Back on the Run!

For over a year now, whenever I am asked why I haven’t been engaging in both my favorite sports, I will always say that I am on a “running and mtbiking semi-retirement”. My answer I would later on realize, sounded like running and mtbiking were duties which I have to perform instead of my favorite means of recreation. Quite disappointing of me eh? True!

Luckily, I have friends who did not tire of “hounding” me as to when I would get my act together and lace-up (Thank God for friends! XOXO to you all!). So that is why, when I found that work allowed more flexibility on my time, I immediately got in-touch with Coach John Lozada (from Coach Rio’s coaching staff) to schedule my training sessions.

happy to be back!

Finally last Monday, I was figuratively and literally “back on track”. At exactly 6pm, I was there at the ULTRA Track Oval, ready for my comeback running training session. My favorite training ground hasn’t changed much, although I would have to say kudos to the administrators, the female changing rooms already have decent shower cubicles – with DOORS!

It was back to square one for me. I did one lap of walking while waiting for Coach John to arrive, happily observing and mentally taking note that there were a good number of runners training, considering that it was a Monday. Back then, Mondays are lean days for the oval but then again, the running boom have changed all that. 

When my soft-spoken, 2001 SEA Games 800m gold-medalist and 2002 Philippine record-holder for the 800m run coach arrived, we immediately went on with my warm-up activity – a 3-lap run/jog around the oval. Mediocre right? Not for me! With a considerable percentage of my former endurance and strength lost, not to mention my please-dont-ask-how-many-i-did-not-keep-track-anymore excess weight gained, the 1.2km warm-up run was enough to tire me that I was hoping for training to finish already.

But wait, there’s more! The dynamic stretching exercises and drills which we have been used to doing in the past, I almost entirely forgot – and that includes how to balance! And how about, you might ask, my main training activity - my “main event”? Oh it was an easy 100m run x 100m jog x 5 laps intervals and an easier 100m run x 100m walk x 3 laps intervals. Easy, easier? I would have to say, it was fine. It wasn’t easy but it wasn’t difficult either.

During the intervals, I realized that a lot of things will play on my head – i will feel pain here, there and everywhere as if making me decide to quit. Happily, I went to training with a firm resolve so whatever threat these superficial pains pose on me, I was able to quickly dispel. Mind over matter folks!

The hardest part of the training will have to be the core exercises! I have grown an unwanted belly bulge – one which can be mistaken as if I am still about three to four months pregnant (i think!), reason why doing all core exercises were a nightmare! It was so hard that I even went on reminding myself why I wanted to do it again in the first place. Yes it was a necessity for me, health-wise but I also know deep inside that it was something that I have always really wanted to do. I somehow just got lost along the way.

The best part of the session will have to be, hands down, the stretching part. During stretching, I learned that with all that I lost, I somehow was able to retain much of my flexibility. It made me feel better knowing that not all that I previously built and worked-out for went down the drain.

I had training session  number 2 with Coach John last Wednesday at BGC with my whole body – especially my hamstrings and calves, still sore from the previous session. Naturally, this session was better than the first – way better as I was able to run straight for 35 minutes without stopping to walk. I was even able to complete it with more energy to spare!

Coach John have already drawn-up a goal for me to keep me focused on my training. I am not totally fixated on the goal, what I really wanted to do now is to run whenever I have the time to do so. Training session number 3 will have to be an “assignment” since I will need to do it on my own (Coach John has “head marshall” duties for the Milo Regional Elim Races)and will surely be a great challenge, discipline-wise, for me.

So folks, that was kulitrunner me, trying to get back on the right track to running. I am so far from my old running self but I know with small “baby steps” (no grand goals yet!) getting “there” will not be so much of a difficult eventuality. After all, I and running have a lot of catching-up to do.

And while I am at it, I am seriously thinking of taking my mtbike for a tune-up. Who knows, I might have to courage finally to go back to riding the trail too, one of these days.

Cheers!

2nd Cross Country Mountainbike Adventure Challenge

Someone nice sent me this via email.  Thanks a bunch for the heads-up!

:)

2nd Cross Country Mountainbike Adventure Challenge
April 24, 2010 (Saturday)

Registration Starts: March 15 to April 15, 2010
Registration Venues: Tagaytay Highlands Sports Club & Gran Trail Cycle Shops (Alabang / Makati / Cavite)

Race Start: 8:00am (Check-in opens at 6:30am)

Highland Mountain Bike Adventure Challenge – a 15km track loop circuit through uphill and downhill recreational countryside roads with a full view of scenic Tagaytay Landscape. Experience adventure the HIGHLANDS WAY.

Distance: 15km road and trail track

For More details please call (046) 483-0848

My New Outdoor Buddies

Now I have more reasons to enjoy running and mtbiking more…

my new running companions... i can't wait to hit the road soon!

all these new stuff makes me look forward to riding more!

What’s sweet is that I did not buy all of these. Many thanks, hugs and kisses to family and friends for these thoughtful bequests. I take it that you all are encouraging me to regularly hit the outdoors from now on huh? Hopefully, the rains stop or just turn out into slight drizzles. The time it does, i am off!

Thanks a bunch to Art, Pol and to those of you who “must not be named”, yet…  :lol:

MTBiker for a Day

It all started with an SMS message from my best friend asking me if I can still ride the bike. He asked me this a few days after I crashed at the McKinley Trail, leaving me with bruises on my left knee. Proud me would eventually reply with a “Yep, bruises lang naman. Nothing like the wounds i got from my Makiling crash.”

As it turned out, he asked me this because there is a bike ride being planned by the PinoyMTBikers from which we are both registered members (he an active member and me, simply a lurker). The ride is a newbie bike ride which aims to cover the Daang-Hari road and offroad trails. It is said that newbie bike rides at PMTB are really “newbie friendly” and one that is so much fun in all aspects.

So after checking out the thread about the said event and also armed with the promise that he will stay with me all throughout, I agreed and started psyching and preparing myself  for the ride.  I will be joining the Daang-Hari Newbie Pasyal Ride and yep, I will be ready for it.

meeting the Manila Riders at Macapagal

this time with Pol

Pol arrived at our home at 5 a.m. on the day of the ride and together we rode to the Diosdado Macapagal Ave. to meet the rest of the Manila Riders who will be joining the ride also. After converging at Jollibee, we proceeded to the general meeting place in Fulton’s Cafe in Daang Hari. It is there that I will be overwhelmed to see a huge turnout of mtbikers in all “shapes and sizes” but one thing is for sure, they were all one when it comes to love for mountain biking. I was then thinking though, what the hell it is there in the trails of Daang-Hari that will generate this kind of attendance? Boy, there were over a hundred of us there that the peloton will have to be divided into four color-coded groups.

large turn-out at the Daang-Hari meet-up point

ayun ako o sa pinakadulo, rightmost.. lol!

After we left the assembly point, we proceeded to ride our way to the Pasong Buaya trail. Pasong Buaya is 5kms of  rough road in between rice fields and a small stream. People were friendly, always ready with a “Good Morning” greeting as we pass by.  At this point I have already gained enough confidence that I can take on the trail, if only the next one will be almost the same as this. 

pitstop at the Tubuhan trail head

face off: ace pintura-loop

But then after exiting the trail and taking the pit stop at Paliparan, I started to feel tired with my legs getting heavier making it so difficult to pedal. I am hungry and worst, I could not find Pol. I will be finding out later that Pol got separated from the group after making a wrong turn on the way to Pasong Buaya. Together with Kuya Toto and Ace, we waited for Pol before proceeding to the Tubuhan trail. It was a good opportunity to take on a longer rest, gobble up one bar of cloud nine and rehydrate, giving me recharged legs for the next trail ride.

pitstop inside the trail

chika galore while taking care of a flat tire

The Paliparan trail or Tubuhan trail is to be our last trail ride before we take on our much needed lunch break. It is composed of super rough roads in between vast sugarcane (tubuhan) fields with minor but exciting uphill and downhill tracks.  Oh and single tracks too.  As I was taking on the trail, I just keep on repeating what Pol has been saying to me – that I should be concentrating on having good bike handling skills especially on the handle bars, engaging the right brakes at the right time and of course that I should be confident that I can do it. The trail was a very bumpy ride but I was so happy to be able to come out of it unscathed.

what lies ahead

in the midst of the sugarcane field

easy lang dito pero maalikabok

We had a great lunch at G4, an eatery in front of the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinglupa. From there, we are to divide into smaller sub-groups with the others planning to extend their ride to Tagaytay or to take on the Muntilupa trail while the rest of us deciding to ride back home. It is already almost two o’clock in the afternoon and my leg muscles are showing signs of leg cramps already.

lunch at G4, infront of NBP Muntinlupa

sa kabilang mesa naman

CGX (back to camera), coolace and ace pintura

We went home taking on the Paranaque-Macapagal route. And similar to one who is running a full marathon, I am already giving-up at this point. The muscles at my upper knee is already painful because of the cramps making it hard for me to pedal. I have also been having abdominal cramps but I did not dare say this to our group of four. I was thinking that I was having mentally-induced cramps all over my body already. And worse, the feeling that I am subjecting the group to a slow ride under the heat of the sun did not help in the situation. I vouched the idea of hailing a taxi for me but nobody agreed. We just did short pitstops every now and then until we finally were able to arrive home by 5pm. I must say that I was able to finish it only because of the support and push that I was getting from my friends. It is a sweet accomplishment. Way too sweet.

I was able to do a “century-ride” for my first mtbike ride with PMTB covering a distance of 101-kms (Pol did 113.5kms) with the route Pandacan-Macapagal-Dongalo-Sucat-BF-Daang Hari-Pasong Buwaya-Paliparan-Tubuhan Trail-Natl Bilibid Prison, Muntinlupa-Dongalo-Macapagal-UN Ave and back to Pandacan.

I still have a lot to learn with regards to mtbike riding, more confidence to build within me to know that with patience and presence of mind, I can do it but one thing I gained in this experience is the nice and friendly people I have met and been with for the first time. And of course, this was one experience that took me and Pol’s patience to a test. I am just glad we both passed with flying colors.

Lastly, very huge and warm thank yous are in order for all the PMTB peeps who were there ever ready to assist the newbies in this ride (eeerrrrmmm, i am a newbie!).  Thank you and a hug for my best pal Pol for being my “mtbiking coach” and for being patient as always (kahit sinungitan ko sya to the max!).  Kuya Ike, i owe you lots.

MORE PICS:

joanna, me and april

with PMTB veteran Papi Rocky

with LOOP

with PMTB Newmaws

kuya toto, pol and allan

near the trail end

pa-exit na sa trail

Sweeter The Second Time Around

This morning, the last day of the almost two weeks long Xmas vacation, I returned to the McKinley Trail inside the Philippine Army Camp to settle a score. You see, the first time I was there on Dec. 26, I never get to really do what I intended to do – ride the whole circuit in my mountain bike. Oh rode the bike I did because we rode all the way from home to the Philippine Army Camp. But I never get to conquer the trail and did not even get past the area around the lagoon. It was because I was too CHICKEN to do it.  I promised myself and my friends that when I return to the trail, I will finish it this time.

with good friend Rissa

pol, me, ravie and tata bert

Team Paco Bikers

And I happily did! Many thanks to my friends Rissa (fellow girltalker and PMTB babe with handle : FELINE13) and Dan (of Gold’s Gym) for “baby-sitting” me on my “retry” on all the three trails and also to my friends from Team Paco Bikers for joining me again for another round on the circuit. I could not have done it if you guys are not there. Next time ulit ha!