Beating My 5k and 10k PRs In One Day

"E sarili mo lang pala kalaban mo eh"

That was what my husband told me last night after finishing our 12k training run at the Ayala Triangle. I left him eating my dust on the 3k mark and went to finish our distance goal for last night 10mins ahead of him. 

I literally felt like I was flying instead of running during the first 30mins that I ran last night. The route was very flat when compared to the terrain that we would pound on during our weekend runs (along Daang Hari and in our hilly subdivision) so I guess that contributed so much to my speed improvement. I've also been squeezing in some Fartlek training during my weekday runs and it seems to be working well for me. My phone GPS calculated me to be running an average of 5.40mins/kilometer on that first 30mins. When I checked my phone when I was about to cross the 5k mark, it appeared I ran my fastest 5k last night. And when I was done after an hour and saw that I registered 10.42km in 1:03:20, I was just so ecstatic. I felt really proud of myself. Even with a faulty GPS tracker (I was using Runkeeper) I can tell by the pace that I was running that it definitely was my fastest so far. 

Faulty tracker or not, this definitely raised my confidence level  5x over!

After that training run last night, I am now confident that I could finish my first half marathon with lesser injury (not like my first 16k where a toenail died and my knees were so painful I can barely walk a day after the race). I'd probably still be begging to rest a day after the race but I'm sure I won't have any trouble recovering from the run itself. (Talk of being optimistic eh. I'm currently overflowing with positivism I hope it rubs on everyone!)

Happy, happy Friday! 

Next week I'll do 12 laps in here and I will be fine. :)

My Running Story

I am a running momma.

Initially, I took up running because I thought that would be a great bonding activity for me and my husband. Way back 2009, I just ran a couple of laps with him during his trainings. His buddies were already hooked in the sport and were able to get him to join them.

I was never athletic. I used to be quite good at playing badminton but since Tibs and I got married that chapter of our life got shelved. When I gave birth though and failed to breastfeed, I knew I had to find a way to lose the excess poundage and the fat that was starting to pile up in my mid-section. This encouraged me even more to try running. So I did. I ran with my husband.

I ran with no pressure. There were days I can't get past 10mins and would be huffing and puffing and eventually walking. But I kept going. Then our triathlete friends challenged me and encouraged me to join races. My first race was a 3k which I painfully finished at 35mins. It was a very lousy first time PR and I think I only ran for 1k straight and walked the remaining 2 kilometers. But that felt good already and I was just really glad I was able to cross the finish line then.

I continued running with the hubby. We didn't have a training plan but we just ran when our schedules would permit. The first time I ran I thought running was just that. You put on some shoes, run and then sweat it out. What I didn't know was that running could give you this certain high. And you start craving for that. After that first race, I wanted to join more. And I was bent on making a good PR.

So on Feb 2010, I signed up for my first 'real' race - a 5k. I registered a time of 36mins when I reached the finished line. Not bad the guys said. But I could definitely do better. I should run more often and come up with a better training plan. That was when I started reading and aiming for better PRs. On March that same year, I ran another 5k and finally finished at a better time - 32mins. I was 2 mins shy of my goal of running 5k at sub-30. I ran another 5k race around June but I never got to beat that 32min PR.

I decided to train for 10k after that third 5k race. Last year July 2010, I ran my first 10k but did not bother to check my time. All I wanted and dreamed was to cross the finish line and I was just so happy I did. I ran three more 10k races after that then just this August, I braced myself and signed up for my first 16k.  The first 10k felt really good. I felt invincible. We stuck to our 7min race pace. But the remaining 6k was a different story altogether. The route proved to be hilly and quite steep for my amateur knees. And as I was nearing the finish line, I could feel my calf muscles twitching already. Almost nearing a cramp attack. I alternated walking and running but knew I just can't give up with only 1k left. So I finished my first 16k but it took me 2 hours and 7 minutes to do it. I still got a big pat on the back from our runner friends. Not everyone has the guts to run 16k after all, they told me.  That was 10miles and I survived!!!!!

Running has become more of a passion for me now. It has brought me a certain level of addiction that probably most 'runners' can relate to. There are times when I'd listen to my running playlist and I'd wish I can run my way to the office instead of taking the daily commute. Sometimes when I'd feel stressed out at work, I'd wish I can put on my shoes and run a few laps first just to let the bad vibes out.

Since September I have been training for my first half marathon. It took me a long time to find the courage to try my hand at this but with proper training I know I can do this. Here is the training plan that I am currently following. Even if we still have a lot of mileage to cover, I am confident my preparation will help me reach the finish line. I still aim to finish strong (by my standards of course).


Beginner's Half Marathon Training Schedule

Yes I'm a running momma. Squeezing in training hours are always difficult especially if you have an adorable kid begging for you to stay and play but I am quite passionate at pursuing this because I know that this is a way for me to keep myself fit and strong for my family.  One of these days, I know this adorable kid will be running with us too!

"if you want to live long, walk. If you want to live longer, run."