is my second half-marathon, I was aiming for a personal best for this run, 2:30 or less. To run in such distance, one must not be 100%, but 110%. With my state during that time, I was at 80%. It was one of those moments that I have to say this mantra, "bahala na si Batman".

We'll go straight to the running, shall we? My Tita Nene and I ran in an LSD pace-ish in the first three kilometers, slowly picked up our running mojo at Km. 4. Running throught the sights and colors of Cebu? You betcha! The route took us to some "heritage" sites of Cebu, like the Cebu Capitol, Colon St. (The Philippines oldest street, named after Christopher Columbus.),  Basilica del Sto. Nino, Magellan's Cross, Cebu City Hall, Malacanan sa Sugbo (the old Bureau of Customs building), Fort San Pedro (The Philippines' oldest and smallest fortification.), the South Road Properties tunnel, and of course the SRP.

 Look we have a new friend. The runner beside me is Nanay Rosal. Lo and behold, we live in the same part of town.

I kinda slowed down on our way back, because I was such a worry mort on my injury.  I resorted to do run-walk-jog. I kept on looking at my watch if I can still make it to my target time. Upon approaching kilometer 19, my target of finishing 2:30 or less fizzled because of the University of the Philippines-Cebu hill, which my father's colleague, Cres affectionately named "the UP Heartbreak Hill". By this time around, I must run in order to beat my old time of 2:45.

Some 700 meters from the finish line, I had this pain on my gastrocsoleus. I was thinking, is this an impending cramps? I told myself, "I am already close to the finish line, dammit! Just let me cross it, and I'll have you iced up on the medical tent.". And the pain went away. As I approach the finish line, I glanced on my watch, alright, I am going to beat my old time! And I did! I finish at 2 hours, 38 minutes and 6 seconds! A PR for me! 

RACE: Cebu City Marathon

LOCATION:Asiatown IT Park

DATE: January 9, 2011 4:00AM- 12 Noon

RACE CATEGORY: 21.1K

TIME: 2:38:06 (Official Time)

PS: I'll be running the marathon next year! That will be our little secret.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Runners

posing just like those japanese idols do on their blogs.

You have read it and seen it! After devoting my whole Sunday afternoon finishing Stieg Larsson's first book of the Millennium trilogy, it's time to read this.

This book contains one hundred and one inspirational stories about running. So while I'm on the injured list, it's good that my spirit is buoyed by this book.

I consider this as my Chinese New Year gift to myself (I am quarter Chinese.). Kung hei fat choi!

PS: This book is available in Fullybooked @ PhP 599.00.

I Am Injured Again

You read it right! After doing my much-awaited second half-marathon, I got injured. I was already injured while doing the half-marathon. I was already in pain while doing my pre-Noche Buena Run last Dec. 24. It was almost an 18 km run. I normally don't limp after the run, and I always, always stretch right after. But unfortunately I was limping. I iced it, and it's gone. In the succeeding training days, I noticed that when I run, I tend to drag my left leg. But as I get further, the left leg was getting fine. Right after the run, the pain was back, and the more I train, the longer was the healing time. So I decided to rest my legs for a week right before my half-marathon.

Fast forward. So it has been 3 weeks since the marathon, but I still drag my left leg. It is even bugging my movements. I already tried every trick in the book on how to relieved pain. I already took pain relievers, 2 to be exact. I already rub my leg with liniments and counter-irritants, hot packs, none seemed to work. It's about time to go to the physiatrist to have this resolved.

So I went back to pay Dr. Jorgen Lim a visit again. He is the same doctor who diagnosed my ITBS last year. He carefully took my history, which I detailedly narrate. That included my training days and my mileage covered (sans a kodigo!). He did some physical examination. And when he compared my left gastroc soleus muscle with my right, he noticed that my left is tight! 

He recommended to have 6 PT sessions to loosen it. And that includes some strengthening of the quads. Road running is prohibited right now, so it's either the treadmill or stationary bike for me. But he recommended the bike, though.

I had my first PT session with Elna, my therapist. She is also the therapist of my grandfather! I just recently discovered that. She gave my injured leg some electric impulse by using an interferential current (IFC) to increase blood flow and stimulate the nerves. It was a good 15 minutes on that machine. Next, an ultrasound was used to relax the deep muscle tissues. After wards, she gave my leg some stretching.

The PT session cost PhP 450.00/ session. But that includes the professional fee of the therapist and usage of the equipment. I even had a bonus spin in the stationery bike and the leg press machine. I did 50 repetitions on that machine, and 15 minutes worth of easy cycling. Not bad at all. I'll have another session this Friday, and I am already excited!

Too Lazy to Lace Up

Ever since finishing my second half marathon, my weekly mileage is down to a big, fat egg. As in NIL, ZERO, or whatever you call it! Partly because I was limping for a week after the race. My left calf muscles were sore, that I have to take pain killers to kill (The pain, that is.) it. Plus the weather has been wet and dreary that I wore every jacket that lay dormant in my closet for most parts of the year. Injury + Cold and Wet weather= Recipe for the lazy arse runner.

To be honest, I enjoyed this "off season" mode. Maybe because I don't have to wake up in ungodly hours just to run, or this "off season" mode made me save my hard earn money from a race registration. Also I am cutting off my risk of getting the dreaded respiratory viral infection. Also, I have time to watch the Asian Football Confederation-Asian Cup and cheer for the Samurai Blue (That's Japan, my friend.) on their quest for their 4th Asian Cup title. What's worst, I did not bother to write my second breaking of a previous PR on my second race of the year!

But this madness must end! And it MUST END, ASAP! So will someone kick me back to my RUNNING senses?

Quote for this Post
"Not all runners want to take days off. They fear lost fitness. Miss too many days and it will. But fail to rest and you will suffer more."- Hal Higdon

A Shuffle and a Chicken Soup

Even if Santa did not deliver most of the things on my wish list, but boy, I feel blessed with all the goodies I got. I am going to feature only two for this post.

First is the I-Pod Shuffle.

I unabashedly declared my notoriety in Twitter in one of my previous posts. It is through Twitter where I earn this little musical gadget. Commission on Elections (ComElec) commissioner, Gregorio Larazzabal tweeted on what will be your New Year's resolution, and win an I-pod Shuffle. I gave it a shot, and replied my New Year's resolution to his tweet.  And they say, the rest was history. I won. Commissioner Goyo send me a direct message (DM) asking for my mailing address. The gadget arrived in office via a courier.

I already uploaded songs that I love on this shuffle. But sad to say, I will never use this on a race or any long run (Or I might, who knows.). I am more of those "zen runners".


For those interested to follow my notoriety, twitter.com/Ling2x.

Photo taken from Amazon.com

Yup, there is "Chicken Soup for the Soul for Runners"! This is the latest, hot-from-the-press book of the Chicken Soup series. I never thought that this book is already here in the Philippines. When I asked the friendly crew of Fullybooked Ayala Center-Cebu if they have this book. They were chirpy that they have this book, and it just arrived. I immediately bought this book. This book, along with Haruki Murakami's "What I Talk about, When I Talk About Running", are my running inspiration books. I just had a salary raise. So this is my little token.

I haven't read this book. I have to finish Stieg Larsson first.

Personal Best January (Part 1)

RACE: 1st Sinulog Fun Run

LOCATION: CSSC Track Oval

DATE: January 2, 2011 5:00-8:00 AM

RACE CATEGORY: 5K

TIME: 31:13:08 (My Time)

My very first race of the new year was the day after the New Year's Day, January 2. This was the Sinulog Fun Run to kick off the festivities of the feast of Señor Sto. Niño de Cebu (Child Jesus). It was rather a short race, only 5 kilometers. The route of the race is actually the route that is used in the Sinulog Grand Parade this coming Sunday, January 16. 

For this race, I was paced by my father, who last paced me in the Pinay in Action (PIA) last March 2010. My father pushes me to the brink that I will either cough or about to puke, but that's how he is. He likes me to push myself. That's the reason why we argue, but in the end he'll always win!

The first 2 kilometers was about running uphill to Imus Road away from the burgeoning crowd of students. We even overtook our city mayor once we got out of the track oval. But we greeted him as a sign of respect, though.

On the third kilometer, I took a very brief, as in 10 seconds of walk, then my father barked not to stop running/jogging, so pushed jog. Then, it's up to the rolling hills of Mango Ave. (also known as Gen. Maxilom Ave.). Oh, the hills were alive. I kept a steady pace, then run up to the hills.


On the last kilometer, I was literally running. I was already coughing, but I said to myself, "It's almost the finish line, run like you are chased by a pack of rabid dogs!". So when I crossed the finish line, I checked my watch, whoa, a personal best 5k! 


I am looking forward to run more 5Ks this year to break this PB. Hopefully next time, it will be a sub 30! 


Oh, my high school batch mates and I had a mini reunion. We even "modeled" for a sardines brand, as requested by the girl on their booth. The sardines brand was one of the sponsors. Sad to say, we did not ask where they posted the photos.


Hey, I'm on TV. One of my uncles watched the broadcast of the local evening news the Monday after, and saw me ran past the mayor! He even told his beer buddies about my exploits. Does this means that I am already a celebrity? Hahahahahahaha!

 Review:

It was a fairly well run race. There were marshals along the route, ample water station, and post race food and drinks. It was a turn off that they used the water from the fire hydrant as our "drinking water". We had foreigners and balik-bayans who joined the race, like Jappy and her friend Michelle. 

This race saved me from purchasing my "annual" Sinulog t-shirt. Instead of singlet, they gave away a t-shirt from local manufacturers, Kulas!

Hood to Coast-The Movie

Or should I say, "The Documentary". 



I hope this will be shown in our local theaters.

Power Balance bracelets-Bogus!

Photo taken from this site: http://www.kakatech.com/power-balance-silicon-wristband-bracelet/

News have been circulating around the web this week that the Power Balance bracelets do not have any medical benefits as promised. Read on this link to know more about the issue.

It's a good thing that I did not purchase this product, which was THE "IT" product last year. Celebrities are wearing it, even runners. There are bootleg versions of these being sold in tiangges. It's a good thing I did not purchase these. Thank God for my intuition!

2010

This year is about to end, and it's about time to make some reviews, recollections and recalls of the year that was.

• First stop, I conquered my very first Pikermi, half-mary, half marathon or 21K race.  My race time of 2 hours and 45 minutes was kinda disappointing after all the effort and training. But I guess, I have to be happy with this result since this is my very first 21K.
• On my dad's first marathon attempt, he DNFed! He suffered severe cramps on the 37th km on both legs! He had muscle spasms, too! My dad never admitted that he had a trauma after his ordeal. But I secretly plan to join him on his marathon redemption by 2012.
• A separate blog site. Yup, I used to blog my running misadventures along with my personal blog. But I have to separate what is personal to what is running, so I came with this blogsite as my running blog.
• Dailymile and other social networks. Thanks to the Dailymile and other social networks (I'm quite notorious on twitter!) I was able to meet with runners. Although, I haven't introduce myself in real life. I am planning to ditch my "shyness" by 2011.
• I am actually overwhelmed of having 13 runner/blogger followers! Thanks for following my blog!
• I am also overwhelmed by runner bloggers for posting links to my blog on their blogsite! Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart!
• Who would have thought that after suffering a major injury, I had a podium finish. Yes folks, I ran the SSS Fun Run and placed third!
• This year, I suffered ITBFS or iliotibial band friction syndrome which made me miss the Cebu and Dumaguete legs of the Milo Marathon.
• And aside from ITBFS, I also suffered severe and intermittent pangs of TAMADITIS! Yes, I must confess, I am quite of a lazy arse, especially in mid-training.
• DNR, DNS and DNFs. This year, I did not participate in three races that I already registered. Reasons that ranges from not waking up early, to family reunions to having a bum tummy. As for DNS, I had two. One was the Planet Sports Run last June and the Heart Run last September. The first one was due to my answering nature's call, while the second one was an almost DNR because of the lack of transportation available. The second race was on the Alay-Lakad weekend. My DNF came just recently at the Cebu Bankers Run.
• This year I also joined the "barefoot" running revolution by purchasing a Nike Free 5.0 version 4. But I still have qualms of purchasing yet another "barefoot shoes".
• This year marks the 10th year since I graduated from high school (Now, you guys better do your math on how old I am!). And who would have thought we get to have an impromptu reunion during races! I will blog on it very, very soon. And with photos, too!
• Aside from running, I am also featuring the world's beautiful game, football. Or soccer to us. I also featured our Philippine National Football team amiably called, the Azkals! I already purchased their kit (or jersey) from Mizuno. And will have it's debut on next year's first race. Watch out for it!
• I learned to appreciate our delapidated and wrinkled Cebu City Sports Complex (CSSC) track oval (aka Abellana), and track workouts. I used to loathed these.
• This year, I also joined  the Energizer Night Race! It was my first night race.

• In Memoriam: Let's remember the lives of Alexander Landero and Remus Fuentes, who met their untimely demise while participating in the sport they love. May they rest in peace.
• Witnessed an Ultramarathon!

So 2010 was a crazy year! But I am looking forward to a better and brighter 2011. But that would be another post! Happy New Year, runners!

Oblation Run: The Naked Run of Protest

The Alpha Phi Omega (APO) Fraternity and Sorority's annual Oblation Run is one of those quirky traditions in the University of the Philippines. This is usually held every 16th of December,which is the anniversary date of APO's establishment.

The Oblation Run started in 1977 in protest of the human rights atrocities during the Martial Law regime. Since then, the Oblation Run serves as the fraternities way of protest to some social and political issues in the Philippines.

Why run naked? Well, since Alpha Phi Omega is one of the established fraternities in UP, the frat boys give tribute to the "Oblation", the iconic symbol of the University of the Philippines.

I have friends who are members of this fraternity. I wonder if they already joined the Oblation Run.

Azkals and it's Many Interpretations

Tomorrow, Dec. 16 (Manila time) and on Dec. 19, the Philippine National Football Team aka the Azkals will face the Indonesian National Football team aka the Garudas for their semifinal tie of the ASEAN Football Federation Suzuki Cup. My country's "home" game will be held in the opponent's territory. For those who have not known yet why my nation's football team (That's soccer team to us Filipinos!) is affectionately called the Azkals, click on this link.

Since, it's the fans who concocted the moniker, the Azkals do not have an official seal.

 The photo above is what the fans consider as the "official" Azkals seal.

 Here's a rather a sinister looking Azkals logo.

 This one screams "Kick ass", in my honest opinion. But the dog looks like Balto.

 Here's an Azkal doodle.

And this is t-shirt makers, Team Manila's interpretation of the Azkals' logo.

So which of these do you choose to be our team's logo? 

Go Azkals! Go out and fight...and BITE!

Quote for this Post:

"It took me a long time to decide. Obviously every boy's dream is to play for England at the highest level. But I thought, why not play for the Philippines? It's mum's side of the family as well."
—Philippines' goal keeper Neil Etheridge, on his decision to represent the Philippines

DNF

DNF! 

In runners' lingo, that means, "DID NOT FINISH". This is my first DNF that's because I paced a new-found friend.

Since I missed last Sunday's race, I made a "lagare" to the scheduled weekend races, and that included the Saturday race. I was planning to run 15K in both races. You read it right? 15K on each race that I am going to run.

I finished the Saturday race drenched, but I was able to get a PR at 1 hour and 44 minutes. 

So, in today's race, I promised one of my dad's staff to pace her. If my dad were here, he would pace Jenny. But my father is in Bacolod to man the bank there. Jenny will be running the half-marathon this January, so this will be her training run. And as for me, the Bankers' Run will be my recovery run.

Jenny and I were at pace. We took a brief pee break at The Gallery since she cannot contain her bladder. It was in kilometer 4, when Jenny felt a sharp pain on her lateral side of her right knee. Oh no! ITBS has struck Jenny! I told her to slow down or just walk. I also taught her the stretches my physiatrist taught. 

When we approach the 10K turning point, I suggested that we should do a 10K instead. But Jenny thought she could still run the 15K. So we pushed through. But her ITBS went from bad to worse at the Fuente Osmena rotunda. So from doing the Galloway method, we just walked towards the 15K turning point. We tried to run back, but the niggling pain still bothered Jenny. So We just walked our way up to Lahug, were Jenny suddenly felt hungry. I sprinted towards the Brgy. Lahug market to buy bananas. Jenny kept apologizing, thinking she was a bother. I told her there's no need to apologize, I mean, I am her pacer and besides I already logged more mileage than my usual weekly mileage.

We decided to DNF in order for Jenny not to suffer an embarrassing situation being the last person to cross the finish line. I suggested that we should take off our race bibs when we were already a kilometer away from the finish line. We went straight to her companion's car to get our stuff, and let her stretch.

Even if it was a DNF, I gained a lot...a gained a new friend.

AZKAL

I have to make a segue blog post on football. I must write something about Philippine Football. Why? Because for the first time since it's inception, the Philippines are heading to the semifinals of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Football Federation Suzuki Cup (then known as the Tiger Cup), for the VERY FIRST TIME!

I haven't watch a single game except tonight's goalless draw with Myanmar (or Burma). But I after watching this game, and that impressive draw against Singapore and THAT win against defending champion, Vietnam, I have to say, the Azkals is the team to recon with. I mean, who would have thought, even if our lads are grouped into the "group of death",  they were able to deliver the improbable.

In a country where basketball is king, and that athletes and sports programs always get entangled with the tides in politics, the Azkals (the Philippine Football team's nickname baptised by fans) proved that in this sport (football or soccer), we can be a powerhouse.  The Azkals did not have any major corporate sponsor/s that funded their trips, training, and even their kit or uniform. Take a look at Manny Pacquiao's shorts? There are at least 10 brands embroidered on it.

The Philippines will play host to Group A winners, Indonesia in their first game in the semi-finals. Go out and support our team!

DNR: Run for BB2

As early as 3:26 AM (Ph Time) I decided not to run today's race, "Run for BB2". Since 12:57 AM (Again, Ph time.) I am already awake and I am nursing a bum tummy. I think I got this from the half-cooked rice that I ate for lunch, (or something even more sinister...ROTAVIRUS!). I'd rather swallow my pride and withdraw, rather than suffer some embarrassment or any untoward freak incidents. 

I hope I can run a 10 miler maybe in the afternoon today, though! To the runners for this run, I am with you in spirit! I hope this tummy ache will be gone soon, very, very soon! Now, off to another trip to the...

Views from a Bystander: The Cebu ULTRAMARATHON

Guess where was I during the Cebu Ultramarathon last Nov. 27? 

Sirit?

I was at the clinic where I am currently working. The clinic is situated in one of the those tiny roads along Gorordo Ave. in Lahug. It is more or less 1.5 km away from the Provincial Capitol. In the morning, I was busy attending to the walk-in patients, giving there much needed vaccination, dewormers and treating one against blood parasites. I asked one of the tanods stationed in a n outpost to call my attention once runner are starting to pass by the area.

At around 10:30 in the morning, Mendel Lopez, the winner of this event, passed by. And one by one, the elites are on the homestretch. I am already done with my duties for the morning, and already ordered for McDonald's to deliver my lunch. It was around 12 when I saw Steve Ferraren speeding down the hill across the street. He ran against the traffic.

From 12 noon to 2:45 in the afternoon, I was just standing in between two VECO poles at the corner of Sunset Drive and Gorordo Ave., witnessing what would be an elusive dream of mine. To run an ultramarathon. I was a mere bystander, taking photos at some runners, giving them words of encouragement (e.g., Hey, it's just 1.5 kilometers aways! Kaya pa!), or give directions especially the out-of-towners (e.g., Ultrarunner from Manila: "Miss, saan ba ang UP Cebu?" Me: "When you go down this hill, that's already UP.")

It was a good thing, that I have no patients during that time. Good thing they arrived at 3.

Here are some photos that I took. I apologize for the poor quality, I totally forgot my camera (face palm!), so I only use my mobile phone.

Merlita Arias Dunkin, 2nd place Lady's Category

It's good to see students gave back to their mentor by pacing and supporting with him towards the finish.

Bald Runner gamely posing for me.

Mr. Front Runner himself, Jonel Mendoza.

Band of Brothers

Mr. Nemesio Escasinas (partly hidden)

With his better half, Mrs. Tessie Escasinas closely behind.

Gabby Lariosa of Cebu Daily News

Tinago Barangay Councilor Joel Garganera with a friend.
He took his oath after crossing the finish line. 

Conquering 50 kms. in Vibrams? Why not!

Add caption

Tito V. ad his flock of Ungo Runners

Head Master Ungo, Max. I barely recognized him because he had his "bangas" shaved.

BDM veteran, ultramarathoner, and broadcast journalist, Haide Acuna.

 Ms. Twinkle Ignacio, Cebu's running muse.

ULTRA

photo taken from runfool.com.

This weekend, Cebu will be holding it's first ultramarathon. I have been running for 18 months already, but I haven't signed up for a single marathon, and have to complete my second Pikermi this January. The thought of conquering my first marathon is still quite daunting. But conquering an ULTRA, I must be insane by that time. 

Anyways, this post is dedicated to the brave men and women who will run from Mt. Manunggal (Cebu's highest peak) up to the Provincial Capitol. Good luck and Godspeed!

Oh, by the way, the next time I am going to meet the finishers, I have a monicker reserved for them...

 Ultraman photo is a property of Toei Productions and Tsurabaya Productions.

"ULTRAMAN"!