2023 Run 7-Eleven 10k 6 Feb 2023 1:30 PM (2 years ago)

And you thought I stopped blogging... 😁

Yup, still here. So much has (not) happened since my last post that I dipped my feet back onto the racing scene by running last weekend's Run 7-11 10k race.

The world has risen back from the Covid19 pandemic such that we are almost back to normal again. By "almost" I meant the facemasks that everyone's still required to wear indoors though I expect that they might lift that mandate towards the end of the year (fingers crossed). This is assuming that the Covid19 case numbers continue to be at a very low rate especially here in the Philippines.

With the return to normalcy is the return of a slew of races (running, duathlons, triathlons, etc.) that got everyone giddy into registering (at higher race fees unfortunately). This is great actually, as these race organizers were really hit hard during the pandemic so it's good to support them as much as we can.

I myself have been aghast with excitement on the numerous races being offered this year so much so that I am hoping this year I'll be fully motivated to train (and race!).

MY 10k RACE EXPERIENCE

The race itself (venue, route, aid stations, giveaways, marshalling, etc.) was very well organized so kudos to the organizers for a great job! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

As to my race, since I was not in tip-top shape (finding myself getting heavier lately...ugh!!!) I was able to achieve my target time of sub-1:10 (finished in 1:09 and change per my Garmin).

For the 2-3 weeks before the race I trained for a sub-7min/km target pace since I estimated that to be the safest and fastest pace that I can race a 10k right now. I was glad that I ran the race as planned in the first half as I was surprised that the Filinvest route had several hidden climbs in the 2nd half. Those 3-4 hills really hit me hard especially that last one where I had to stop to walk about 5 meters or so.

I didn't bother to open my GU gel reserve as the aid stations had Pocari Sweat and water which were sufficient, though it would be interesting to know what would've happened if I took the GU before gun start? Would the sugar kick me into higher gear as I raced (I didn't eat anything before the race except for the early dinner the night before)? Something to think about in my upcoming races...hmmm...

As I said, I was happy with the expected race outcome. A good baseline reference for the start of the year to see how much I can improve my 10k time.

Next race? May14 is the PF Sub60 10k so that's something to aim for. Definitely a lot of work needed to trim 10mins from last Sunday's finish time to reach 59mins by May 14.

Can I do it by then? The last time I ran a sub60 10k was on the 2018 edition of the same race.

We'll see... :)

Bords Cycling: Like and Subscribe 14 Jun 2021 9:58 AM (3 years ago)

It's been a while folks. Hope you and your loved ones are safe and doing well.

As for me and my family, we're doing good (and mostly indoors probably until this pandemic is really over). Hope to get vaccinated soon for added protection.

I'm still riding and running, but mostly riding. Age has gotten the best of me (now 47) and I just prefer riding my bike vs getting my knees jammed from the running and pounding. I still run maybe once or twice a week to keep my run endurance in check, but not really forcing it as I'd rather spend all my hard efforts during my indoor Trainerroad rides. FTP=200W is still the goal.

Oh btw, I finally joined the YouTube bandwagon and started my own channel yesterday called Bords Cycling. Yup, it's gonna be mostly about my rides but who knows, I might squeeze in a few run vlogs whenever I can?

Here's the link btw in case you want to follow me there: Bords Cycling.

Below is my first vlog post btw. Hope you like it:

As they say, LIKE and SUBSCRIBE! 😁😁😁

How have you been? 8 Oct 2020 5:30 AM (4 years ago)

6 months since my last post, and yes I'm still biking (and now running!) regularly.

As the government eased off the lockdown rules here in Metro Manila, my run sked is now back to normal, playing at around 2-3x a week. Trainerroad Run CTL has been progressing well, especially now that I scheduled a 21k "race" for myself and an officemate for Oct. 21 ---my birthday.

21 @ 21

Yup, it's my first ever birthday race aptly called "21 @ 21" complete with a finisher shirt for the gang (Ling and I will run 21k while Pat will be there for maybe about 10k to support us).

The route will just be around the Greenhills Shopping Mall which is approximately 1.1km ---so we'll run around it 19 times! Hahahaha...We don't want to venture out of that route since it's mostly flat. (grin)

Since we're running this just to complete the distance, I recon we'll finish this at about 2hrs and 45mins, God willing. I will plant my car (a.k.a. aid station) somewhere along the route with water, gels, and Gatorade ready at the back. Just finishing it (amidst this pandemic) is a great accomplishment in itself. Ling last ran a 21k probably close to 7 or 8 yrs ago so he will definitely be happy if he succeeds on this one.

Cabading

As to my cycling, I'm towards the end of a 6 week rest period after I completed a base-to-build cycle, upping my FTP to 187 which is my highest (so far). 200 watts is still possible this year as long as I religiously stick to the TR plans that I will set.

During this rest period I was able to climb up to Cabading on two occasions, with the tip becoming my favorite respite for senti and IG-pictorial moments hehe. Seeing the mountains (and being on top of it!) touching the skies gives such a romantic feeling that the 13km arduous climb is all worth it.

And yes, I will always climb to it again given the chance. :)

Hopefully you're also back in your (training) groove wherever you may be. Stay safe!

Training Amidst COVID19 6 Apr 2020 2:39 AM (5 years ago)

Now in the latter half of this government-imposed COVID19 quarantine, I'm making do with training whenever I can.

I'm glad I have an indoor bike trainer setup which enables me to continue base building on my bike form and fitness. With a Trainerroad subscription coupled with a smart strainer (plus with a LOOOT of free time in my hands), I'm still riding.

The one that got hit are my runs, which I'm unfortunately limited to 1 or 2 times a week. I found a small 1k loop in our neighborhood which I try to run on with special attention to #socialdistancing. The loop gets ever boring as the kms tick away so a long run is not really in the cards for me. I'm able to compensate, somewhat, by including dumbbell strength training and HIIT workouts in the week. These are very short indoor workouts but I'm banking on them to help complement my cardio based workouts.

I'm ever positive about this quarantine setup as it'll help reduce unnecessary COVID19 transmissions. Hopefully, a vaccine is made soon.

Take care!

Still Here...2020 version 3 Mar 2020 2:55 AM (5 years ago)

My right knee has recovered about 95% now as evidenced by my training logs. Thanks to foam rollers, a lot of zone2 training, AAAND a lot of rest when I think I need to (and also when I don't need to, hahaha), CTL is now at 30 (from a low of 25-27). It's still low from the usual 50s when I'm race ready but I'll take the slow but sure progress.

A big boost was also my once a week bike-to-work on my son's 27.5 MTB from Carti. Pace is slow due to the heavy bike and traffic but it's still good exercise that gives my bike CTL a good lift for the week.

Before last night I was still doubtful that I'm race ready for anything, but thanks to my officemate/duathlete Vernier a.k.a. The Cannibal he was able to get me a race slot for the upcoming Clark Global Dua this March 29th.

The 6k-60k-4k distance was tempting but I knew I won't be able to race that long with my current form and fitness. Thus I decided to take the short version, 3k-30k-2k, as my first race of the season. The distance should be more than manageable but I will have to train (cautiously) for the pace.

And it's another ride on the SCTEX....why reject the invite? 😁😁😁

The only way is UP! 27 Jan 2020 6:32 AM (5 years ago)

I had been sidelined for about 2 weeks now as my right knee has been showing signs of aging, no thanks too much basketball (but I love you Kobe, RIP!). Slowly, I'm inching my way back to regular training, being careful not to exert too much effort so that I don't injure it again.

I can feel some 'looseness' on my right knee which constantly prompts me that I may have to see a doctor (ortho?) if there has been any serious damage, but my busy work/family sked is just getting in the way. I will have to allot some time for this before it gets any worse.

But definitely, I may have to stop playing basketball, sadly, permanently.

My CTL is at it's worse (27!) so I really have to get back into training. I'm trying to look for a race to sign up to, whether a 10k or 21k run, a duathlon, or a cycling race (there's a bike race in March so I'm looking into that one) to keep me motivate.

Hopefully all goes well (training and knee-wise) on my next post...

Vacation's Over 5 Jan 2020 3:30 PM (5 years ago)

And just like that, it's the year 2020.

Happy New Year....

...and my TP CTL is STILL at 35. I managed to get a few workout streaks here and there last month but, coupled with the holiday feasting and vacations, I couldn't keep it consistent.

So here I am again, at the start of the year, trying to get out of this losing slump and get back in (racing) shape.

Need to focus. Come on man!!!

Tsk...

Craving for Motivation 15 Dec 2019 3:27 PM (5 years ago)

Almost 2 months since my last post, and my CTL has dropped miserably to 35.

My goal was to reach 60 by the end of 2019 so I guess that's already out of the picture no thanks to laziness, lack of motivation, late nights due to work (and recently: xmas parties).

My annual medical blood work came out last week and it has supported the fitness drop as my cholesterol levels are very high.

Not. Good.

I need to stop this endless drop to the abyss of laziness and demotivation, and start working out more regularly again.

Ahhhhhgggggghhhh!!!! Nakakatamaaaad! Ahhhhgggghhh....

46 21 Oct 2019 2:22 PM (5 years ago)

It's been a long time (yet again) since my last post, but I'm still here running and riding whenever I can.

Work has been stressful lately (late nights coming home from work) such that there's always that time of the week wherein I have to favor sleep/rest over working out in the early mornings. But for the last two weeks I've managed to keep my TSS (run+bike) above 300 for the week which is a big win I might say.

Along with the heavy work in the office, I was saddled by the flu for a couple of weeks, a by-product of Bike2Work which I found physically demanding (as I don't normally workout twice a day). I borrowed my son's 27 MTB which is a lot heavier than my BMC ---compensated by the big cassette at the back. It's more comfortable as I'm sitting more upright vs my roadie which makes it safer for me to ride vs metro traffic. However, the bike is still heavy overall thus pedaling is a task. I still would love to make bike2work more regular but I may have to get used to this "2 a day" workout from time to time.

No races scheduled but I'm eyeing the SunlifePH 40k ride next month. Well, that is if I'm up to the task of waking early on a Saturday morning. :D

As I turn 46 today, my body is not as fast to recover as it was 10 or 15 years ago. I have DEFINITELY slowed down on my runs (is a sub60 10k still possible?) but I think I have yet to reach my full potential on the bike. Probably being more faithful to my scheduled Trainerroad workouts will help ---probably. But training will still continue as much as my body is still able to do so.

All in all, I'm still thankful to God that I'm still able to run and bike whenever I can....at this sweet age of 46. ;-)

Well, that's it for now muna. Gotta get back to work....

...and training, of course.

Alviera Duathlon 2019 8 Sep 2019 12:12 PM (5 years ago)

Came into this race after a bout with the flu days before (ikr!), possibly due to overtraining when I should've tapered 2 weeks before. It was due to panic of not having enough in the bank that I resorted to a heavy weekend a week before race day and boy, I suffered badly that week with office sick leaves and lack of training.

The Alviera Duathlon 2019 route was a killer course, with Run1 starting IMMEDIATELY with a climb(!) ---which we had to loop twice. Took a gel in the 2nd loop as I was battling the temptation to walk. Finished that in 6.36/km average pace which was great considering the form, or lack of, that I was in.

The bike was the usual 2 loop ride from Porac exit to Floridablanca and back...with the famed 'makunat' 2k climb to Porac exit. This was my first time to race my new BMC TMR02 AND new 55mm wheelset ---with the latter bought and installed just 2 days before the race (yep, a definite NO NO when racing).

The result? The unfamiliar new gear combined with sporadic Trainerroad workouts (ftp crashed from 180 to 140watts whyyyy) resulted in 1 of my most dismal race performances yet: a 24kmh average ride for 60kms. I took 4 gels, one on each end, but that didn't help as I found everything just difficult. Dropped my chain 8k before the bike leg ended which I may have lost 2mins. Will power wasn't lost as I just kept spinning, albeit slow, in the climbs and put my head down in the descents for aero gain.

Alas, Run2 will be a 1 looper of Run1 with the same unforgiving elevation for someone who already ran 6k and rode 60k. It was one of my most difficult Run2s in a while, with my quads threatening to cramp on the downhills. HR was quite elevated (171 max) on the uphills but I kept on trudging ---slowly. Took a gel at km3 to mentally hopefully keep the cramp threat off (worked btw).

A few walk breaks here and there but when the downhills came I took advantage to finish Run2 at 7.20/km average.

Total race time: 3hrs 47mins. A 28min lapse from the 2018 version. A lot of learnings from this one, surely:

1. Seriously do your TR workout plans
2. Taper 2 weeks before
3. Dont overtrain
4. Lose weight
5. Dont use anything new on raceday
6. Lose weight
7. Lose weight

Until my next race....

Milo 21k 2019: Betterer 31 Jul 2019 1:16 PM (5 years ago)

Run CTL: 23
Weight: 168 lbs

Milo Manila has been one of my panata races for several years now, with keen interest on the 21k distance.

The sub-2:30 cutoff has always been a good challenge yearly to see how my fitness is in meeting this goal.

The 2019 version of this race proved to be successful for this 46 year old wannabe endurance athlete.

The race started at 3.30am on the dot (as punctual as all RunRio races are), with me having some difficulty reaching the start line as there were preliminary checks prior to entering the starting corral (which the organizers eventually let go seeing that there's still a long line and that the race was a few minutes from starting).

To cut it short, I was able to meet my target 7:00/km pace except for two instances:

One was at the start, when I had to walk 200m to the start line when the gun was fired. Lap 1 clocked 7:30+.
And the other was when the traffic marshals had to prioritize vehicle traffic over us (paying customers, hehe) for about 30secs. Another 7:30 lap.

Gels taken at the start, km 6, and 12. Half a banana at km18. I think this, along with my training, kept me from bonking (compared to last year's version when I started to feel sluggish as early as km 13).

What kept me motivated were the ballooned pacers, particularly the 2:30 guy who I managed to keep at bay (side note: he may have finished outside 2:30 as he couldn't see coming after I crossed the finish line).

Yes, my very few readers (hehe), I was able to meet the sub-2:30 time limit.

Garmin time: 2:28:42.

Official chip time: 2:26:47.

I managed to beat my 2018 Milo21k by 2 minutes! 😀

Really happy with my outcome for this race as I was able to train (somewhat) well coming into race day. I guess if I keep my focus on meeting my (self-) prescribed workouts, I will be ok when the gun goes off.

That and managing my food intake, hehe.

What's next? Well, it's another panata race: the BikeKing SCTEX duathlon on Sep. 8.

See ya! :)

#RoadToMilo 21k Update 14 Jul 2019 1:49 PM (5 years ago)

Just dropping by for a quick update on my training for the upcoming July-28 Milo 21k in Manila.

Training has been doing just a little below alright, with key long runs done these past 2 Sundays (a 16k last week and an 18k this morning). Comparing my long runs leading to Milo this year vs 2018, I am better off now as I only managed to do one 16k long run last year as my longest before the race. This should be a big confidence booster coming in 2 weeks before the race.

What bothers me is how I am in terms of meeting my target sub-2:30 pace. I know that I have the endurance, but the pace to go under 2:30? Hmmm, this is a bit of a worry that I need to address on this taper period.

I will have to do more race-pace workouts to get my body familiar with this type of efforts ---on longer periods--- so as not to be shocked come race day.

I'm still biking, mostly indoors, via the Trainerroad Low Volume Sweet Spot program. It's a good complement to my weekly runs to keep my endurance levels high with less impact to my body and at the same time keeps my bike form/fitness in check.

But priority is still with my runs so I am ok to skip the ride for the day if it means more rest for me in time for the next run workout.

After Milo, I'm still dilly-dallying on whether to sign up for another BikeKing Dua (6-60-4) or try my luck on a small scaled tri. The latter could be a challenge as I've NEVER done any workout for the swim....

...ever. 😀

Race Review: Sunriser Run 10k 23 Jun 2019 5:17 AM (5 years ago)

THE GOOD

1. RunRio organized the race so there was no worry. Aid/hydration stations were aplenty ---even when the max distance was only 10k. Race marshals were all around as well

2. Modest loot bag

3. Challenging route of Bayani Rd AND Mckinley West

FOR IMPROVEMENT

1. Race distance measured 9.7km only

MY RACE

Run CTL - 19
TSB - 4
Weight - 167lbs

Original plan for this was to race at 10k pace but, seeing how my recent training logs went, I had to adjust to half marathon pace. This was good as I will see how much I will fare at this speed if I were to carry it up to my Milo HM in July.

My race went from serious to pleasant as I ran with my officemates. It was chikka pace but we knew it had to be decent (without us saying a word about it). Nobody walked (except for 1 who we had to leave due to injury) which meant nobody taps out unnecessarily.

The route was all too familiar (Bayani Rd to Heritage and back) but added with the start/end inside Mckinley West which had its share of small climbs. Thanks to my regular training I was able to cope well, finishing with my officemates in 1:08. Not fast, but not slow either. Just right for a Sunday run. Note that I didn't take any gels which meant I am getting used to this distance with probably no need for mid race nutrition. This will obviously not be the case for a 21k race where nutrition is (always) critical.

I didn't go all out which turned out ok as this means I didn't force it needlessly (no injury) towards my real goal: Milo HM in July. However, I learned that I have to build some more if I want to finish sub 2.30 in my "panata" race, one of my A-races this year. I will probably need to incorporate more HM pace laps in my long runs to get used to it along with longer long runs (I have yet to run a 16 AND a 18k run, oopsies).

On another note, it feels good to join a running event after a long while. The running community is still alive and well thanks to these races that motivate us for better health.

As always, back to training....

Race Review: PruRide PH 2019 60km 27 May 2019 6:26 AM (5 years ago)

Good:
1. Good race route that is Subic. I heard people were complaining of the hilly route not meant for GFs but I think if you trained well for it, it won"t be that bad.

2. Nice medal

For improvement:
1. Not enough water stations on the return route. No bananas or Gatorade especially for those dying with cramps.

2. Bike jersey of poor quality. I guess that's what u get for 850 bucks. Still wore it though during the race. Hehe.

3. Medals for the finishers still WITHIN cutoff had to claim their medals from the booth. It would've been nice if all that climbing was rewarded with the medal being hung around your neck just after the finish arc.

MY RACE:
Weight: probably 166 lbs
CTL (bike): 23
TSB (bike): 3

I really didn't "race" this one as I had to accompany my high school batchmates throughout the route who were all but 2 of us riding with MTBs. Thus it was more of a fun ride, if you will, for me and my mates as we encouraged each other to finish the 60km leg.

The route was not my usual whenever I stay in Subic with the family (my route is from the Lighthouse to OceanAdventure which is probably about 30k+). The elevation didn't disappoint as there were monstrous climbs (around 3 apart from the usual 1 that I ride) that tested how far I've gone in terms of getting stronger on the bike. Good thing for my Trainerroad sessions, I was able to pass those climbs with flying colors. Note that we had to stop once in a while for our mates lagging behind which made me recover just before heading to the next climb.

Forgive me, but I had to applaud myself from not suffering from cramps, nor walked the hills, nor withered due to lack of nutrition throughout the race. It just shows that if one trains consistently (and correctly!), you will reap the rewards on race day. I had to stay though with my MTB friends since, as a unsworn pact of brotherhood, we mustn't leave a man behind. Again, no biggie as I treated this race as a friendly group ride.

Finished the race around 5.5hrs which was well within the 6hr cutoff. Glad to report as well that all 4 of us batchmates finished.

Maybe, when I get back to Subic for a non race weekend, I *may* try that 60k route again. Hehehe...

Race Review: Clark Dua Classic 2019 8 Apr 2019 10:48 AM (6 years ago)

PROS:

Clark has always been a great venue for racing. So good job on organizing this race here.
Good job on the race marshal work. Lots of signs and marshals abound by the race route.
Sufficient hydration.
Accurate Run1 distance.

CONS:

Bike leg was short 2kms.
Run2 leg exceeded by 0.6km
My apologies, as I didn't like the post race meal. Ineng's would've been nice.

MY RACE

Racing weight: 167lbs (lost about 5 lbs since early March)

CTL: 49 (after 2 weeks of taper, concentrating on high intensity but shorter workouts)

FTP: 177

Pre-race meal: Mcdo Cheeseburger Meal 😁

Drove from QC to Clark for this one in the early morning, arriving an hour before gun time which was sufficient time to claim my race kit and setup my bike and other gear.

Race strategy was to pace 6.30/km on Run1, then 27-28kmh average on the Bike, then hold on for dear life with an "ideal" (more of "hopeful") pace of 6.30/km as well. This should make me finish just outside the 3hr mark ---near my 3:02 PR.

The number of participants totaled 400+ as per the race emcee, which made for an "intimate" setup compared to other races I've been to. The race venue had a "local, close knit" feel to it which made the whole race very comfortable for me (in terms of non-grandeur). I didn't feel a tinge of race nervousness as I've done this lots of times (although my last Standard Dua was last 2016), and add to the fact that I put my trust on the weeks of training that I did coming into this one.

"You've Got This" was going to be my mantra for this one, I thought.

You've Got This.

Run1 went smoothly as planned, finishing the 10.1km distance in 6:31/km average. Gel at km7.

This was good, I thought, as I went into the transition to get my bike. As mentioned on my last post, I'll be racing with my new BMC TMR02 frame which will have to prove itself on this semi-technical, "wall" laden course.

Left the transition after 2.5min transition and pedaled off to the bike course. The TMR02 made its aero-ness felt on the flats and descents, letting me cruise above 30kmh with little to medium effort. Surprised that I was at this rate up to the U-turn which started the trek up to the dreaded "Wall" which I estimated to be 4-5kms of gradual to semi-steep gradient.

This was where I had to recall all my indoor rides which I suffered. I just buried my head, embraced the suffering, and pedaled sub-FTP effort. It was one of the longest (10-15mins probably?) moments in the race that I wanted to end. The climb subsided to a descent and then flat to complete the loop...

...then we had to it all over again. Hahahaha....

Yup suffered again on that long climb, and just saying my mantra all over in my head:

You've Got This.

You've.

Got.

This!!!

After 1 hour and 26mins, I was back in the transition area for Run2. Gel taken at 17mins and 1hr 10mins during the ride.

One question did enter my mind as I was changing to my run shoes: "Did I push too hard sa bike? Do I still have enough for Run2?"

I opted not to take a gel prior Run2. A gamble on my part, yes, but I learned that any gel taken at the time, for a 5k run, will not be "cooked" in time for my energy consumption. I will just have to run this with all the fat stores remaining ---which for my overweight self would be aplenty. Hahaha...

Onto Run2, I suffered as expected but not as worse as my previous duas since I was pacing somewhat well at 7:00/km (I usually expected it to drop as low as 7:30 to even 7:40 on previous races). I was able to analyze why this was after I looked into my bike numbers: lower watts, higher cadence but at the same speed as my 2016 races. I was in a better condition coming into Run2 (di kasing pagod as previous). I guess the TMR02 (and my Trainerroad training sessions including bricks) have helped me a lot. Hehe.

I was taking short 5-10 sec walks (especially at the hydration stations) to recover but just willed it to run amidst aching thighs. Looking for other races up front (and those chasing at the back) as targets to keep me motivated to run (which worked, mind you).

Finished Run2 at 7:08/km which was outside my 6:30/km but still respectable in terms of previous duas (as earlier mentioned).

Total race time was 3:17 and change, which was a far cry from my 3:02 PR. To my defense, that PR was in Subic where the Bike leg was on Raceway which was mostly flat. No climbs such as "The Wall" to defer any PR chances.

Comparing this 2019 time to my 2016 dua on the same venue, however, was a different story as I improved by 11 mins. Yehey!!!

Food for thought though is how I finished within my Age Group (45-49). I finished 19th out of 29 and ranked on the different segments as below:

Run1 - 26th of 29 (opted to start from the back para no pressure or pakikipagunahan)

Bike - 17th of 29 (Aero Frame + aero bars + Trainerroad indoor sessions, baby 😀)

Run2 - 14th of 29 (it was 16th but there were 2 people which did only 1 loop as I analyzed. Yeah, so drop 'em! Hehe)

You just have to admire at how fast these duathletes (at our age ha!) are in spite of all the training I did ---kulang pa pala!

Transition was not on the race results so I probably dropped considerably to 19th due to slow transition time. Need to improve on that one too, I guess.

Well, I will take this week lightly to recover (my Garmin 920XT said I need 4 DAYS to recover, hahaha) so I am DEFINITELY following that. Hehehe...

In closing, this was a great result considering the training I did. I guess the amount of training done is really commensurate to the race result so I will have to put in more (volume) coming into succeeding races, be it duas, bike races, or run races if I want a better result.

The "You've Got This" mantra really worked. Hmmm...maybe I should get a sticker for it to put on my bike's top tube for motivation. Hehehe...

😉

Pre Race Thoughts: Clark Dua Classic 6 Apr 2019 1:16 PM (6 years ago)

It's Saturday night and I just came back from a wedding of my wife's 2nd cousin. My bike and race equipment are all set to be put in the car for the 1.5hr drive to Clark later early morning.

Race kit needs to be claimed before the 6am gun time so I hope to leave QC around 3am for enough buffer, just in case.

These past 2 weeks of taper have been focused on 30min sessions of either ride or runs at or near race pace which I hope to observe throughout the race tomorrow.

Nutrition will be c/o the usuals: GU and lots of water. GU to be taken at the start, 3/4 of the way of Run1, midway and towards the end of the ride, and maybe 1 in T2 for insurance.

Pace strategy will be to aim for 6.30/km on the runs and hope to be between 27 to 28kph average on the bike leg....which boasts of two loops around the dreaded Wall in Clark. Let's see how the new aerobike frame holds on race conditions which I predict will perform well.

Transition time should be fast so hopefully no problems there.

Race time aim? A sub-3hr finish would be excellent, but I might finish around 3.10 to 3.20 by my estimates which should be mission accomplished based on the way I trained for this.

But we'll see....as usual. 😉

The Road to Clark Dua Classic 2019 18 Mar 2019 5:44 AM (6 years ago)

Yup, that's the first dua I signed for for this year, 2019. It'll be on April 7 at Clark with me taking on the classic 10k-40k-5k standard distance.

Training has been good since my last post before the Nike shoe review, with my TP CTL reaching exactly 50 yesterday, Sunday. Been training my ass off during the weekdays and hammering it further on the weekends BUT keeping my body status in check (i.e. preventing injury from overtraining/overexerting). Waking up to the workouts, as usual, has been the hardest part but so far I have been shutting the voices in my head to go back to bed and instead pursue the intended workout for the day. REALLY a lost of will power being tested here. Hehe.

I think in terms of race readiness, I am "almost there" for the bike and "somewhat almost there" for the runs. I still have this week to put in big volume, quality workouts so I hope to get more in before the 2 week taper starts next week.

Btw, I am also glad to report that, for 12 days now, I have eliminated eating sugary desserts or drinks as part of my Lenten sacrifice. I have a lost 4lbs since March 6 so this looks very promising. Hopefully, I may be able to reach my long sought after target weight of sub-160lbs. Just sad though that I can only smell Dunkin and oh....no more chocolates! 😢 Sigh...

***

Scored a new frame (which has long been overdue) two weeks ago thanks to roadiemanila's reco: a 2018 BMC TMR02 that he found in one of his bike shop visits. I wanted to have an aeroframe for quite a while now so this was a welcome upgrade to replace my 2014 Argon Gallium Pro that served me really well.

The ride has been great so far, with this aero frame wanting nothing but speeeeed as I tested it out in Nuvali. It's also good on the climbs and overall handling so I can't wait to see how this performs on Apr 7, its maiden race.

I guess that's it for now. I have 3 weeks left before Apr 7 so I hope to do well in that one. A 3:02 2012 PR has been standing for quite a while now. I can't say if I can beat that at this point, but who knows, right? 💪😃

Shoe Review: Nike Epic React 11 Feb 2019 2:07 AM (6 years ago)

I bought this shoe last December while vacationing in Japan. The Nike Harajuku store had it on sale at about 5,600.00 PhP (or roughly USD 105.00) which was a steal as these were sold at 7,600.00 PhP (or roughly USD 144.00) here in Manila, Philippines. The only color available in my size was the grey one as shown above which looks good for my taste.

Scanned the 'net for reviews and tried it on before my purchase and it felt alright. A Christmas gift for myself, I thought, which hopefully will have me running more miles in 2019.

True enough, I have already logged 60kms with it (alternating with my racing shoe, the Saucony A4) with a 14km long run made yesterday as proof of how much I am liking this shoe (I have only been running 10-12km long runs sparingly for the past few months so yesterday's 14k was a big morale booster).

This shoe is very comfortable with the patented Nike flyknit upper and the soft sole. No hotspots experienced in my first few runs thanks to the flyknit that comfortably "embraces" my foot. Can't trust it fully though to wear sockless, especially for long runs, as I might run into hotspots in the latter kms. One might think at first that the heel cup is not secure, but after several runs I am glad to report that it held up well in securing my heel from any slippage.

The sole has a cloudy/springy feel into it as it helped make those Z2 medium/long runs comfy. The 10mm heel-to-toe drop is slightly above my natural running gait causing me to heel strike (slightly) but I am able to adjust it to make the runs very pleasurable.

This is a (teeny weeny) bit heavier than my Saucony A4 racing flats so I doubt I can achieve a PR on this one nor use it for those fast training days. But still, it's a great shoe that I plan to use extensively for those slow/relaxed medium/long runs.

A great shoe. Thinking about it now, I should've bought 2 pairs. Hehe.

Jan2019 Recap 3 Feb 2019 1:33 AM (6 years ago)

It's a cold Sunday morning and I have just finished cleaning my bike. Skipped the planned long run as I was too tired from yesterday: coffee ride with friends in the am and then drove the fam to Sta Rosa to meet with old friends in the pm.

Weight is still at 172lbs and I am expecting it to go a notch higher by tomorrow am, no thanks to the weekend binging that I might have on a regular Sunday. Diet meals on weekday lunches help lower it but when the weekend arrives....wala na finish na.

TP CTL improved a bit to 40 but nowhere near my peak fitness....yet. I signed up at the gym near my office to hopefully make up for skipped morning workouts via lunch runs and lunch rides. That'll help me manage the CTL line flat until the weekend workouts kick in although today, on a cold Sunday morning, I chose to just sit out my long run.

I joined the PF Virtual race last month, target of 50k in 2 weeks but I only managed 41k. It didn't cost me anything but it surely made me run....except for the 9k that I successfully debated myself that, "Nah, it's ok. Sleep is better."

Failed.

Tsk tsk.

Really need to get myself motivated this Feb. An increase of 40 to 45 CTL by Feb28 would be great, so let's see how this month goes.

I signed up for two PF Virtual races this month (free reg on their app which is quite cool of PF to do) so that'll keep me running.

And oh btw, I signed up for my first dua this year. I'm not telling you where and when (yet), but I am definitely training my balls out for that. That'll add to my motivation, I hope.

As always, let's see.....

2019 Season Plan 7 Jan 2019 7:36 AM (6 years ago)

So it's another year and I'm still here training and blogging away. Hehe.

Weight: 172 lbs.

Ugggghhhhh!

All that eating and couch-potato-ing in the off season are to blame. But here I am again, off to set my goals for the year which I hope to grade better than last year.

And so, here we go with my 2019 plan:

A Races:

Milo 21k. Still at the top of my MUST list, a yearly "panata" if you will. Hoping to achieve a better time than last year (2:28+).
BikeKing Dua. Another "panata" race. This is where I will concentrate on all of my Trainerroad workouts for.
National Dua Championships. I hope they get this to push thru this year (as 2018 got canceled).

B Races:

One Pilipinas Duathlon Leg. The organizers have released the 2019 sked and it seems that, all permitting, I will only be able to sign up and race for 1 leg (Leg3).
A 10k race. This is just to set things up for my duas.
A 21k race other than Milo. Same objective as 2, but for Milo 21k preparedness.
Join a Virtual Race. Probably one or two should be good for the year to keep the mileage up.

Fitness Goals:

Lose 15 lbs. Yup, still aiming for that. Hope to eat and train smarter this time for this goal.
Bike FTP of 200 watts.
Ride for 100km. Even just one ride with this distance should be good enough for me.

Well, almost all of the goals above are very similar to my 2018 set. Rightly so as I failed in most of them last year. Looking forward for a better review of these goals come Dec 2019.

And so...…..here we go.....yet again.....

2018 Review of Goals 10 Dec 2018 6:30 PM (6 years ago)

As 2018 comes to an end, it's time to look back at the goals I set last January and see how I fared in terms of trying to achieve them.

A-Races:

Milo 21k. - DONE. Achieved sub-2:30 to meet the cutoff.
BikeKing Duathlon. - DONE. Achieved a PR in terms of average pace
National Duathlon Championships. - NOT DONE. This race got canceled.

B/C-Races:

One (or two) PhilDua Races. NOT DONE. It was either conflict with weekend life priorities or sometimes plain unpreparedness.
Pinoy Fitness Sub1 10. DONE. Achieved a Sub60 to meet the cutoff.
One local 21k race before Milo 21k. NOT DONE. Wasn't able to schedule this unfortunately.
One international 10k or 21k race. NOT DONE. Went to Korea last summer but wasn't able to find a race during our stay there. Will be in Japan after Christmas but also haven't found any race there....yet.

Fitness Goals:

Lose 15 lbs. FAILED. Ugh!!!
Achieve a peak CTL of 75. FAILED. Was only able to reach the lower 50s.
Achieve a bike FTP of 210. FAILED. Was only able to peak at 180+ but went back to 169 after a few weeks of no training. But I am still happy with the improvements I've made on bike, having increased my FTP from 155 to 169 since Nov 2017.
Set a sub-2:20 21k and a sub-1 10k. FAILED on the 21k but DONE on the 10k.
Ride for 100km. FAILED.

If I were to score this overall based on count (total of 12 items), I will get a disappointing achievement rate of 37.5% ---not really something to be proud of.

Well, there's 2019 to look forward to. I hope to race more (raced only thrice this year) and tick more items on my Fitness Goals list.

But then, with all that's happening with me with family and work priorities, I am still (somewhat) happy to being able to squeeze in my trainings whenever I can despite the hectic sked.

I just need to put in more in terms of delivering the goods (Fitness Goals) and more will power to train at a higher level (to register for more races).

Hopefully it will be a better score for me on 2019.

How was your 2018?

Improvements (I think) 4 Nov 2018 3:30 PM (6 years ago)

Although it's been quite a long while since I last posted, run and bike training has been constant for the past 2 months. I have slowly crept back up in the upper 40s CTL thanks to diligently following my workouts for the week. Hopefully, I will be back im the 50s CTL soon.

I was able to ride up Antipolo last weekend (my last climb before that was probably May this year) and the new Ultegra R8000 groupset I had installed before Sept this year held up well. The 11-30 cassette had me grind up the 2+ km stretch from Jollibee to Cloud9 better than I had hoped ---effort wise. No Strava PR was made but looking at my TP ride for max 12min power between my May and last weekend's ride showed the following:

1. I was able to increase cadence by about 10.
2. Power recorded during that 12min stint was lower by 10 watts.
3. Speed was roughly the same, about 0.2kmh difference.

Unfortunately I wasn't wearing a HRM last weekend, but I bet ave HR in last weekend's ride could be lower.

Higher cadence, less power, same speed. Hmmm...

The 11-30 cogset which I used in the climb could be the main contributer of the "improvement." Coming from an 11-25 cogset, I can safely say that the cogs >25 offered quite a relief tackling that climb that I have known for quite a while now.

I will know for sure once I get to add more of these Antipolo rides in the coming weekends.

Plus keeping the weekly training constant, of course. ;-)

BikeKing Duathlon 2018: Race Report 11 Sep 2018 1:22 PM (6 years ago)

THE GOOD:

Bike leg on the SCTEX.
Well positioned aid stations especially on the bike leg
Nice giveaway bag.

FOR IMPROVEMENT:

Bike leg measure only 56kms (bitin!)

MY RACE

I was probably about 80% ready for this race since I've done this dua several times. The run1 and run2 legs were going to be flat, which was a great relief for me as I never got to pick up the weekly mileage leading up to this race. This was the same for the bike, wherein my longest was a sole 2.5hr chillax ride in Nuvali peppered with Trainerroad workouts here and there.

Run1 went smoothly as planned with an average pace of 6:36/km. It was then off to the bike leg where I will see how my Trainerroad sessions since Nov 2017 will pay off. I set my Garmin such that I only see the Ave 3s power, cadence, and speed. The power value took half of the screen which is what I wanted since I want to look at it to ensure that I am well below my FTP.

Went aero by grabbing the aerobars during the flat and downward sections whenever I can (which is probably the reason why my right lower back is aching since Monday night, hehe).

Average speed for the entire 55.4km bike leg was 26.5kmh ---a modest improvement from my 25.8kph recorded in the same race last year (though with a longer 62km distance). Take note: same bike, but different engine. ;-)

Run2 started off well in the 6:30s per km but drifted off from km2 to 4 in the near 7:00s. I'm not sure why this happens often (I experienced the same in the 2017 version of this race). I'm guessing that it's probably over fatigue from the whole race effort that the body starts complaining by that point. Run2 average speed ended at 6:56/km which is almost the same as my 2017 Run2 (6:58/km).

Finished the race in 3:20:40 ---a decent improvement from my 3:36 finish last year (but again, a longer bike distance then).

In summary, I need to improve on my runs despite having modest improvements on the bike. Well, I do need to improve a lot on the bike so thank goodness there's Trainerroad to keep me focused.

I'm thinking of ending my 2018 race season here but we'll see. There's a couple of good duas in the coming months but with current load in work and personal stuff, getting a good performance out of it will be tough.

As usual, we'll see....

And Here I Go Again 20 Aug 2018 7:12 AM (6 years ago)

Three weeks left until another A-race, the BikeKing duathlon, and my training logs indicate that I am very UNDERTRAINED....again.

Much to blame are the usual suspects: the rain, family priorities, late night gatherings, bass guitar practice, and just plain ol' lack of motivation to get up in the morning to run or bike.

I've been in the same state in preparation to my last race, the Milo Manila 21k, in which I suffered badly midway but squeezed out a sub-2:30 time to get that medal.

I really NEED to change my morning outlook in order to just "get up and go" so to speak. Probably keep myself away from my phone to prevent opening up my social media apps to lazily pass off the time.

I still have time left, I think, but I need to REALLY get this going A-SAP.

Tsk tsk....

Milo Manila 21k: Barely Made It 29 Jul 2018 2:32 PM (6 years ago)

Pros:

1. Great race org that is always expected from Runrio

2. Unique finisher hoodie for 21k and 42k racers

3. Medal cutoff time for 2.30 made it challenging. Gorgeous medal btw.

For Improvement:

1. Less rain (hehe). Although Runrio can't do anything about it obviously.

2. Disorganized at the 21k finishers area as no organizer made the participants to queue, making it look like a marketplace just to claim the loot bag and hoodie.

My race

I was coming into this, one of my A races for the year, terribly undertrained. Having only a lone 16k long run 4 weeks ago with several 10-12k runs on weekends made me worried if I was gonna finish it, but I was able to mentally condition myself that "I will finish this, and I will be holding that coveted medal by race's end."

That was my mantra for this one.

I arrived about 30mins before the gun went off, with just enough time to prepare my gels and walk to the starting corral which had a lot of 21k runners.

Gun went off at 3.30am as scheduled and I was running.

I was doing quite well from the start (as every runner there was), pacing between 6.40 to 6.55 per km for the first half of the race. The route was relatively flat and, with the rainy weather cooling us, it was made for a perfect Sunday morning pikermi.

Took my 1st gel inside km7 btw.

The problem started by the time I reached km12 where the Makati avenue turnaround point was. To put it simply, I started to have difficulty running. I felt a slight pain on my stomach and some tiredness in my legs ---probably a result of being undertrained--- which started my purgatory for thid race.

It was a battle of wills from then on back to Roxas blvd where I found myself taking walk breaks several times. I took another gel at km13 but it took a while before it had a short effect, as I was continuing to walk run heading back.

Good thing I had a spare gel and took it at km18, just to mentally calm myself from issuing a bonk alert. My shoes and socks were soggy and wet, Macapagal avenue road was full of puddles and loose asphalt, and my legs just hurting all over made it a struggle.

I was running but taking 10 second walk breaks whenever I felt I can't run no further. My body was failing but my mind was still mentally strong as I debated myself from walking completely. My confidence was also boosted as I was computing my estimated finish time for almost every km mark or when I chose to walk. I was still gonna make sub 2.30 I thought, so I just embraced the pain and forced myself to run.

By the last turn to the finish, I was just thoroughly out of it physically but my mind kept me going, running my all as I went to the finish line.

2:28:40 in 21.1kms as per my Garmin.

Sub 2:30 accomplished.

It was one of those races that I would rather forget due to my poor performance brought about by poor training, or the lack thereof.

But this was Milo. A race that I have come to put my upmost respect due to its 42 years of tradition. Having finished it within the cutoff time was still something I should celebrate about ---even when my training was lacking.

I fell in line after crossing the finish line. Bowed my head in front of the organizer as he donned that finisher medal on my neck.

I looked at it with a smile as I walked for the loot bag. Looking at this race positively, it just meant that at my age now, I am STILL able to complete 21k races AND at sub2.30 time ---something that other guys in my age may not be able to do.

Yup, still happy overall on this one, but I hope to train better for future 21k races (yes there will be more, but not anytime soon) so as not to encounter a similar bad experience on the race as this one did.

Congrats to all finishers of the Milo Manila leg!!!

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