redesigndavid.me » Running

Running Like A Hamster

redesigndavid — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:31:16 +0000

If you are like me, you love the sound of your feet pounding the pavement. Sadly, I’ve been stuck running like a hamster lately. I used to despise running on a treadmill. At one point, I could run two hours on winding foot paths until my knees hurt and still crave for more, and just run 5 minutes maximum on a treadmill. And after 300 hundred seconds–golly, that’s the 5 minute equivalent–I’d get down and look around to wonder why nobody is applauding my valiant run. Running on a treadmill gives me the creeps, the same kind I get when I need to have a dentist work on my once forsaken molar. Things changed after an article I read (from quick and dirty tips get fit guy) about the efficacy of mixing resistance with cardio workouts to lose weight. A 2008 study at the University of California asked this very question, and had one group do cardio, another group do resistance training, and a final group do a concurrent training workout in which they ran for 30-60 seconds after completing each weight lifting set. Even though each group did the same amount of work, the combination group experienced the following: a 35% greater improvement in lower body strength, a 53% greater improvement in lower body endurance, a 28% greater improvement in lower body flexibility, a 144 % greater improvement in upper body flexibility, an 82% greater improvement in muscle gains, and a 991 % greater loss in fat mass! Did you see that? That was a whopping nine-hundred-ninety-one percent! That’s close to ten times more effective loss in fat mass. I’m not really trying to lose weight. I just like running. But if I could lose the extra tub of fat around my waist–like…

Tokyo Marathon 2010

redesigndavid — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 02:25:53 +0000

I was once cooling down at the gym, and I saw ESPN’s coverage of the Tokyo marathon. I saw the last 2 kilometers of the race winner and I was soo inspired. Their was a leading pack made up of different races (by saying races here I meant races as in human genetic races), all colors represented. But there were two nationalities standing out, the ethiopians and the japanese. Everyone in the leading pack were competitive. They were tightly knit. They all ran close together, never letting anyone run ahead of the rest by more than two feet. None of them wanted to get left behind. An imaginary string attached to their waists kept them all together. And their faces were all close to crying. I swear I could feel their pain through the screen! Then they passed the forty kilometer mark. They were just above 2 hours. Just 2 clicks more. All of a sudden they start throwing things on the ground, like visors, shades, belts and all other non-essentials they had on them. They threw with force, like boom!!! Games faces were on, as if the current suffering they’ve been enduring isn’t enough yet. Then the group starts breaking up. My gawd!!! I was stading there beside the hamsters, close to crying myself! The face of the leader was screaming in pain! My golly! I was glued! What a run! The awarding ceremony started immediately after the race. A Japanese guy won. On a small corner of the screen, there was another panel showing what another camera was covering. There was a japanese lady who’s legs just gave up around 36 kilometers. She just started walking and her legs bent like jello. Then she stood up. Crying, I bet.…

Bataan Death March

redesigndavid — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 02:15:29 +0000

I just had an epiphany. I want to run 60 miles, in the Philippines, in re-enactment of an epic event in my country’s History, the Bataan Death March.
The march, involving the forcible transfer of 75,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war[1] captured by the Japanese in the Philippines from the Bataan peninsula to prison camps, was characterized by wide-ranging physical abuse and murder, and resulted in very high fatalities inflicted upon the prisoners and civilians along the route by the armed forces of the Empire of Japan. Beheadings, cutting of throats and casual shootings were the more common actions—compared to instances of bayonet stabbing, rape, disembowelment, rifle butt beating and a deliberate refusal to allow the prisoners food or water while keeping them continually marching for nearly a week in tropical heat. Falling down or inability to continue moving was tantamount to a death sentence, as was any degree of protest. Prisoners were attacked for assisting someone falling due to weakness, or for no reason whatsoever. Strings of Japanese trucks were known to drive over anyone who fell. Riders in vehicles would casually stick out a rifle bayonet and cut a string of throats in the lines of men marching alongside the road. Accounts of being forcibly marched for five to six days with no food and a single sip of water are in postwar archives including filmed reports. The exact death count is impossible to determine, but some historians have placed the minimum death toll between six and eleven thousand men; other postwar Allied reports have tabulated that only 54,000 of the 72,000 prisoners reached their destination—taken together, the figures document a rate of death from one in four up to two in seven of those on…

I’m Running Home

redesigndavid — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 03:30:05 +0000

Why do I run? One of my mentors once asked me, if I had the chance to know the exact time and date I’ll perish from this planet, how would I choose to spend those moments? I thought long and hard. Others offered their own answers. They go for the usual saying goodbye in the arms of the people they love. My answer was non-conventional. I said before the appointed time, I’ll already say my goodbyes. After which, I’ll run–not jog, but run–as fast as I can. You could say run towards meeting my Creator. But my real reason is I want to deplete my body of all energy so that at the precise time of death, nothing He gave is wasted. I wasn’t a runner then. When I gave this answer, I have yet to run my first mile. But the idea of consuming all earthly energy seemed to me a good way to pass away. Kick the bucket when it’s empty. Running is physical, no doubt. But there is a spiritual aspect to it that eludes many a philosopher’s understanding since time immemorial. Take Dean Karnazes for example. Pissed at life, he decided to hurt himself. He ran. He was reckless with his body. Imagine using Krazy Glue to secure your blisters and and open wounds! The problem is, unlike us, the body doesn’t return evil with evil. The more Dean ran, the better he felt. So he ran more and became a better person. Partly, the reason I started running was because I was angry at myself for failing at the one thing I shouldn’t have. I hurt the one person I cared the most about. I disappointed so many who care about me. They still love…

Bedok Reservoir Runner’s Heaven

redesigndavid — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 16:12:06 +0000

Today, the eve of Chinese New Year, me and my friends planned a 12KM run that became just 8 but it was well worth it. Today is also the birthday of Kuya Ariel, the guy who out runs everyone almost every time we workout. We ran in his home turf, Bedok Reservoir. This made our run beautiful! No cars, no stoplights, scenic environment, clean air, classic sunset. I was first to arrive and my first impression was this place is runner’s heaven. Look at that! The picture I gathered was from wikipedia. That’s how gloomy it could be with a storm threatening it. When I first saw it, it was close to sunset. It was breathtaking! One round is about 4.3 kilometers. The tracks are covered with sand, absorbing most of the impact coming from your feet. This is great for most shoes. But I was using my lunar glides. These shoes are supposed to make it seem like I’m running on the moon. Running on sand sorta makes it look like you are on the moon, making the lunar gliders redundant. It was an effort for me to run on the sand. I had to run on the skirts of the track where the beaten grass lay. I had side-stitches. I blame the super-dog I had an hour before the run. Next time, I’ll stick to yoghurt and/or fruit juices.

Officially Registered and Training for Sundown Marathon

redesigndavid — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:24:47 +0000

I am officially registered in the Sundown Marathon 2010. Whheeewwww!!!! Not for a 42 kilometer run. I’m not ready for that. I registered for the half-marathon. And even for that, the 5 months of running I’ve had might not be enough. Yes, I am scared. But I’ve always been scared whenever we venture into a longer than normal run. The initial fear makes the run special. According to the McMillan Running Calculator–even though I haven’t run as far as 21 kilometers ever–if I do, I’ll be able to finish in 2 hours and 48 minutes (and 16 seconds). I could hardly believe that. I hope they didn’t just get my speed and use that to see how fast I’d be able to run my 21km. They are supposed to calculate my finish time while considering my definite slow down because of the distance. I scoured the internet for a training guide. To date, we’ve got just a couple days over a hundred before the big day. 29-5-2010. That’s not much time. Things have to go serious. I found the training guide that best suites me. The ULTIMATE HALF-MARATHON TRAINING PLAN from Runners World Online. It has profiles for all sorts of runners, from beginners to seasoned runners. It’s a nine week program. Rest days already scheduled in. The only pre-requisite for 21km runners is weekly mileage of 30 miles. I could work my way up to that. And I’m gonna have to follow the nine week schedule exactly. This is a make or break thing. The strict and detailed regiment is important for a beginner like me. I’ve no one to tell me when I’m over training or when I’m being too soft on…

Ending Sprint

redesigndavid — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:08:19 +0000

Yesterday’s run was a short one. Just 8 KM for our team’s usual Tuesday night 12+ runs. We decided, to ensure the future of our running endeavors, we needed to first secure another endeavor we have in life, specifically the endeavor that finances our running, our daytime jobs. And as much as we enjoy running–in fact, continually adding the numbers every week–we’ve been going home later and later on Tuesday nights. Not a very good thing, considering we pride ourselves for setting good examples for our fellow country men. Our decision was not an all reduction policy, though. Dropping our 12K Tuesday to just 8 is really just part of the story. Our Tuesday nights was redubbed, “maintenance night.” Eight kilometers, we think, should be enough to keep the blood flowing until our “New Day of Reckoning,” Saturday. That’s when we go for kill. And because we our not bound to stay at work til after 7pm, we could start early. Maybe before the Sun is down. My excitement does not waver one bit. Last night, knowing our run was a short one, I left no reservations. On multiple times, approching intersections I saw the blinking green man. I’d normally slow down and allow myself to wait for the next one, resting a little bit. Last night, I always ran for it. Sprint! A couple of times, in fact, the red man appeared while I was right at the middle of the road. But that’s fine. Civilized countries give pedestrians more lee-way than others. And towards the end of the last kilometer, I decided to speed up. It was the first time I realized how much energy I had left. So I gave it my all, sprinted for about 200-300 meters (after about 7…

First Colored Shoes

redesigndavid — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 07:53:07 +0000

This morning while wearing my socks I saw all the shoes I had. They were all either grey, black, or black and white. The first ever pair I bought since I’ve been staying here in Singapore that has color are my new Nike Lunar Gliders. That it over there in the picture above. I bought the pair specifically because my 80kg weight was giving me hell when I run. I was using PUMA’s, 173 gram shoes, LIFT. It was light. Really light! But I needed cushioning for my running. I spent 3 days in agony, my feet’s soles felt bruised blue, learning the lesson. I bought my new runners before the pain in my soles left and not two days after that I was back on the road running.
LIFTs were never really designed for running. They are more street-fashion shoes, I think (don’t quote me on this, I’m really unsure). So when my feet were crying in pain, the Nike’s ad came to mind, “actually, it is rocket science.” Their ads were all men and women running. It was a beckon call. They did not disappoint! Lunar Glides are wonderful!!! My only qualm is the cushion I get from the shoes subtract from my leg’s power. This was made apparent when I saw that my fastest run 10k+ run was the same run with my LIFTs. But I’m never going back to them, not even for short runs. The soles lack the necessary profile to provide grip on the road. When I’m walking, and the surface I’m on is ever so slightly slippery, I look like a kid trying to…

January’s Ending Note

redesigndavid — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:05:39 +0000

function scro11me(f){f.contentWindow.scrollTo(0,0); } This will probably be my last run for January. I’ve a total of 88.24 kilometers of running logged in runkeeper. I have a student who used to do 40km a week. My golly! Will I ever be able to do that? I’ll aim to.
I was aiming to increase my speed when I ran this evening. I jogged for about a kilometer then I bent forward and sped. I thought I was running my fastest tonight. But when I checked, my fastest average was still the first run I had this year. I wasn’t expecting that. That run was the run that almost debilitated me from walking for three days. But it was also one of the most spiritual runs I’ve had. I felt like dying so many times but there was a source of energy that continued to overflow through me. And when I arrived home, there was an email from myself. It was no coincidence. There is a conductor of life’s orchestra.

Why Do I Run?

redesigndavid — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:56:39 +0000

function scro11me(f){f.contentWindow.scrollTo(0,0); } On the last kilometer of my first 13k run, my vision began to dim, the tips of my fingers were numb and prickly. I was dragging my feet like dogs who want to take a leak on a fire hydrant. The sidewalks were empty but for me. I was denying the pain my legs were screaming about. All of a sudden, a kid no taller than my belly button, ran out from no where, cut my path then ran back behind me. The kid had a smile and a look of mischief on his face. Half, he wanted to race me; half, he only wanted to show he could run faster. I didn’t look back to see where he went. I knew there won’t be anyone there. The kid, after all, was just a figment of my imagination. Or much rather, a part of my childhood’s memory. I was that little boy, once upon a time, and my role today was of my dad when he was training to run a marathon. It actually happened. I don’t remember how exactly, but it did happen. My dad was doing rounds around our village and my mom brought us out to walk to the grocery. We saw our dad running. We cheered him on. I dashed to his side, raced him and pulled back when I got in front to end my three second lead. In my immature mind, I thought I proved once and for all that I could run faster than any man on earth. Twenty years later, things have changed. My body has changed. Running takes effort now. Gravity is no longer a friend but rather an arch enemy constantly trying to get me. Twenty years later, I learned that life is a constant struggle…

Slow Running, Sure Running

redesigndavid — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 14:24:39 +0000

I had a slow and painful run today. The cross-training I did last Friday did more harm than good. Because the basketball court was filled with people by the time we got there, I did neither stretchings nor warm ups. Whenever the ball would go out of bounds pausing the game, I’d feel my leg muscles tighten. But I was stubborn. I neglected my own advice to my students “We are no longer young. Our bodies will be in-shock with the sudden activity.” Mine, especially. My legs have always been sluggish to start work and have been consistently prone to injury due to lack of stretching. When I reached home, I iced my knees and my ankles while writing stitches. The next day I swathed them in a poultice of hirudoid and analgesic balm, sleeping most of the day to allow them rest. They weren’t really painful. I just wanted to take care of them. Part of their recuperation, in my quack-doctor mind, is to allow blood to flow through them or, in other words, allow them to have a light workout. I ran a considerably short distance with a considerably slow speed. 6 kmh. I couldn’t go any faster because I knew I might re-injure my knees real bad. After about 3 kilometers, I could feel my knees performing better. So I let them. I’d up my speed for a couple hundred meters then drop again. I feel none of the slight discomfort I had before the run. I hope it’ll be completely gone by tomorrow. I don’t mind slowing down. Maybe my younger self would have been very much frustrated. There were a hand full of runners who sped pass me like they were…

Stitches

redesigndavid — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:52:27 +0000

I was invited to basketball by some students. Since basketball could be a chance for me to crosstrain, I said yes. True enough, not ten minutes in the court I felt like giving up. My breathing was worse than when I run. But the game wasn’t the highlight of that night. JZ, a good friend and student, slipped while chasing after a ball to prevent it from going out of bounds. He lost his footing and sent his feet flying forwards until his back hit the ground. His shin caught the sharp edge of a planter surrounding the court, scraping it and cutting deep in some places. He said he was fine. We continued playing while he sat on the bench and the rest of us were breathing our lungs out. Before going home, JZ disappeared to clean his wound. He was gone longer than usual. And when he came back he said there was a cut that was too deep for mother nature to handle. For one, there seemed no slowing down to the blood’s profusion. It was obvious, he needed stitches. Since it was too late by then to use any bus and/or MRT and he lived near my place we decided to take a cab together so he could go down to a hospital on the way. On the way, I told him a story. An anecdote I know he’d be able to relate to was when I received the scar on my left leg. You see, on my left leg is a scar the shape of the letter i (in italicized times new roman, to be accurate). I received it when I was in grade 2. I was playing with my friends. On this particular day, we were playing tag…

Ten Days Left This January

redesigndavid — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 08:16:25 +0000

There’s still 10 days left for 2010′s January and already I ran close to 60 kilometers. Today will be a rest day. I know I earned it because I’ve been running 4 straight days. In fact, my joints are beginning to feel the tension. At the end of January I will probably end up with close to 80 kilometers logged. Tomorrow, I’ll consider doing some cross training or resistance workouts. But running isn’t just the only thing I have in 2010 that I am proud of. Aside from the running regiment, I am proud I’ve [started doing/done] these things and I don’t plan to stop: I haven’t had a drop of coffee (I can’t say caffeine, cuz some sport’s drinks have caffeine in its ingredients). I’ve been spending less, much, much less! Normally, at this time of the month I start tightening my belt just to make sure both ends meet. When I say both ends, I don’t mean both ends of my belt, I mean both ends of my salary. Petsa dela peligro as my sister calls it (it’s Spanish for “months of danger”). LOL!! I have never been good in handling my expenses. But this month is different. I have numerous extra expenses this month. Like for example, when I lost my wallet and before it was returned I had to buy a new one. Another example is when my foot hurt like hell for two-three days because of the lack of cushioning my first pair of running shoes provided me, I had to buy new ones. Another unexpected expenditure was buying these 400 plus buck supplements for my mom (something she would repay, but need not to) and sending…

How Much I Could Save If I Ran

redesigndavid — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:55:48 +0000

Click on the picture. Those pink markers are all the MRT stops from City Hall to Pasir Ris. If you look at the lower left part of the picture you’ll see that the total distance from the two train stops is just 17km. I was telling my friends that if we could run that distance we’d be saving about 1.46 S$ for each trip. One week and we could get a meal from McDonald’s. Isn’t that cool?? (I’m just joking, but isn’t it cool to consider?)

Addicted to Running

redesigndavid — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:14:34 +0000

I am now addicted to running. In between classes (and sometimes during classes), my mind drifts off to the last run or the next run. I love the feeling that comes after a good (and even a bad) run. I love the endorphin fix I get the day after. BTW, Wikipedia says the term “endorphins”is a combination of two ideas bound together to form a word. The two words are endo- and -orphin. These are short forms of the words endogenous and morphine (note again: morphine) and together is intended to mean “a morphine-like substance originating from within the body.” What can I say? My core’s girth may not be improving, but I was never in this for the looks. Partially, I wanted to be healthy. But what I am really in for one-hundred percent is the fix. Some of the rewards I have gotten since I’ve started this regiment is this set of awesome friends whose company I’ve come to love and enjoy in equal levels as I have for running. They are God’s gift to me, in my times of need. Today, aside from breaking our (my all-time) record in distance running (12 kilometros!!!!) we also realized that our bodies are so much more flexible now. It is the first time in my life that I could reach my toes with out bending my knees. In fact I am so flexible now that even though I was wearing 2 inch high soles (from lunar tech), I could still bend low enough so that my Proximal Interphalangeal Joints could reach the ground. Tomorrow is a new day. I’ll rest. I’ve been running 4 straight days, my…

Running Home

redesigndavid — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 01:33:49 +0000

It’s raining here in Singapore. I’m in the bus stop waiting for my ride home. A guy just burst out from beside me running to cross the street with nothing but his hand to cover his head. Stupid. His head alone is bigger than his fat-fingered-hand, and let alone his belly and the rest of his body. If he kept his hands to his side, at least he wouldn’t look like a pig dancing the flamenco in the middle of Orchard while it’s raining. Raining is bad weather for some. Maybe, for most. But rain is the weather I thrive in most. Number one, I love jogging and, for that matter, jogging in the rain. Only issue is I’m not home yet. I can already hear my feather-light running shoes calling for me. Adidas. Weighing only 180 grams. My bus just arrived. I hopped right in catching a spray of water from between the bus stop’s shed and the bus’ roof. Life ain’t perfect. I tap my card on the reader and swipe the water off my shirt. Out through the window, I see a white guy walking in the rain with wireless headphones on. Headphones, not earmuffs. Although similar. Also stupid. He was drenched and yet casual in his gait. Number two, I love reading. And rain has the same effect as white noise/ambient/zen music that companies use, actually pay for, because of the effect it has on employees. Something to do with heightened emotions and therefore better creativity. Just now the bus’s fan belt squeals like a cow under electric torture. I’m excited. Excited to run and to begin the week. There’s just a little left of last week’s stress in me. I am so grateful for having an incredibly supportive girlfriend. Even her…

An Early Beginning…

redesigndavid — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 11:01:01 +0000

Alright! I have some major backlog to put in order (due to some trouble with the site; you may have noticed the new names of the sections—a strategy I devised to fix the problem). No problem, everything will be in order in just a matter of seconds. First off! An Early Beginning? Right! Well, I plan to start a regimen of jogging in the morning. I started the other day. This here is the picture I took after I ran through the park I already told you about. I didn’t take any pictures in the park because the sun was not yet up. (I started my run before the sun started his.) What you do not see in the picture is a plethora of species of birds. Different kinds! With sweet melodic songs that some whispered, some performed for the morning’s guest, yours truly. I jogged on and saw this: Apparently, my sister’s house is not just near the park with a huge fish pond. It is also a 30-minute jog to the beach. Imagine that!!?!?! There were tents. There were grills. There were manicured lawns. There were jogging tracks. There were marble tables sets. There were lights. There was a fresh breeze. There were signs. There was peace and tranquility. There was relaxation in the air. There was me and there was nature. There was this jogger and beside him a gulf, a chasm, that separated him and her. But there was unity. And the dance of the waves. And the borders. And there was order. And there were foot prints in the sand. And there was His promise. And there was His strength and His Guidance. Because He sees from above. He saw my path. Of course, in…