Reading & Running

These are two of my interests. If it is time for me to be a couch potato, i usually read – a lot. But then reading time has been relegated to the sidelines in favor of my current “flame” which is being at the outdoor and more often, running.

Lo and behold! I lately have found time to reunite with my readables because every night after training, I usually find it hard to get some sleep – training making me too hyper as if i am not it already! What I do is read until I feel sleepy. 

One of my favorites and i think my best buy as of yet is this running book by Amby Burfoot – the “Runner’s World Complete Book of Running”. I got this book on sale at the National Bookstore sometime in 2007 as tipped to me by Gold’s Gym PT (now Fitness Manager of their Wilson Branch),  Boyet Trinidad.  At the price of a little over a hundred pesos, the book was a real steal. Oh, it is published in 1997 pa but the topics in the book are still worth the reading time. It is good because it doesn’t overwhelm me with a lot of technical stuff ( though it has a good number of it) and a lot tips and facts are laid not just to educate but to inspire and motivate as well.

the book comes in hard bound and paperback copies. I got the paper back. 🙂

Thanks to the book, i have learned :

1. That as a beginner runner, it is ok to start with a simple and realistic approach. A walk/run program is acceptable and that you just have to add some determination to progress from there.  Anybody can walk but those who run can because they have the determination to do it. 😉

2. Oprah Winfrey  achieved her goal of losing weight, was able to run her first full marathon without walking because she trained hard and most importantly, she trained hard because she never stopped believing in herself.  If Oprah can do it, so can we. The secret to it is just believing we can. 🙂

3. The most important piece of equipment we need in running is our running shoes.  But we should be able to pick the perfect one for our feet because running , while being a simple sport that anybody can do, forces our feet and legs through a fairly complex series of movements. And oh, a possible cause of shinsplints is the poor choice of running shoes.

4. The more weight you lose, the faster you run. The faster you run, the more you lose weight. Hmmm, Law of physics! So by now, people who know my body type can failry judge how fast (or slow is a more appropriate term) I run! 😀

5. Running doesn’t make women’s breasts sag or make the uterus collapse. These are myths! In fact, the book says that running tightens and firms all the muscles it uses, so in effect, it even prevents sagging rather than cause it. Keep this in mind girls! I certainly did! 🙂

I can go on and on about what other points I was able to pick-up from the book. In fact i have yet to read half of what it has but what I have read so far already gave me a whole lot of new and useful information.  Which got me to thinking, i should have been reading it instead of blogging about it! lol!

If you are into running and reading is also one of your interests, I suggest you try to get hold of this book because it is worth it. And maybe, just maybe, you will be lucky to get a new and updated edition. If you do, tell me ha!

Running Aid for Women

Hey women running enthusiasts!  Finally here’s a running clinic tailored especially for us. 🙂  Details lifted from http://roxphilippines.multiply.com. Read on!

It’s now Her turn….

Dedicated to the women runners, Pinoy Ultra Runner and ROX presents “Running Aid for Women”  on November 13, 2008 7-9 pm at ROX.

Ms. Elizabeth Siojo, the founding member of Pinoy Ultra Runners talks about “Running Aid for Her” with the special participation of The Bull Runner herself – Ms. Jaymie Pizarro, will talk about “Running Essentials for Women”.

Admission is Free. Register at rox.cs@primergrp.com with your name and mobile number.

This clinic is made possible by The North Face and Pocari Sweat.  Special thanks to The Bull Runner (www.thebullrunner.com)

Of Orbs and Spirits

Our running training sessions usually lasts from 1 ½ to 2 hours but most of us linger beyond the said duration. Kasi we usually have a lot of stories to tell, hear and sometimes laugh and be scared about. Bottomline, we enjoy each other’s company that we find it hard to separate from each other.

Unknowingly there are others who seem to enjoy the camaraderie that we have brought upon in the ULTRA Oval. Others who we do not see but may feel. And here goes my Halloween story…

Ever since being there at the ULTRA Oval for running training, I’ve always had this nagging feeling that someone is watching over us from this particular trunk of a big tree. The tree is positioned to what we usually call as our Station 1 where we do our stretching exercises right after the warm-up run. The rest of my classmates would shudder everytime I say this but then we have this one classmate who has a developed third eye and he confirms that yes, there is somebody there. And oh, that somebody btw is not alone. It is not too hard to believe because the past ULTRA tragedy which has been known to be the Wowowee or ULTRA stampede claimed a lot of lives. And the spirits of these victims seemed to linger on at the place. Somebody pointed it out to us that some of the pictures we took during our sessions showed a lot of orbs in different colors and sizes. It is said that these orbs are manifestation of the spirits’ energies.

notice the spots in different shapes and colors? these are what they call ORBS. hmm, our camera lens mind you is clean and the night this was taken was a clear night (no rain!). some pics taken on separate instances has Orbs too.

 I do not have a developed third eye nor am I an expert to these kinds of things. But I believe that there are spirits there with us. Why they are there, I can’t tell. Maybe they’re there because they enjoy watching over us. Or maybe some feels that we are lucky to be able to do the things we are enjoying while they are not. Or then again, some wouldn’t know where else to be but there.

Now that I am writing about them, I do not feel scared. In fact I am thinking when I go to the oval for training tonight, I will try to say a prayer for all of them before I leave for home.

P.S. Many of you may not believe it, maybe skeptics perhaps. But then, halloween story lang naman ito. hehe. 🙂 Happy Halloween all!

Running to Hot Rocks

Pairs of tired legs, a cracked signed plate, a bunch of full stomach and a slew of runners/tigbakers. These folks hit the Hot Rocks branch in Auto Camp. We don’t just run, we also tigbak! 😆

*photos grabbed from classmate carmen’s multiply site. thanks a bunch carmen! 🙂

sino ba naman mag-iisip na malalaglag sya at mag-crack? this is the orig plate's last and only pretty shot!

pose muna while making a new plate

Gelo, our dear honorary tigbak member

yun oh! parang nanalo sa eating contest!

Presenting, the Coach Jo-Ar side of the plate!

VSO’s Kabahagi Ako FundRaising Run’s Special Run Category

Thanks to Roselle, a.k.a. The Running Diva for providing the following information. 🙂

Kabahagi Ako FUNdraising RUN
November 9, 5:30 a.m.
The Fort
5km, 10km, 15km  and Beverly Hills 6750 Beauty RUN special category

1.This is open to all interested individuals , regardless of gender and age, who are willing to support the Kabahagi AKO FUNdraising RUN but could not run for long distances due to whatever reason.
2.Interested individuals should register and indicate in the registration form that they would be participating in the Beauty RUN Category.  Since this is a special category, this has not been noted in the registration form.  Individuals will just have to indicate “ Beauty RUN” in their registration form.
3.The route of the category will be similar to but less than 5 km  run but will have some notices as to where will the route ends.
4.Participants will also be provided with race kits and singlets.
5.Beverly Hills 6750 will provide prizes to the first three runners who reached the finished line.