Fit and Run.Info » running plan

I ran tonight, come hell or high water!

estan — Sat, 01 May 2010 00:55:43 +0000

7.12 KM, 48min 23 sec, 06:45 pace

7.12KM, 48 minutes 23 seconds, Makati - Legazpi Village loop

This run was better than last Wednesday! Hands down.

Not only did I increased my distance, at 7.12 KM, my longest to date, I was also running nonstop for 30 minutes (well, except a few seconds when crossing the street while vehicles were passing). I was able to sustain my run, didn’t feel tired compared to the previous and it was just good. It also helped that it was just a cool night due to the early evening rain.

Originally, I planned this early in the morning but then, I got sleep problems the previous night. Just imagine, I was already drowsy around 2330H but when I was abed, I can’t just sleep. Thoughts were still going through my mind and it was like this until almost 0200H. Undaunted, I said to myself,

I should run in the evening, come hell or high water.

And I did. Better than going out on a Friday night. Nevermind if there were no other runners I saw along the route. Similar Posts:

T’was a so so early morning run today

estan — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 01:12:18 +0000

A not so good run today. I just didn't feel it. Tired and really needs to improve next time. Re map, seems there's a glitch in rendering part of the route (above)

Maybe it’s one of those days where you just run and along the way, you just don’t feel it. You get tired and legs start to complain. You walk and run again and performance goes downhill from there.

I should know. I went out early today, quite excited of trying out a planned route that I’ve plotted the night before. When I started, I felt great but 15 minutes into the run, there’s this feeling that I need to slow down and walk. Was I just too fast at the start? Didn’t had enough sleep? Or I just need to do it slow?

I originally planned to try and extend my distance to around 7K but abandoned it to settle for 6.4. Darn. Seems my legs don’t want to carry me longer. Something is just amiss. I don’t really know.

Anyway, I will run again this Friday morning. I just hope it will be a better run. What about you? How do you prepare for your early morning runs?Similar Posts:

Am back running again after 4 days!

estan — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 00:38:33 +0000

It just feels good to hit the road again!

After an aborted run last Friday, I just made sure that I will be able to wake up early today, a Sunday. Not following my thrice a week routine can really do wreak havoc to one’s sanity especially that I’ve already gone addicted to this sport. And that means no coverage of the Takbo Para sa PGH race event at the CCP grounds.

The past days were not so forgiving:

sleep deprivation, I had my zzzs at almost 3 AM and was supposed to rise at 5 for another 25 minute run
planned a night run to compensate but photo editing and selection for a magazine contribution had me home at already past 1 AM of Saturday, so no run again on that day
Got tired from the food tour in Bonifacio Global City, no Saturday night run and got envious of those Fort runners

Finally, Sunday came. I was planning of covering the Takbo Para sa PGH race but decided against it. My run first before the race. Never mind the blog traffic. I also have a very good reason: burn off calories ingested from the food tour. Darn.

I was just excited that when I left home, I thought something was missing and realized that my watch, which I use the stopwatch function to track my time was not with me. When I started, something was amiss. Found it blah while running along De la Rosa St. in Makati City. I just kept running and soon, when I was near the vicinity of Greenbelt 4, got my groove back and finally felt good!
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Doing a recovery run, post race

estan — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 23:43:06 +0000

Taking an easy route for a recovery run

I just did a short recovery run after my first race, the Earth Day Run 2010 but still within my couch-to-5k running plan, now on its 7th week which entails 25 minutes of continuous run. Well, I accomplished it with a 6:57 pace/km.

In the next two weeks, I’ll just focus on having a full 30 minutes of running nonstop using the same route so that I can also keep track of my progress in terms of speed and/or time. once this running plan will finish on the 9th week, then, that will be the time I’ll build more on longer routes.

Endurance should be top priority for now.Similar Posts:

Slowing down for my 6th week of running

estan — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 23:06:13 +0000

1st day of 6th week in running plan

I’m slowing down this week not because I want to but I need to: will be running for the Earth Run 2010 at the MOA this Sunday, my first organized race! Well, let’s just say that I can’t wait to finish my couch-to-5k running plan before joining but, with this one being an advocacy run and coupled with a new found confidence in being a runner, I just have to sign up and look forward to hit the route!

The route I took early this morning was just around Greenbelt and two rounds at the Legaspi Park. Stats: 4KM, 31 minutes and 25 seconds, 7:49 pace/kilometer

Will still hit the road this Friday but it will be more of a leisurely run.Similar Posts:

First time for a full 30 minute run

estan — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 06:10:12 +0000

Had a tiring but great run. I'm breaking another PR, this time, my first long 30 minute continuous run

I wrapped up the last day of my 5th week of the couch-to-5K running plan with a full 30 minute run along Glorietta and Legaspi Village early this morning. Not that easy but I pushed myself to do this instead of the required 20 minutes. That’s a feat for me at this time. When I checked my dailymile, its 5.12 KM, 37 minutes and 6:38 pace/km. Not bad, I think.

A bit tiring that when I ran past Park Square, my legs started to complain that I slowed down but glancing at my watch, I said to myself, a few more minutes and I will be able to do 30. When I did reached Legaspi Park, the clocked ticked to my goal.

As for the route, I initially planned to do a minimum of 5K as a preparation for the 18 April Earth Day Run 2010. The route started at the corner of dela Rosa St. and Pasong Tamo, rounded off People Support with a short dash in Ayala Ave. before going back to dela Rosa. I then followed the street until Makati Ave., detoured to Glorietta, passed SM Makati and Park Square, turned right at Pasay Road all the way to Amorsolo then back to dela Rosa.

What a run but I did enjoy it very much.Similar Posts:

5th week and now 8-5-8 minutes run and walk

estan — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 22:59:41 +0000

My route for this run around Makati

This is just getting better. Having a running plan really helps a newbie runner to start the sport right. In my case, I opted for the couch-to-5k running plan from coolrunning.com. What started as a leisurely run of 60/90 seconds of run and walk, a few weeks ago, I’m now running at 8 minutes straight (!) alternated with a 5 minute walk.

Well, this isn’t my longest continuous run, I was able to do it straight for 25 minute during an ungo event but that was a different activity. Starting this sport gradually really matters. Doing the run this morning, it was really not that hard. In my case, I always make it a point that my pace is constant all throughout and strictly follow the time.

As I’m back in Makati, I plotted in dailymile.com this route which starts from my place, passes through the east side of Legazpi park, passes Greenbelt 1 onto Makati Ave., rounds off at the Ayala Museum. I then turned at Paseo de Roxas to go back to Legazpi Park then ran to dela Rosa St. and back home. In 34 minutes, I was able to cover this route with 7:44 minutes per kilometer!Similar Posts:

I’m now on my 5th week of running!!!

estan — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:04:11 +0000

Running and glancing at the stop watch function of my timepiece. 3, 4, 5 minutes and walk. Brisk. Breathing deep as pearls of sweat dropped from my head. Whew! After three minutes, I was on my feet again, running for the next five.

I’m now on my 5th week of my couch-to-5k running plan and, compared to the previous weeks, its now straight runs for 5 minutes alternated with 3 minute walks, three sets! But I’m not complaining. In fact, I’m all the more determined to increase it as well as reduce my pace per kilometer which now stands at 8 minutes.

In previous running plan runs, I usually have a longer cool down walk that sometimes take more than 20 minutes at a leisurely pace but this time, wanting to know my actual pace, used a shorter route (top) at about 4 KM along the SRP, an abbreviated version of what I followed during the third week.

This route along the SRP is more picturesque than the other side that I used in my second week. Lots of open spaces here as well as an elevated portion when the road crosses the Mananga River. As usual, less traffic in the morning (between 0540H – 0612H), few runners too and it’s still not too hot for comfort. The downside? It’s concrete all throughout and sometimes can be hard on the shins.

Five minutes for this newbie runner is no mean feat. As much as possible, I want to maintain the same pace when running. However, when I was already on my third and last set, I have to slow down a little as my legs began to tire but I still strictly followed the time. Tiring, but definitely well worth it!Similar Posts:

Tried another route around Talisay City

estan — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 01:45:36 +0000

I tried another running route for a Good Friday run

For my Good Friday run last week, I tried another route around Talisay City for the last day of my couch-to-5k 4th week run. This time, I followed the road from our house to the old church then tracing Garces St. until SRP and back home. Total, around 6.75 KM.

It’s a pleasant route passing through the city’s old quarter that I have passed through ever since I was a child but haven’t gone back since a few years ago. From Dumlog, there’s still the grove of mango trees now huge with fruits wrapped in paper. Old 50′s/60′s houses that still stand proud along this street to the renovated spanish colonial era church that was much better to look at before.

Actually, my original plan was to follow Rabaya St. after the bend near San Roque cemetery but I didn’t check the map well and thus followed Garces St. all the way to SRP. That made it longer.Similar Posts:

Doing another route in SRP, 3rd week of running plan

estan — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:28:57 +0000

My third week of the running plan at the opposite end of SRP

I’m back to my couch-to-5k running plan after a no training run last week, well except for the ungo run last Friday night. And boy, was it good! It also helped that I also slept early than usual last night at 2200H.

The third week involves two repetitions of the following:

90s/90s run and walk
3min/3min run and walk

Actually, it’s my first non-stop 3 minute run and at a moderate pace, I did it without stops!

For the route, I took the opposite side of the South Road Properties road that passes over Mananga River and the city hall and terminates at the old highway, the Cebu South Road. Now, it might come as a surprise that I’m doing around 9 minutes per kilometer but actually, the run can be broken down into the following:

5 minutes brisk walk
1st 90s/90s run and walk
1st 3min/3min run and walk
2nd 90s/90s run and walk
2nd 3min/3min run and walk
27 min walk to home

The two repetitions of the run/walk combo actually covers only about 2.2 kilometers from start to the end of the road. The rest of the route, is all walk. Similar Posts: