Training

Though I may have finished 2 marathons with no real marathon training — I don’t advice it. My times show it. How my legs felt after showed it… Nothing beats really training for a race — especially  if you have time targets in mind.

However, at present, I’m beginning to veer away from “training.” I no longer go out running to train… I just go out and run. That’s it… No labels.

For the past few months, I’ve been running without following a set training schedule. I just look at my work schedule, find out which days I can run… and determine how much time I have for that run. I don’t have speed, tempo, or long run days anymore. I just run at the pace I feel like running. I may go slow or fast, depending on what my body tells me it wants to do.

I’ve been running for more than 3 years now and always trying to be in training mode has made my running more of a chore. I ran because I needed to… not because I wanted to.

But with a change in my mindset, I am enjoying running once more. My runs are no longer about whether I attained my target pace, or my interval splits, or my required distance… My runs are now about thanking God that I am able to run… being amazed how I can reach places with just my two feet… enjoying a sudden cooling breeze, or a stretch of shade… I run, because I can.

Going Minimalist

I’ve joined the minimalist shoe movement.

I’m saying goodbye to cushioned shoes and saying hello to barely-soled shoes. The transition isn’t that easy but it is a transition I am fully embracing.

30 and 5

That’s 30 minutes run and 5 minutes walk. That was my plan for the 2 marathons I ran… to do cycles of 30 and 5 from start to finish. Having not really trained for the QCIM (my longest run for the year was a couple of 21kms), I knew that if I tried to run all the way, I’d barely go beyond the halfway point. (I was really tired at the end of my last 21 km, where I ran all the way.) So for me to have a chance surviving QCIM, I devised this plan to run 30 and walk 5 (I had no basis for choosing these times, I just felt it was a nice round number which I could easily follow).

I started out in the middle of the pack and I really had to keep my competitive juices in check. Runners were passing me by and more so when after my 1st 30 minutes, I would walk. (I used a stopwatch to monitor my times.) It was tempting to just forget my plan and try to keep on running but thankfully, the rational part of my brain won, hence I dutifully followed my plan.

I know that for some hard-core marathoners, walking during a marathon is a big taboo… that it shouldn’t be done at all. But, for the untrained marathoner like me, the 5 minute walks I had were definitely a life saver. Even though my legs were already tired, I was able to keep on pushing knowing that I’d have those 5 minute respites. Also, by doing my 30 and 5 cycles, I was able to mentally cut the marathon into smaller segments, making it seem less daunting and more manageable. By having kilometer markers along the route, it helped boost my confidence everytime I would pass by one… especially if I did it while walking. It made me feel good knowing that even if I was just walking, it was still helping me attain my goal… to reach the finishline.

When I reached the finish, although my legs were hurting, I still felt relatively fresh. I know that if I didn’t stick to my plan, finishing the QCIM would have been impossible to do.

A day before the Condura Skyway Marathon, I was able to attend a talk by Jeff Galloway. It was there that I found out my run-walk cycle plan was not conforming to what he suggested. His plan was to have run-walks which ranged from 30sec run-30sec walk cycles, to 4 min runs and 1 minute walks, depending on your target pace. The faster your pace, the longer the the run part should be. According to him, this made sure your legs wouldn’t get too tired (if the run part was too long) that the walk part won’t be enough to rest and re-energize your legs. However, with my “success” in the QCIM, I decided to stick to my plan (30&5) for the Condura.

During Condura, I was lucky to have as my pace buddy, Ilo Trinidad (who was then a first-time marathoner). I explained to him what I planned to do and he decided to follow the same plan as well. We stuck to our schedule of doing the 30 and 5 cycles, and it really helped us maintain our composure during the run. However, due to the difficult course (I’ve forgotten how undulating the Skyway was), at around 15 km before the finish, we decided to modify our cycle to 15 minute runs and 2 minute walks since we already had difficulty maintaining 30 minute runs. At 5 km before the finish, we further ‘downgraded’ our cycles to 5 minute runs and 1 minute walks. It was at this point that Ilo told me that by finishing each cylce, we were winning small battles… And by winning those small battles, we were on our way to winning the war.

At around km 40, I decided to ‘sprint’ it a little and the rests I had prior rested my legs enough that I was able to do my mini-sprint. Once again, doing my walk-run plan worked so I can finish another marathon… and since my plan has allowed me to feel relatively fresh at the finish, I think I’ll be sticking to it in my future marathons as well!

Setting Goals

I remember reading in an old issue of Running Times Magazine (I forgot which one) that part of the planning for a race is to set goals… goals which will determine the level of success of your performance for that particular race. The advice in that article is to set 3 goals, A, B and C. Goal A is your primary goal. It is the main goal you want to achieve for the race. It could be as grand as winning the race, or setting a new PR, or simply just to be able to finish within the cutoff time. Achieving this goal makes your race a super successful one.

Goal B is your secondary goal. It is the alternative goal you would want to attain if at some point in the race, you realize that achieving your goal A becomes impossible. It is oftentimes the goal you set that will help prepare you to achieve your goal A in a future race. For example, if your goal A was to set a new PR but at the halfway point, you realize you won’t get it, you then shift your sights on your goal B, which could be to finish within 1-2 minutes of your previous PR. This gives you the confidence that during your next race, getting that new PR will be more possible.

Goal C is the goal that you set that you need to atleast achieve to make the race still a success. It can also be used to gauge if you should still continue to push on in a race. If at any point of the race you decide that even accomplishing this goal is almost virtually impossible, then it’s time to assess yourself whether it would still be worthwhile to continue or it would be more prudent to just DNF. For example, during a marathon, you’re already dead-tired and can’t continue to run. If your goal C is just to finish, then you need to find out if you can still walk without much difficulty. If you can, then push through. But if walking causes you much problems, then maybe it’s now better to stop and just call it a day. This saves you from possible injuries and unecessary exhaustion. Just spend some time analyzing what happened so that you can improve on them when during your next race.

Of course, when setting these goals, it should be realistic and not over the top. Factors such as the amount of training you’ve had, and the conditions of the race should be taken into consideration. The S.M.A.R.T approach can be used as a guiding prinicple in formulating these goals. The goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound.

For the QCIM, having no formal marathon training, I had set modest goals for myself. My goal A was to finish within 6 hours, my goal B was just to be able to finish, and my goal C was to atleast be able to  ~30km before DNFing. I ended up reaching the finish line at a time of 5 hours and10 minutes. Not a really fast time by all means but since I achieved my goal A (with a lot of time to spare), I was ecstatic at the finish.

Basing on my previous marathon experience, I set higher goals for myself for my 2nd marathon. For the Condura Skyway Marathon, I set my goal A to finish in 5 hours, my goal B was to finish in 5 hours and 30 minutes, and my goal C was to finish within 6 hours. I crossed the finish line at almost the same time as in QCIM 5 hours and 14 minutes (talk about consistency). Although I did not reach my goal A, i was still happy at the finish. Even if I had almost the same finishing time as in QCIM, I felt less tired at the end of Condura than in QCIM. Feeling that way at the finish, it boosted my belief in myself that with more adequate training, finishing in 5 hours in my next marathon will definitely be a possibility.

By setting 3 goals for those runs, it allowed me to focus on an ultimate goal (goal A) and yet be flexible enough to be able to adjust mid-race if that goal becomes unachievable. Having extra goals allowed me to stay positive during Condura even if I realized I wouldn’t be able to finish in 5 hours. Instead of lamenting that I failed my goal (had I only 1 goal), I was able to shift my sights on my goal B allowing me to still enjoy the race. I may have missed out on my goal A, but I still ended up crossing the finish line feeling a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment.

2 Marathons

I ran the QC International Marathon in Dec. 5, 2010 and the Condura Skyway Marathon in Feb 6, 2011.  I didn’t particularly train for them but a combination of planning and a lot of good luck allowed me to finish them. Finishing these two marathons are a big deal for me since after finishing the 2009 BDM102, I have been mostly “out of commission” in the long distance running circuit because of injuries and a busy schedule. These 2 marathons hopefully mark my return to running long distances. Also, I’ve never officially ran a marathon before, so the 2010 QCIM will have a special place in my heart, being my first official marathon.

For my next few posts, I’ll be giving an account of how I did it… running, and eventually finishing those 2 marathons.

According to Jeff Galloway…

… after a run/marathon, you should be:

1. standing upright;
2. smiling; and
3. wanting to do it again…

- at around km 41, 2011 Condura Skyway Marathon -

*photo courtesy of Vener Roldan*

Pineapples and Knee Pain

Can eating pineapples help decrease knee pain? It seems that it does.

I read in an article in the January 2011 issue of Reader’s Digest Asia that pineapples contain bromelain, which is an enzyme that “causes the body to produce substances that fights pain, swelling and inflammation… (and that they) may be a possible alternative to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen).”

So after a run, eat some pineapples! I think it’s a great post-workout snack. Aside from bromelain, it also contains vitamin C (helps in muscle repair), electrolytes (such as calcium and potassium), sugars (replenishes glycogen stores), and fiber (aids in digestion). You just have to eat the core of the pineapple though, as most of the bromelain is contained there and not in the flesh.