Fit and Run.Info

My almost 6K run in Ilocos Norte from Laoag to San Nicolas

One of those days when the running can’t just be as good as one expects. On the bright side, its my first time to run in Ilocos Norte.

I’ve been looking forward to this run as it will be my first time to do it here in Ilocos Norte while on a North Luzon trip that will take me from this region to the Cagayan Valley and then to the Cordillera before exiting Baguio. But then, it was just so-so. Not a good run.

I’m not so familiar with the ins and outs of Laoag City that I decided to run along the national highway instead and also, to cross the long bridge span that connects this capital to San Nicolas.

But then, my stamina wasn’t good that I faltered and slowed down. Maybe it was from the tiring trip I had the previous day or even for sleeping around midnight. Or that night runs are better for me.

Well, there’s always a next time and I do hope to run better when I will either be in Tuguegarao, Banaue or Baguio.

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.

My walking route from EDSA - Washington via dela Rosa St.

A spur of the moment, I decided to brisk walk my way home from EDSA McKinley in Makati City last night after registering with Blas Tiangco at the Bonifacio High Street Nike outlet for the NatGeo run on 18 April. Credit it to not having run for the past three days that I was raring to burn calories!

The route I took was from the Shell station in McKinley, a short distance in Ayala Ave. before tracing much of the length of Dela Rosa and ended in Washington Sts. That is a total of 2.75 kilometers in 30 minutes. The walk was good but really, it was too humid and hot for comfort but hey, if I can’t run, this is the best alternative and can be done anytime, anywhere, any outfit.

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!

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.