Manny Pacquiao and Nike 1:34 PM

Came across this old Nike commercial with Manny Pacquiao in it--along with Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Kobe Bryant and a few more star athletes.

Watch him and his I'm-being-lightning-fast-as-usual punches. Way to go, Manny!

4-Miler: Microsoft IE8 Run (May 31) 8:48 PM

It was drizzling at 5:30 am when i did my warm-ups at the assembly area of the Microsoft IE8 Run in between the NBC Tent and High Street.

The rain wasn't obviously going to stop any time soon, but that fact didn't deter the crowd of participants from running. I felt particularly happy in this event, because it was being held for the benefit of UNICEF's Child Protection program (on online child safety), and a good number of us from the fundraising, communication and child protection sections were there this morning. So it was indeed nice to stay at the UNICEF booth pre- and post-race (we were also selling products from our new line of gifts there) and have a laugh with good friends from work.

To make this entry short but sweet (as I am currently absorbed with a new, ahem, computer game--which is another story in itself), I'll do the lazy way out and do bullet points. Sort of what like The Bull Runner does, when she reviews races.

Highlights:
- new route, new distance (I've never run in the University Parkway area before)
- exciting route for the 8-mile runners (from Bonifacio Global City area, up the Kalayaan flyover, on Buendia up to the Makati Post Office, and then back. That is one hell of a route.)
- the light rain had a cooling effect and felt nice on the skin--and no sun to make the run tougher!
- ample water available to all runners (although I didn't have to stop at the water stations, because I carried in my pocket my own small bottle)
- race started on time
- good post-race program; the host had the crowd all riled up and excited for the raffle
- really amazing raffle prizes from Microsoft and sponsors like HP and Mizuno! (too bad I'm generally unlucky and I never win at raffles)
- inflatable playground for the kids, the same kind of playground that we had for UNICEF Walk on the Child's Side 2008
- UNICEF booth with our banners on anti-child pornography and our face-to-face fundraisers trying to get new pledge sign-ups. The booth showcased our gift items--and people were going to our booth and buying!
- ample food booths for the hungry ones
- yummy post-event breakfast at Pancake House sponsored by Microsoft

Low Points:
- not enough distance markers. There was only one marker: the half-way point. It was difficult tracking how I was doing on a per-mile basis. I didn't want to check my watch all the time because I wanted to concentrate on the road ahead of me.
- slippery portions. Upon gunstart for the 4-mile race, the guy right beside me slipped on this metal surface thing on the road! I felt panic for him and prayed he didn't get injured. And when I crossed the finish line, there was that blasted metal surface again! I almost slipped! Puddles on the rain were okay, though. It was fun sort of splashing around a bit, and my Nike Zooms did well in terms of traction.
- DEAD FROG IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. Okay, this is obviously not Microsoft's fault, haha. I just loathe the sight of frogs so much. When I saw the dead 'un this morning, I let out a small scream. It was lying on its back, with its stiff legs raised up and its white underbelly clearly seen. It was so hideous. The advantage here was that the sight of the dead amphibian made me run faster. I kept praying that I wouldn't encounter live frogs the rest of the way.


My right knee was bothering me the whole time. I've been feeling a little pain since Thursday (when I did a practice 6.4 km run), and it didn't let up during today's race. But I think I've managed to bear the pain fairly well. Clocked in around 42-43 minutes (6.7 min/km). Still average. I always hope to do better. The good thing is, every time I run a race, I show some improvement naman, which is encouraging, of course!

Next race? Mizuno Infinity Run on June 7. 5 km, hopefully, if my knee stops acting up.

***

Read an interesting entry in Takbo.ph on why two or more pairs of running shoes are better than one. It does make a lot of sense, you know. Running is still relatively cheaper than other sports, and the least one can do is invest on good running shoes. My Nike Zooms are still in okay condition but I need to get a new pair (or two?) very soon.

Onwards 3:02 PM

I love my friends, who seem to find the best videos online. Got this from These Curious Days.

"Onwards" is this pretty little video made by illustrator James Jarvis in collaboration with Nike, and it wonderfully summarizes the joy of running.

My favorite parts in the video?
- running up those Escher-like staircases
- getting attacked by a crow (hahaha!)
- running at night and into the sunrise (what a really beautiful part)

Read James Jarvis' bio and was surprised to see this:

Jarvis is a keen runner, with P.B.s of 32:20 for 10k, 1:13:27 for the half marathon and 2:35:34 for the marathon.

Wow!!! The guy's amazing. When am I ever, ever going to have personal bests like those?

Week 2 Training: Easy Run 10:47 PM

I know I should be resting my eyes, but I'm still feeling a little energized from tonight's 5K practice run and am very much wide awake.

As much as possible, I'm still trying to stick to the SmartCoach program that Runner's World customized for me. If I feel that the mileage is too much, I can always decrease the number of kilometers that are asked of me in a particular week. Last week was Week 1 of my little training in preparation for the Condura Run, and I completed 11 miles (18K) out of the required 16 miles (25K)--but I have an excuse. Haha. Because of the eye infection I contracted last Thursday, I had to skip Friday's 3.2K easy run. And then last Sunday, I joined the Botak 5K race with one good eye, so I don't think it was possible for me to do an 11.2K long run on that same day.

Will see how Week 2 goes. Tonight was supposed to be an easy run of 3.2K but that distance isn't challenging anymore (naks), so I ran 5.11K instead. Anyway, it's usually on the 3rd kilometer that I'm really warmed up and ready to run some more, so why not go the extra distance, right? What I find really encouraging is how my body seems to be telling me these days that it can endure longer runs now (I did an 8K last Thursday without much pain; my past 10K runs left me really gasping for breath). The increase in my pace isn't dramatic but I keep telling myself not to rush and be impatient. Baby steps, Gina!! Er, or maybe more of baby strides in this case.

Thursday's program involves speedwork training--and I have this gut feeling that I'll fail miserably at this. I don't get to do a lot of speedy running in my practices, so this is something I really need to improve on.

P.S. After 3 months, my Nike Zoom Limitless+ running shoes have turned into a dustier, dirtier shade of blue and white. And I love how this pair looks so used. But I also need to consider having another pair of running shoes--one with more cushioning. I'm beginning to feel slightly battered in the ankle area. I think that when I run, my ankles seem to experience most of the impact, and that's not good. I tried on the latest New Balance 1224s and they felt really nice--as if my feet were cushioned protectively by some gel-like substance at the bottom of the shoes. It all feels expensive to me. Haha. But will see in the next few weeks if I can indeed afford to buy a new pair.

a different kind of Valentine's 9:14 PM

Got back from my 4-day trip to Camarines Norte just last Thursday. It was a good site visit, and I'm psyched to share my photos and notes on this experience. Currently, I'm editing the pics on Photoshop (just for color enhancement purposes) and I'll post everything soon. =)

For now, I would just like to say that it's good to be back in Manila. I miss the city, my books, my workouts...and my coffee! Now I know how a drug addict feels like when one is in withdrawal mode. I was hoping there would be good native brewed coffee in Cam Norte; sadly, the only decent coffee available was in the sole Jollibee branch of Daet, Camarines Norte. But then, that's all part of the site visit experience, and I will tell the whole Cam Norte story soon!


Thursday, Feb 12

Arrived in Makati last Thursday at 6:30 pm. It took me some time to lug all the food and other pasalubong up to my place and unpack my bags. Then I met up with A because he wanted to buy something from Nike before running that same night.

Believe it or not, even if that 9-hour road trip back to Manila was exhausting, I was dying to run. All that seafood and that coconut milk found in Bicol cuisine could not possibly cause zero impact on my weight. And I was right: I gained 2 pounds from that trip. Moreover, I would have wanted to run while I was in Daet, but there was no good place for running there. So aside from coffee withdrawal, this Ms. Kick Galvanic was seriously suffering from running/workout withdrawal syndrome as well.

A needed new running socks so we checked out Nike. It took a lot of willpower to refrain myself from buying this pretty purple training jacket; I decided to purchase instead, as a sort of Valentine's gift, two pairs of Nike Dri-Fit Lightweight running socks for A.

Socks. It was all very romantic.

Then we ran in Legaspi Park at around 11:30 pm. A warned me not to overexert myself (as I was wont to do) because I was tired from the trip.

As fate would have it for obstinate people like me, Fatigue eventually reared its ugly head. I ran at a moderate pace for only 24 minutes straight, and I had to stop right after because I was just so damn tired. When I slowed down to walk, I cursed out of frustration. I'm supposed to be conditioning myself to run at 5K for tomorrow's Power Run by the Manila Bay, and my semi-run that Thursday night felt like a DNF on race day.

Sometimes I wish had formal training on running just so I'd be able to mentally handle exhaustion better. So far, all I do are just practice runs at the park without even having an exact idea of my pace per kilometer. Thank God I at least have A for a running buddy (among other things, hehe).

Kidding aside though, I need to invest on one of those watches that can track my pace, distance and calories burned. And if I religiously follow a 16-week training program recommended in Runner's World, I can at least informally train on an individual capacity.


Friday, Feb 13

Friday the 13th. Luckily, it was a good, good day for me. Left the office at 5:45 pm to run some "running" errands before having dinner with A. I first went to NBC Tent at the Fort to register for Sunday's Power Run and then walked towards Nike Bonifacio High Street to register for a 5K slot in the Feb 22 RUNew race in McKinley Hill. (I haven't "tasted" McKinley Hill since UNICEF Walk on the Child's Side 2008, and I'm torn between anticipation and dread just thinking about the uphill portions. Haha.)

When I emerged from Nike, happily clutching all my race kits, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Coach Rio's Nike Running Training Clinic session that night was taking place right in front of the Nike High Street branch. Said a quick hello to Rio, who insisted I sign up for at least updates on the training clinic. And then I immediately checked to see if my friend Lara was there. Yup, she was right in front, doing warm-ups with the rest of the session participants. Mouthed a hello and goodbye to her before I left High Street. Wow, I really wish I could join the clinic. High Street would have been an ideal venue, but most of the sessions take place in ULTRA Pasig, which isn't convenient for me on week nights.

Next on the agenda was socks. Again.

If A had new socks, damn, I wanted new socks too (this is the brat in me talking). I've been wanting a pair of women's Nike Elite Running socks with footstrike cushioning for the longest time and now that I've recently acquired a Nike Women VIP card, I'm entitled to a 10% discount on all regular-priced Nike products--and a 20% discount on my birthday month! Hooray! I canNOT wait for June. =)

I really enjoy shopping for sportswear and gear, so buying running socks for myself is actually a real treat. So I went to my favorite Nike Women branch in Greenbelt 4 to get the socks (and resisted once more the urge to buy the pretty purple training jacket) and then window shopped at Bratpack and Columbia in Greenbelt 5 to see if they had any interesting sportswear.

By the time A and I had dinner, it was already 9:30 pm. We had a nice and filling dinner in Cibo. Despite our efforts to trim down, we couldn't resist having a 3-course meal: minestrone soup, tuna salad and a light seafood pasta each. The food in itself was healthy but we felt ridiculously stuffed by 10:30 pm and wanted the heavy feeling to go away. FAST. Well, there was only one recourse for us.


Saturday, Feb 14

At 12:41 am, we found ourselves running in Legaspi Park. Never mind that we were running at an ungodly hour. We just needed to burn the calories from that dinner. And we wanted to run, period.

A and I ran side by side at an easy pace for 30 minutes. I was so happy, I was bobbing my head to the beat of the music on my iPod. Because it was just a maintenance run, we didn't go over 30 minutes. I felt like I could do more than 30 but because the race was tomorrow, I didn't want to tire myself too much. So we stopped running at 1:11 am, and walked around the park twice to cool down.

In a way, it was the best Valentine's Day I've had in years. We don't normally celebrate Valentine's on the day itself because it's cheesy to do so, and you have to deal with the stress of eating dinner in a crowded restaurant. So I'm glad A and I were still able to avoid the whole V Day cheesiness factor and spend the weekend the way we really wanted to.

Enough writing at this point. Will need to rest as race day is tomorrow. Good luck to all Power Run participants!