My first Malaton

Feels so good to have finished my first MARATHON.

In 1:57 hours.

At exactly 1:53:12 I began to shed tears.

…

The Korean movie ‘Marathon’ (also, ‘Malaton’ -  and don’t laugh, okay), released in 2004, levels up to how much I was moved by last year’s personal favorite movie ‘The Kite Runner’.   Just to clarify, the latter isn’t at all about running but co-incidentally there’s a ‘runner’ word in the title.

Anyway, back to the ‘Marathon’ movie now, I’d recommend you see it yourself.   Well, be ready for a drama and be ready with this fact that the story is more like a 70%-30% mix of awareness about autism and running a marathon.  But the race scenes are so inspiring and they look so real you feel like you’re one of those ‘extras’ at the background.

Acting is very commendable too.  Before my 1:53 cant-help-but-cry moment, I had let out quite a lot of hearty laughs already with the many funny scenes in the movie.  What’s best about it, the scenes turn up funny without it trying hard to.

See a brief movie review here.

“MARATHON”

Genre: Drama

Cast:
Jo Seung-woo as Cho Won
Kim Mi-Sook as the mother
Ahn Nae-sang as the coach

Director:Jeong, Yoon-Cheol

Year realeased: 2004

Run Time: 117 min

TOR # 002

 

Backseat, for now.

Tempered addiction, that’s what I have -  and thank goodness it’s that!   When some ‘more’ important things come along, running takes a backseat  -  and the thing is, it doesn’t make me fret that it does. 

But I have been running still;  just as often as I can manage to.  When things are settled…   (I doubt though if it will anytime soon.)

***

Excuse me!

The PSE Bull Run results are out.  As I said, I was already pretty happy about my personal race experience..  until PSE decided to put out the runners’ finish times.

I secretly hoped that they had instead chosen  to just keep those wadaheck records to themselves.  It might have put a milder ending to the already sad stories of the registration mess and the memorable, first-of-its-kind drama of having a long runners’ queue at the finish line. 

Bull Run’s verdict on me:  75 minutes for my 10K (!).  Thank you but I’m no 75.   I just can’t sound more pikon. 

Good thing, I took effort in timing my run accurately.  By the way, their record shows I waited on the queue at the finish line for 5 whole minutes.  Pretty nice for a cool down -  a timed cool down, that is.

***

Missed.

The Happy Run pictures and stories in the blogs evoke envy, at least for me who missed it.  I especially like the idea of passing by Heritage park with a string orchestra playing to runners’ much delight (if I got the detail right).

***

MSD.

Ever heard of MSD?  That’s my friend, Dree’s, version of a milder LSD.   You guessed right, it stands for Medium Slow Distance.  That’s what the fakers do -  pamper themselves in runs.  Look at that, slow na nga, medium-distance pa!  LOL!   This Sunday, we will do MSD -  who wants the same flavor?

***

Coming soon!

Passion Runner has a cool, bright idea in mind that will surely benefit a lot of pros and new running enthusiasts within the UP community.

Now, Eric, I’m posting this to push you to make it happen soon. 

***

(Doesn’t belong here but I’m delighted by the coincidence so I’m sharing it.)

This is classified under TONR.  Anyhoo, I just emailed this lunch my accomplished MBA application form to UP.   I had stayed up until late last night hoping I would be able to sort it out already by then.  Well, I was able to only a little after 12NN today.

At about 3PM, I received an email from NUS MBA telling me they’re already on their final lap of recruiting a ‘quality class for [their] August 2009 Intake’ and that I should put in my application soon. 

Huh, talk about timing.

 

Carboloading, err…

Not oils- and fats-  loading.

I confess to be guilty.

Prior to PSE Bull Run was a Mang Jimmy’s day at Balara.   I gleefully devoured two cups of rice and THOSE THINGS ABOVE.

*And to set the mood right, we didn’t go there straight from a running practice but I wore for lunch my MAK7 singlet.

Always a comeback

I realized that in running, there are plenty, plenty of times when we shall look like we are staging a comeback.  Be it a comeback from illness or injury, or from getting lost in the lazyland, or from getting frustrated over having had too many ‘bad’ runs/ races lately, or from self-imposed ‘run ban’ for whatsoever reason.

The ones who are really in love always come back.

(Cheesy huh!)

Last night was sort of a comeback for me.  My colds and cough are slowly setting me free.  Last night’s two-and-a-half laps of the UP Acad oval (just a little over 5K) was oh-so-yummy.   I’m getting back in shape.  I’m getting back in shape.

Now I wonder if AXN is ready to take us (?).  Hahaha. We’ve tried getting a slot, but got no response from them yet.  I’m sure they’d prefer telegenic participants.  Uh-oh. I don’t exactly know how we’d fare in that aspect.

PSE Bull Run 2009

 

January 18, 2009.  The Fort, Taguig.

Doesn’t matter what the world says, I had a great run last Sunday.  Off to a great start for my 2009 racing times!

Sorry for my being insensitive to many of the runners’ dissatisfaction about the race, but this account is only a testimony of my easy-to-please nature and my happiness-is-a-choice disposition.  I would have been just as displeased as many of the racers, but the truth to tell is I’m not.  This doesn’t mean though that the race organizers for the Bull Run have no need of shaping up.  They have.  A lot.

I think what kept my mood up about the race was that I thoroughly enjoyed my run experience, plus!  the turnout went so much better than expected. 

To set perspectives right, I woke up at 4AM last Sunday really not feeling well.  I right away planned on phoning a friend to ask if I could exchange my race bib to 5K.  But as the pre-race rituals kept me busy, I shelved the plan and gave my 10K bib a go.  If things go really bad, a DNF won’t hurt my ego one bit. 

Anyway, the race day magic worked!  Throughout the race, my itchy throat and my coughing barely showed up their fangs.  Surely, breathing became a bit more difficult but at least I wasn’t coughing. 

Moreover, since I didn’t pressure my self this time in trying to get a PR (again, due to my semi-sick mode) for the first time I took the luxury of enjoying the scenery along the race route.  And it felt different.  I was delighted by it.  It was like it’s the first time I ate the icing on my cake, as in the past I’d discard it and focus on gobbling fast just the bread portion all for the sake of PR. 

But look what I got -  a 10K race PR nonetheless!  I clocked in 70 minutes for this race, whereas I had consistently posted 73 minutes (with few seconds differences) in my past three 10K races.

Of course the 70 minutes was yet an unofficial time, but I can’t doubt my little trusty Timex watch.  I’m sure I had set it correctly as I pressed the start button as soon as the gunshot was fired.  And as a confirmation, upon reaching the corner leading to the long queue at the finish line, MJ greeted me shouting aloud my time, ‘Hey Cathy, 70 mins!’ 

At the corner, I was surprised to I discover the funny long queue at the finish line.  I muttered, ‘What a joke!’   But instead of getting pissed, I checked my watch and hit the stop button.  70 minutes.  Not bad.

As for my MPG friends, I knew Jihan finished way ahead of me and Ryan, who stayed within my 1-meter view (plus or minus) for 80% of the race, suddenly experienced some sort of hangover from his knee injury, thus, had needed to slow down.   

There were only three of us who ran the 10K.  Dree keeps burying her face in her books for her MBA Compre,  Frans was sick, Moks got blisters on his feet, and Romel was busy as a bee (?).

 

MPG at the PSE Bull Run 2009.  L to R:  Ron, Blessie, Cla, Myself, Cha, Carla, Jihan, Ryan, & Pao

The group of MPG 5Kers was a more interesting crowd, with full support from their VP for 5K, Carla.  This race was sort of an initiation race for Ron and Cla.  So they had to be the center of attention during the post-race breakfast.  Some funny anecdotes:

*Cla’s unique motivation is this:  she tries to overtake every single sexy lady runner she spots.  Her road motto goes:  ‘You may be sexier/ leaner than I am, but I can run faster.’ 

*Ron first claims of no-stress first 5K race, then suddenly complains of aching shoulders later on.  So I went like, ‘Hah?!  How come it’s the shoulder that aches?  How were you running?’   On second thought, the guy must have ran all the way with tensed shoulders.

As we could not be possibly spared from MPG moments, a funny head-turning incident happened to us in this race.  About to exit from the race venue to hunt for some breakfast foodies, we suddenly heard the host announce the name of one of the race winners and his affiliation:  “Xxxx, from the MPG Runners Club!”

Imagine our shocked reactions.  What-the!, somebody won from among us?!?!  Then we saw a guy turn up at the stage to claim his prize.  Look, he’s not one of us.  And then, the host said once again:  ‘Congratulations, Xxxxx, from MPG Runners Club!’

MPG moments.  MPG moments.

Probably with all things messed up in the race registration, they got our data mixed up, thus, the error.  Let me know though if there really is another MPG Runners Club in this universe.  Hahahaha.

I should end this post by saying that I was definitely edified to have seen and met many familiar faces/ friends in this race.  Aside from MJ, there were Rico, Chris, Jinoe, Carly, Lauren, OC, Jay, Wilbert, Anna, Tanya, Vener, and Nora. 

Nora is soooo amazingly perky a character!  Congrats, Nora, on your first 10K!  She also clocked in 70 mins., almost a slap to my face!  Hehe. 

Cathletic’s status: COUGHING

 

Today I am your neighbor’s pet dog persistently barking, rather loudly, as though some bad guys have been rounding the fence of its master’s house.

The so-called ‘race day magic’ is true.  Despite my semi-sick mode and the hilly course at The Fort, I recorded a PR at the PSE Bull Run. 

But my cough and colds have worsened.  Every half-second I’d let out a scandalous cough (enough to have my officemate volunteer to bring me medicine) which leaves my throat feeling like its being freshly scarred everytime.

Barking pet, anyone?

Good run days come, and so do ‘Bad’ days

 

I finished 5K of run and walk today.  Good enough to get the feel that I’d reach the finish line alive for tomorrow’s race.  No PR for me tomorrow –  I so believe.

It must be my lack of enough sleep the past nights, zero follow-through runs since Tuesday’s speed training, yesterday’s my-otnot*-brain-brought-me-to-Bambang Manila misadventure, AND, my slightly-sick mode. 

I’ve been nursing a sore throat and minor cough for almost three days now.  Talk about timing.

So my self-enforced run this morning proved to be more difficult than I had imagined.  My throat felt dry the whole time and I would cough almost every 30 seconds to clear my throat.  Last night, I was caught by surprise several times as my voice would suddenly crack while talking to an important person. 

These things only serve  to compound my concerns on breathing economy while running.  Today was almost a bad run and to predict that tomorrow’s won’t be too different doesn’t need the powers of fortune tellers/ astrologers.

In any case, I wish the race day magic to pour down on me graciously tomorrow.  Afterall it’s my first road race for the year.

Oh!andbytheway, you have an idea how bad today’s run went for me?  For the first time, I had an achy head run.   The curious thing is, it was not there when I started the run.  That’s when I decided to take walking breaks as I thought pushing it further like crazy would just be another otnot* thing to do. 

Oh, Godblessme tomorrow.

 

*(Sorry for my using of the ’otnot’ word too often.  Yesterday’s ‘lost in Manila’ experience was just whackily stupid of me that I find no other word more apt to decribe it than that.  It’s just ‘tonto’, the Spanish word for stupid.)

Take AXN!

 

I’m reposting what I’ve just seen in Dhenz‘ blog today.  It sounds uber interesting/exciting (!) to me.  For one, this is going a ‘first’ for me if I get to join.

When:  February 7, 2009

Where:  MOA Compound

*End of Reg. on Jan. 25

More details on their website:  http://146.215.65.76/axn-asia/big-challenge/

So stop sitting pretty there, pull out two of your friends, and hurry “Be Part of the Big Adventure this February”. 

Now let me just assure you this is no paid advertisement.  I wish.

TOR # 001

 

Chilled, Defeated.

I was supposed to run this morning.  I was able to wake up as planned, took a visit to the bathroom, but after taking a peek by the window and getting a sighting of the chilled darkness waiting for me, I went back to bed and curled beneath my warm blanket once more. 

I thought I was lucky to have the option to ’stay comfortable’ as it’s not a race day anyway.  But up to now, I feel a bitter taste in my mouth for having lost my first battle of the day.

***

Breathe!

It’s true that the intervals training at the Nike clinic every Tuesdays satiates my desire for speed.  But this week’s session gave me an idea of what for me could be another possible cause of my death:  overexhaustion.  Don’t worry as this should be more hilarious than scary. 

As usual, we were supposed to do 3 sets of 3×3oom intervals, which was later on reduced to 2 sets as I was (as usual) in the latecomers batch and the lights at ULTRA went out on us just when were about to begin our third set.

That was a salvage case for me.  At the end of the second set, I was already all exhausted that I felt I was developing some sort of premature fever.  My legs still felt strong but my breathing was in trouble and the tips of my fingers were feeling unusually cold (and I’m sure it wasn’t just the cold air).

Truth is, I really intend it to take seriously the intervals as I want to have my lungs get used to dealing with greater amount of stress.  Breathing has always been my weak point in endurance running.  While my legs could pretty well handle the continuous pounding, my lungs and heart usually couldn’t go as far.

***

Not hassle-free

If you’re unhappy with the hassles in claiming your race kits for the PSE Bull Run, know that you’re not alone. 

When is it coming, PSE?  Everyone’s all excited now prepping up for their first race for the year. 

Well, whattheheck, the registration hassle issues are already there (!) so just make sure Sunday’s going to be great race day for us. 

***

Coached, coaxed to finish.

The LSD run with the Nike clinic last Sunday was one of my favorite non-race UP runs for me.  How can it not be one of my favorites when I’ve gone sub-70, for the first time!, in running a 10K distance. 

I have my pacemate, Sandy, and our coach-pacer, Coach Sardeña, to thank for this personal feat.  Coach said we finished it in 69 minutes!  Now that’s whole four minutes faster than my 10K race PR. 

Coach said he’s racing the Bull Run too and he can pace me.  Now that alarmed me a bit as I’ve seen how reeeaally fast he runs (last Sunday he would run forward and back twice just to keep checking on Sandy and I), and so if he pace me I’m sure to be destroying the entire race experience for him. 

Hahaha!  That was too assuming of me!  What he actually meant was that he’s going to run it his race pace and after finishing it, he can run back to look for me and then pace me.  Oh…  that is the only BESTEST way to go, what with my snail running!

 I can’t help it, I am excited for Sunday.  Yipee! 

 

Yohoo! PSE Bull Run to jumpstart my 2009!

 

This is one race I can so well identify with, thanks to my predominantly economics background.  I wonder how a race looks like when it’s the economists, stock traders, and finance guys who put it up -  or at least masterminded it.

What I know though is that my favorite Agri Econ professor, Dr. Balisacan, outran me during the Runnex race and I made him know I was surprised to see him at the race -   and to see him speed ahead of me (!).

This has to be great.  For one, it jumpstarts my 2009 racing times.  Moreover, I think it’s the only race I can manage to join this January. 

So it’s a solo meal this month;  it just has to rock!