Urbanite 15k 081509

My Saturday was big day. In the morning, I had a class (SPIT) where I had to give a kick-ass recitation in redemption of my 2 previous bad ones. In the afternoon, group pics for the yearbook. And of course in the evening, my first 15k and my first night race.

Meal Planning. I never thought it would be an issue planning how i would eat until the day before. I remembered, unlike sunday morning races where I could sleep and digest an unplanned heavy dinner still, the same would not hold true this time. So for the dinner 1 night before, I went for carbs and rai supported me by having the exact same meal hehe. Breakfast was nonexistent, as usual during cramming mornings :( but i was able to grab a bottle of gatorade. Lunch with charles at kimono ken, in just the right quantity, ie, not as gluttonous as we are used too haha. A trail mix bar right before the race too. I should've gotten a banana instead had i known i what would happen later. But a nice strategy. I didn't feel heavy or bloated nor hungry.

Off we go. My first thought: ANG DILIM! Especially at Bayani road where there were some potholes.

Oddly, I enjoyed the Heritage Park. It was calm. Quiet. Peaceful?...Probably because everyone did not dare disturb the place. Haha. Oh, except for this guy who kept saying "awoooooo".

My foot pod was accurate up until 11k...guess where that is...deym Mckinley Hills. My short strides fooled my foot pod into adding 2k more than its actual distance..the stretch seemed to never end (!). I walked some uphill parts going back to the entrance.

Finish line. Crossed the finish line with 2:09 at the clock. Haha! Made the mistake too that I stopped immediately without cooling down. True enough I got cramps on my left calf while I was lining up for my finisher's certificate. And from then on I wasn't in a bright mood, didn't feel like taking pictures nor answering questions for an interview (haha!). Because Ronald asked me if they could have a short interview with me for their show (Autoreview) but I volunteered Charles instead. I forgot to take a picture of him (sorry) because my calf was extremely painful at the time, i had to walk around. Sorry too Ronald, I'm ordinarily accommodating and you know that. Haha. Anyway, there's always next time.

Road test: Fuel Belt Slim Pocket Race Number Belt and Hammer Gel. First time to use the belt in a race. Bib was well secured and i'm happy that my shirts would have a break from safety pin punctures, which really is more painful for me than for the shirts. It can double as car key pocket during training runs. I just slide the pocket side to the back. The race belt has gel carriers at the sides, a total of 10! Maybe some guy out there would find them useful. I brought some, just two, but i placed them inside the pocket so naturally the weight was not well distributed. I should've placed them in the carriers.

It was my first time also to use Hammer Gel, tropical and raspberry flavors. I think I should've brought just one, I consumed the second one just so i won't be carrying it around anymore and because it was so yummy hehe. Effective? Maybe...essentially they're caffeine shots in compact and easy to consume form, more runner-friendly (unlike Lipovitan and Red Bull which I used during taek competitions).

ETC. I wanted a breezy outfit so i wore wore my nike tank and running shorts. I forgot that the reflectors fell off my shorts a long time ago. Minor chafing too. :(. Next time, don't forget the petroleum jelly.

Also, while waiting for the gun, I challenged Charles to count how many are wearing this ensemble: i am ninoy shirt, cwx full tights, newtons/lunarglides. I don't understand this pauso. It's like running's gossip girl.

Longer distance? So now that I know I can finish a 15k in not so bad a time (although really off my target because im so competitive, hehehe) I think I should run more of those. Half marathon? Soon, but not too soon.

Now I we move on to Aug 30 preps. Swimming and biking here we go.

What troubles me about tom's night run

1. parking lot problems (whether or not they're safe, and whether or not space is adequate for everyone)
   
2. will car drivers be cautious
3. mumu at the heritage park....awwoooooo
4. no one will see if my face turns blue...haha
5. angry runners...proliferating by the second (jeez people, there are a lot of other things to rant about)
6. how to eat (heavy bfast or heavy lunch? definitely no dinner until after.)
7. black singlet on a night run? (bad idea i think, although i don't wear them anyway).
8. seeing people i don't want to see (bitter? hehe)
9. will i need to bring my own hydration
10. and most important of all, how i will take nice pictures...haha.
    

(Under)Training for my first Tri

I'm actually realizing that signing up for both a 15k run and a sprint tri 2 weeks apart is a very bad idea. I've never done both.

On one hand, I'm enjoying the break from the monotony of building mileage (and photocopied pages). But on the other hand, I inevitably undertrain for EVERY event, given my limited time within an academic week.

Almost a month ago I've started my tri training. Self-designed, after reading numerous resources online and on print. I am positive I can finish both, I'm confident with my endurance. But in decent time? That's another question.

I started swimming again 3 weeks ago, the last time was...umm...high school? Haha. That's almost a decade ago. As a sprinter back in gradeschool summer swimming days, I was never acquainted with endurance freestyle technique, ie, the two-beat-kick freestyle (as opposed to the six-beat). I was trying it out, but I conceded that it would take more than a few weeks of practice to get it right...in short, I have to stick to my old technique for this sprint tri and later on develop into a more efficient style. I might need to get a coach to fine tune my strokes too. In the meantime, youtube helps alot in my training. I average on 23 minutes for a 750m swim. Best times in the playing field reach 8-10 minutes. But at least I have the assurance that I will survive it and have more than enough fuel for the remaining events.



As to biking, again, my last time was highschool. And although I had the shifting lesson already at that time, I never really tried to use it (coz I didn't understand it then hehe). All I did was pedal pedal pedal. Last Sunday, Charles gave me that lesson again...glad to say that the same brain could now process and digest that info (thanks to 6 years of driving manual with the civic, and to lawschool for instant info absorption drills aka cramming). It was fun, and I can't wait to get my own one. Will I survive 20k? That's the question.



Running...of course I will finish 5k. Once, I tried a swim-run-- legs fatigue, not so much. Even done it in a good pace. However, when I tried a bike-run (stationary bike), it was hard to keep target pace, calves were knotting and I was constantly wary of getting cramps there. Scary. Yes, it was on a stationary bike, mechanics are different. But still...

As regards the 15k on Saturday... as I've said, never done it. On training days, yes but all easy paced (and I mean really easy). I really don't have a game plan except keep a 7-7:30 mpk as much as possible and walk (or drop down on the road and crawl) if something hurts. Hopefully, I would not resort to that because otherwise, what's going to hurt is my pride. Nyok. :P BTW, the race route would pass by Heritage Park. Heritage during the night...scaryyyy.

But nonetheless I'm enjoying training for these races...and I'm starting to lose pounds despite the less volume as compared to bright summer carefree days :D (finally). It keeps me happy. I am perfectly aware that I'm indeed undertraining, because I would have wanted a steady 6-7 hours a week schedule. But what can I do, this is all which I can squeeze in. And again, I am more than happy to be able to still be active despite a hectic law school semester, a far cry from lethargic, melodramatic girl I was. Haha. Vomit.

Here's how I train for the UP Law Tri

Hollywood Chika: The original "My Girl" is back

YAHOO! BUZZ LOG

How Anna Chlumsky Got Her Groove Back

by Michele Meyer    August 4, 2009

Remember Anna Chlumsky, the fresh-scrubbed kid with the cherry-red grin in the 1991 family flick "My Girl"? Her starring role as Vada, a motherless tomboy going through some growing pains, earned her an MTV Movie Award for "Best Kiss" (with co-star Macaulay Culkin) and a Young Artist Award for "Most Promising Young Newcomer" -- not too shabby for a 10-year-old. Primed for superstardom, Chlumsky's next role was in the dubious "My Girl 2" -- after which she promptly fell off most people's radars.

Well, we just spotted a blip on our screen: Now 28, Chlumsky appears in the new movie "In the Loop," a highbrow political parody chock-full of profane and inspired insult-hurling. Although fans hoping to see Chlumsky in another wholesome, feel-good role will be disappointed, some of her other (male) fans will probably find her portrayal of a sexy, power-hungry press aide very appealing indeed.

So what else has Chlumsky been up to these last 18 years? After making "My Girl 2," she starred in two more unremarkable movies: "Trading Mom" and "Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain." Then the teen years hit, and she couldn't land any roles. Why? "Braces and boobs. I got both of them," she reveals in a Chicago Sun-Times article. After years of auditions and rejections, she finally decided to leave acting to preserve her self-esteem. She went to college, majored in international relations at the University of Chicago, and went on to work as an editorial assistant for HarperCollins.

Then one day she caught a Broadway performance of "The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?" and was inspired by Mercedes Ruehl's performance. In a Back Stage article, she recalls thinking at the time, "I have to do what she just did." Acting classes and roles in New York's free theater soon followed, and slowly Chlumsky built a respectable stage career for herself. In the last couple of years, she did a stint on "Law and Order," guest-starred on "30 Rock," and had a recurring role on the now-canceled TV show "Cupid."

Things continue to look up for Chlumsky: Just last year, she got married to Army reserve member Shaun So. Later this year, she'll appear with Alexis Bledel in the romantic comedy "The Good Guy." And according to IMDb, she has two more movies in the works. While the teen years may not have been so kind to Chlumsky, young adulthood seems to suit her just fine.

Flight of the Conchords - Stick Around