In distance running, “base training” or just “base” is the foundation on which you build the rest of your running. It’s the core strength that allows you to build the ability to go longer and faster. With luck, it also will help prevent injury. – Marathon Woman by Kathryn Switzer
Like a headless chicken the Marathon Foodie was running from one place to another, beating deadlines at work, fulfilling duties at home and squeezing-in an intense first week of training. The Marathon Foodie is on the second of three cycles of 12-week training programs.
The first cycle which started last May and culminated with the Milo 21K in July was relatively easy consisting of 33 to 40 kilometers per week with the Marathon Foodie running only three times a week (one easy run, one tempo run or speed work and one long run on Sundays). The first 12-week cycle was more diagnostic than anything. It was spent correcting my stride and form and gauging how fast I could run at a given distance.
The first 12-week cycle ended with the Marathon Foodie logging a total of 506 kilometers, with a race-day pace of 11 minutes per mile or 6:50 per kilometer. With this pace, the Marathon Foodie is expected to finish a full marathon in 5:00:14.
Coach Precing and I both agreed that the Marathon Foodie is ready to take on a more challenging program and decided to step up the mileage, frequency and pace. From running only three times a week, the Marathon Foodie is now on the road for five days with mileage ranging from a low of 65 kilometers to as much as 90 kilometers per week before tapering.
If I stay focused and stick with the program, the second 12-week cycle will add 877 kilometers or a total of 1,383 kilometers to the Marathon Foodie’s base mileage. That’s like running the island of Cebu from end to end, from the southernmost tip at Santander town to Bogo up north, seven times.
This much increased mileage is to be the cornerstone of my training for the Hong Kong Marathon in 2010. By the time I stand at the starting line on Nathan Road on February 28, 2010, I should have racked up a total of 2,260 kilometers and hopefully finish the HK Marathon in 4:41:00. The cut-off time for HK is 5 hours 30 minutes.
This all looks good on paper, but what does it really take to make my marathon dreams come to fruition?
It means running 11 kilometers four days of each work week, which consequently means sleeping by 8 every night so that the Marathon Foodie can hit the streets for training runs the next day at 4 in the morning and still have enough time to prepare for work at the office or in court. It means long slow runs of 22, 26 and 32 kilometers on Sundays, which means no more Sabado nights with friends, nor long weekends spent in Sta. Fe in Bantayan or Panglao, Bohol. It also means suffering from wounds, blisters and chafing not just on my feet but also on parts of my body that touch the seams of my running gear. Body Glide and petroleum jelly do not seem to work for me. It means no more nails on four of my toes. They died around the time I hit 400 kilometers in my training program.
But the Hong Kong Marathon is still six months away, why work so hard now? For a first time marathoner, that’s just how long it takes. More so for someone like the Marathon Foodie who does not possess an in-born gift for running long distances. There is no short-cut, no magic potion, no cheating your way to it. You just have to earn your miles. I learned this the hard way, also in Hong Kong, but that’s for another blog.
You might ask, why go through all that? Truth to tell, I still don’t fully understand why. I just know that preparing to run a marathon has given me a new sense of direction, commitment and a renewed purpose in life. When I’m running I feel that I can be more, achieve more, give more.
Sometimes I get this crazy idea of taking a really radical sabbatical and just spend a year or two doing nothing else except training and running. Who knows, if I take this new passion as far as I possibly can, maybe I can be really good at it and even run for the Philippines someday. I tell myself that it’s never too late. The champion of the women’s marathon at the Beijing Olympics was a 38 year old Romanian – the oldest gold medalist in Olympic history. But then reality interferes with my running dreams. There are bills to pay, pleadings to write and duties to fulfill.
In the meantime, the Marathon Foodie continues to run no matter how very little time there is to spare, and no matter how difficult and painful it gets. That’s just how it is when you love something or someone. You invest time, put in your heart and soul and learn to have patience that can run for miles and miles and miles.
Photo Credit: Marathon Foodie, directional signs at the Ting Kau Park under the Ting Kau Bridge. The directional signs (toilet, office, fitness station, jogging track) pretty much sum up the Marathon Foodie's life for the next six months.
The first cycle which started last May and culminated with the Milo 21K in July was relatively easy consisting of 33 to 40 kilometers per week with the Marathon Foodie running only three times a week (one easy run, one tempo run or speed work and one long run on Sundays). The first 12-week cycle was more diagnostic than anything. It was spent correcting my stride and form and gauging how fast I could run at a given distance.
The first 12-week cycle ended with the Marathon Foodie logging a total of 506 kilometers, with a race-day pace of 11 minutes per mile or 6:50 per kilometer. With this pace, the Marathon Foodie is expected to finish a full marathon in 5:00:14.
Coach Precing and I both agreed that the Marathon Foodie is ready to take on a more challenging program and decided to step up the mileage, frequency and pace. From running only three times a week, the Marathon Foodie is now on the road for five days with mileage ranging from a low of 65 kilometers to as much as 90 kilometers per week before tapering.
If I stay focused and stick with the program, the second 12-week cycle will add 877 kilometers or a total of 1,383 kilometers to the Marathon Foodie’s base mileage. That’s like running the island of Cebu from end to end, from the southernmost tip at Santander town to Bogo up north, seven times.
This much increased mileage is to be the cornerstone of my training for the Hong Kong Marathon in 2010. By the time I stand at the starting line on Nathan Road on February 28, 2010, I should have racked up a total of 2,260 kilometers and hopefully finish the HK Marathon in 4:41:00. The cut-off time for HK is 5 hours 30 minutes.
This all looks good on paper, but what does it really take to make my marathon dreams come to fruition?
It means running 11 kilometers four days of each work week, which consequently means sleeping by 8 every night so that the Marathon Foodie can hit the streets for training runs the next day at 4 in the morning and still have enough time to prepare for work at the office or in court. It means long slow runs of 22, 26 and 32 kilometers on Sundays, which means no more Sabado nights with friends, nor long weekends spent in Sta. Fe in Bantayan or Panglao, Bohol. It also means suffering from wounds, blisters and chafing not just on my feet but also on parts of my body that touch the seams of my running gear. Body Glide and petroleum jelly do not seem to work for me. It means no more nails on four of my toes. They died around the time I hit 400 kilometers in my training program.
But the Hong Kong Marathon is still six months away, why work so hard now? For a first time marathoner, that’s just how long it takes. More so for someone like the Marathon Foodie who does not possess an in-born gift for running long distances. There is no short-cut, no magic potion, no cheating your way to it. You just have to earn your miles. I learned this the hard way, also in Hong Kong, but that’s for another blog.
You might ask, why go through all that? Truth to tell, I still don’t fully understand why. I just know that preparing to run a marathon has given me a new sense of direction, commitment and a renewed purpose in life. When I’m running I feel that I can be more, achieve more, give more.
Sometimes I get this crazy idea of taking a really radical sabbatical and just spend a year or two doing nothing else except training and running. Who knows, if I take this new passion as far as I possibly can, maybe I can be really good at it and even run for the Philippines someday. I tell myself that it’s never too late. The champion of the women’s marathon at the Beijing Olympics was a 38 year old Romanian – the oldest gold medalist in Olympic history. But then reality interferes with my running dreams. There are bills to pay, pleadings to write and duties to fulfill.
In the meantime, the Marathon Foodie continues to run no matter how very little time there is to spare, and no matter how difficult and painful it gets. That’s just how it is when you love something or someone. You invest time, put in your heart and soul and learn to have patience that can run for miles and miles and miles.
Photo Credit: Marathon Foodie, directional signs at the Ting Kau Park under the Ting Kau Bridge. The directional signs (toilet, office, fitness station, jogging track) pretty much sum up the Marathon Foodie's life for the next six months.
6 comments:
haids, plain and simple: kaya na nimo.
--aag
Hello Del!
Thanks for visiting the blog. How's the cool runnings program going?
Hi, good luck on your preparation for the HK Marathon next year. I imagine all what you have to go through to achieve that goal.
Anyway, thanks for visiting my blog. Happy training.:-)
haids,
the cool runnings became cold as a puppy's nose. i think it's been a month or so that i stopped for web of reasons i couldn't untangle anymore. there was bad weather, me getting lazy, AJ getting sick, and me getting lazier.
please hit me in the head next time you see me.
--aag
Hello Panda Girl!
Thanks for wishing me well. I'm on the track once a week. I was there last Thursday, I was trying to look for you. In your blog i says you're there almost every morning. When you see me, kuhita lang ko para magkita na ta sa personal. =)
Hello Panda Girl!
Thanks for wishing me well. I'm on the track once a week. I was there last Thursday, I was trying to look for you. In your blog i says you're there almost every morning. When you see me, kuhita lang ko para magkita na ta sa personal. =)
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